Bulldogs Better Prepared for Diamond Campaign

With a tip of the cap to the school’s new fieldhouse, Batavia’s baseball team opened its 2011 season with an impressive 5-1 victory over nonconference foe Willowbrook March 29 in Villa Park.

“I don’t think we’ve won an opener in seven or eight years,” said longtime Bulldogs coach Matt Holm, whose team normally begins play against Minooka but had to postpone scheduled games with the Indians on two separate occasions.

Committing just one error (a throwing error), the Bulldogs displayed solid defense while finishing with nine base hits.

“You can tell Batavians that the fieldhouse paid off,” Holm said. “We actually got things done this year that we’ve never been able to before indoors. In the past, we’d get to our first game obviously not ready to play a game. It’s quite a bit different now.

“These guys were very composed,” he added. “They knew their stuff.”

Batavia jumped on top early, scoring a pair of second-inning runs on RBI singles by senior catcher Jay Clark and senior first baseman Joe Sortino.

Willowbrook (2-1) tallied an unearned run off of senior starting pitcher Ben Allison in the third, but the right-hander got out of the jam with a double-play groundball that was turned by third baseman Nick Beltrano to second baseman Braden Hrack to Sortino.

Allison (1-0) worked five innings of two-hit ball, striking out five while walking one.

“I was so anxious to get out here and throw the ball,” said Allison. “It was almost refreshing to come out and play a game after waiting a week or so. It was a good start to what I hope will be a great season.”

“Ben has been chomping at the bit to play,” Holm said of Allison. “We were supposed to open against Minooka last Thursday and then last Saturday. He was like, ‘How long do I have to wait?’ I told him that everybody is waiting to play.”

Clark, Andrew Scaccia and pinch-hitter Anthony Carby each drove in runs as the Bulldogs added three insurance tallies in the sixth inning.

Michael Rutas and Steven Patterson worked the final two innings for the Bulldogs, who should have plenty of depth this spring.

“We’ve got four returning senior pitchers and we’re going to ride them,” Holm said of Allison, Rutas, Sortino and Mickey Walsh. “And we return seven of our nine starters.”

Holm’s opening day lineup included sophomore center fielder Robbie Bowman, juniors Danny Seiton and Sam Burnoski, and seniors Hrack, Clark, Scaccia, Sortino, Beltrano and Patterson.

The Bulldogs (1-1) suffered a 5-4 loss to Minooka Thursday despite a home run by Hrack and solid pitching from Sortino and Nick Pappas.

Batavia will compete for the first time in the Upstate Eight Conference River Division alongside Geneva, St. Charles East, St. Charles North, Streamwood, Elgin and Larkin.

“There’s going to be no letdown this year,” said Holm. “Every game, you’re playing somebody bigger than you as a school. There are no breaks for the next seven weeks.”

The Bulldogs open their conference season April 6 at home against Metea Valley.