St. Viator off to hot start
St. Viator hopes to be as hot at the end of the year as it was Tuesday for its season opener as it got off to a fast start and cruised past Buffalo Grove 9-0.
Tim McElroy went 6 innings for the Lions and threw just 81 pitches, 52 for strikes. The senior fanned 8 batters and scattered 3 hits. Meanwhile the Lions pounded out 17 hits, including 5 for extra bases.
“I had basically everything going for me today,” McElroy said. “All my pitches were working.”
Buffalo Grove (0-2) threatened in the top of the first when the Bison had runners on the corners with no outs. But the Lions threw out a runner at home and McElroy struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
The Lions then came back to tally four runs in their half of the first on six hits. Kole Luthringshausen doubled home Nick Prazuch, Luthringshausen then scored on Cosimo Cannella’s single. Cannella and Brian Wilhite then both scored on Kevin Patzke’s single.
Every Viator starter had at least one hit. Cannella knocked out 3 hits while Prazuch, Roy Pettingill, Patzke and Adam Naliwajko each had 2 hits. Pettingill, Prazuch, Patzke, Patrick Martin and Mike Krueger each had RBI for the Lions in the final innings.
“I thought we swung the bats real well today,” Viator coach Mike Manno said. “It was one of our concerns coming into this season.”
Schaumburg 10, Jacobs 7: One day after senior Patrick Bellinger got a no-decision for 8 no-hit innings, Schaumburg (1-1) rebounded for a nonconference win with strong relief from Kevin Sola and sophomore Josh Rahn.
Jacobs was cutting into Schaumburg’s lead but Sola allowed only 1 run in 22⁄3 innings and Rahn closed it out with 21⁄3 strong innings.
“He threw hard and did a nice job,” said Schaumburg coach Paul Groot.
Sophomore Jack Holden had 2 hits and double, Sola tripled and Justin Charvat doubled.
On Monday, Schaumburg lost 2-0 in 9 innings to Cary-Grove as Bellinger threw 8 no-hit innings. Bellinger had 11 strikeouts and 1 walk and came out after 97 pitches.
“He was phenomenal,” Groot said. “If he throws like that we’re going to be pretty good.”
Fremd 9, South Elgin 1: Jack Andersen threw 5 shutout innings with 6 strikeouts and Josh Jyawook and Keith Giagnorio had 2 hits and 3 RBI as Fremd (1-2) led 9-0 after three innings in the nonconference win.
Barrington 6, Vernon Hills 3: Justin Gitelis had a tiebreaking RBI single in a 3-run seventh for Barrington (1-1). Aaron Foley had 2 hits and 2 RBI, Chris Coco drove in 3 runs and Dylan Balogh picked up the nonconference victory.
Crystal LakeSouth 11, Palatine 1: Kurt Becker had 2 hits and Mike Czarnik doubled in the only run for Palatine (1-2) in the six-inning nonconference loss.
North Shore 10, Christian Liberty 1: Aaron Cunningham doubled as visiting Christian Liberty lost its nonconference opener at North Shore Country Day.
Bartlett 11, Hoffman Estates 4: Bartlett got all the runs it needed in a 5-run first and had a 12-5 hit advantage on Hoffman (1-2) in the nonconference game.