SPORTS UPDATE: Batavia Baseball Tries To Find Some Offense

Having scored just three runs in its last three games covering 25 innings of play, Batavia’s baseball team limped into St. Charles with hopes of warming up the bats Saturday afternoon.

But going up against St. Charles East’s top two pitchers, Wes Benjamin and Dan Ditusa, the Bulldogs’ task proved too difficult during their doubleheader defeats.

In the opener, the Bulldogs touched the Kansas-bound Benjamin for a first-inning run. Steven Patterson led off the game with a single, took second on Braden Hrack’s double, and eventually scored on Danny Seiton’s groundout.

However, that proved to be the Bulldogs’ only run during their 5-1 loss to the Saints (12-4, 8-1).

Senior starting pitcher Joe Sortino suffered the loss despite limiting the Saints to a pair of runs on four hits through the first four innings. A wild pitch led to the eventual game-winning run in the fourth.

St. Charles East added a pair of insurance runs during a 2-run fourth that could have been worse if not for center fielder Rob Bowman’s throw that cut down Johnny Hondlik trying to score from second base on Tony Rallo’s single.

Patterson finished with two of the Bulldogs’ five hits.

“We haven’t been hitting for anything,” said Bulldogs coach Matt Holm. “The most frustrating thing is that I know they can hit. It would be a lot easier if I could say it’s because of great pitching.

“We’ve seen good pitching, no doubt about it,” added Holm. “Between Streamwood’s two pitchers and Benjamin, we’ve seen some good ones. I just know we can hit better than that.”

Trailing 1-0 in the second game, the Bulldogs’ bats finally came alive during a three-run sixth that featured Seiton’s game-tying RBI single, Sortino’s infield hit that drove in Andrew Scaccia, and an infield error which allowed Seiton to score.

But the Saints answered with a six-run bottom half of the frame, thanks in part to Tony Rallo’s two-out, two-run home run off of losing pitcher Nick Pappas.

The loss capped a 0-4 week for the Bulldogs, who were held to just four runs in 37 innings prior to their three-run, sixth-inning outburst in game two.

“We’re pressing everywhere,” said Holm. “We’ve tried a different lineup just about every day. When things aren’t going your way, you’re trying to manufacture absolutely everything you possibly can. When you’re winning, it just rolls along.”

Earlier in the week, Batavia (3-10, 1-8) dropped a 4-0 decision to Streamwood (April 20) before a 5-1 loss to the unbeaten Sabres (14-0).

Senior right-hander Michael Rutas (2-1) was the hard-luck losing pitcher in the shutout loss to Streamwood ace southpaw Josh Harris (12 strikeouts).

“Rutas continues to keep teams off-balance,” said Holm. “We just have to get some run support for him.”

Batavia returns home Tuesday to finish the three-game series with St. Charles East.