Evanston Ends 7-Game Losing Skid

Evanston’s young baseball pitchers experienced some growing pains during the annual spring break baseball trip to Vero Beach in Florida last week.

But what happened in Florida, stays in Florida. It’s how the Wildkits come out on the other side that will matter in the big picture of the 2026 season.

Evanston ended a 7-game losing skid Wednesday at Northwestern University’s Rocky Miller Park with a 10-0 slaughter rule triumph over Niles North. The Kits scored nine runs in the second inning and pitchers Sam Kalil and Calvin Hayes tossed a combined 2-hitter in the five-inning contest.

Now 4-7 overall, the Wildkits are at the start of a stretch of seven scheduled games in a one week span. Pitching depth has never been more important, considering that the Central Suburban Leage South division play starts next week with three games versus Maine South.

A combination of starting pitchers not going deep enough into games, pushing untested hurlers into roles earlier, and probably the toughest schedule Evanston has ever played in Florida led to a combined 0-7 mark on the trip after ETHS had posted three straight wins before departing.

Back in Illinois, veteran head coach Frank Consiglio knows he can count on Elliot Paul and Kalil as a 1-2 punch on the mound. After that? There are still plenty of question marks, still roles yet to be defined.

“We played three teams that were of state championship calibre down in Florida,” Consiglio said. “We just didn’t pitch well enough. We had too many walks and too many hit batsmen. We’d compete and compete and compete, and then the games would get away from us in the late innings.

“Our strike one percentage (for each individual pitcher in each at-bat) was under 50 percent the whole trip. That’s unacceptable. There’s a lot of talent on our pitching staff and they know they need to make some adjustments now. We’ve told them that it all comes down to locating their fastballs. We’re not even worried about the other (secondary) pitches they throw. They all have to attack the zone better.

“Losing one game in a row --- losing five games in a row --- losing seven games in a row, whatever it is, losing just sucks. And we’ve had to sit on that (losing streak) since last Tuesday. It was horrible. I’m glad it’s over.”

The end of the longest losing streak in Consiglio’s long tenure at ETHS was aided by Mother Nature at windswept Rocky Miller Park. Niles North (2-7) failed to catch at least four routine fly balls under a high sky with bright sunshine and no clouds that prolonged that second inning uprising against losing pitcher David Anderson.

The winners sent 15 hitters to the plate before the inning ended, and Kalil actually had to get up and throw some pitches in the bullpen to stay loose while Anderson struggled to record the third out.

Aaron Shalin’s infield single started the rally, and designated hitter Noah Nelson rapped a fly to left that should have been caught but fell between two Viking outfielders for a single. Anderson then plunked Garrett Hagerty with a pitch to load the bases, and Paul drilled a two-run double to right center for the first runs of the inning.

There was plenty more to come.

After two outs, Nate Willman hammered a triple to right center. He scored standing up when North second baseman Sebastian Gonzalez misplayed what would have been an inning-ending popup hit by Tate Schroeder. Ryan Rappoport continued that theme with a fly ball double to right, Shalin followed with an RBI single, and a double by Nelson finally chased Anderson.

North reliever Connor Niedfeldt issued a pair of walks and hit a batter to force across two more runs before Hayes lined out to center to end the uprising.

Evanston ended the game with the 10-run slaughter rule as Schroeder tripled home Willman in the bottom of the fifth.

On the mound for ETHS, Kalil allowed a walk and a double in his 3-inning stint, striking out three, and Hayes polished off the shutout by facing the minimum six batters and whiffing two.

“The ability is there for our pitchers. The experience is not there yet,” said Consiglio. “It’s tough because we’re not set up (yet) for that many games in that many days. We’re very young and the best is still in front of us.

“In our program, March and April are NOT where it’s at. It’s all about May (and the Illinois High School Association state tournament). I’m confident we’ll be where we need to be in May.”