Kits Can't Prevent Series Sweep By Hawks

Evanston’s baseball team had to grind through an entire week of weather delays and wet fields to conclude their season opening Central Suburban League South division series with Maine South.

And the Wildkits are still seeking that first win.

The Hawks wrapped up a series sweep Friday at ETHS, holding on in the completion of a suspended game for a 7-6 triumph and then defeating the Wildkits 4-2 in the finale by scoring a couple of unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning.

Evanston sank to 6-11 overall and will resume conference action at home next Monday, weather permitting, with a three-game set versus Deerfield.

A wild pickoff throw by sophomore relief pitcher Calvin Hayes set the stage for Maine South’s winning rally in the finale, after the Wildkits had squandered a couple of opportunities to take the lead on offense.

Hayes’ miscue wasn’t the first for the ETHS pitching staff trying to nail a runner at first base this spring. Ace hurler Elliot Paul was charged with two such errors in the opener last Monday --- a game that was suspended in the fifth inning when lightning was detected in the area --- and you can blame Mother Nature, along with poor drainage on the Evanston back fields, for those mistakes.

Head coach Frank Consiglio has always stressed control of the basepaths to his pitching staff during his tenure, but the Kits haven’t had the opportunity to practice that nuance much yet this spring.

Why?

“We haven’t had a single full practice outdoors yet, and it’s already April 17th,” noted Consiglio. “You can’t work on run control in the fieldhouse indoors. We have to get out on the diamond (preferably a dry one) to fix that. Run control needs to be a strength for this team, and right now, it isn’t. What we really need is about 10 practices outdoors in the next couple of weeks.

“They’re starting to play better baseball. You could see that today. Our challenge (for the pitching staff) is that we want to make teams earn their runs by testing our defense, but we’re not allowing balls to be put in play. Their rally at the end was a hit batter, a couple of walks and a couple of hits. They didn’t make a lot of solid contact against us all week. We’re just trying to avoid bats --- and it shows.

“In big moments, there’s still too much ‘free’ baseball for the other team.”

Hayes bailed out starter Sam Kalil by escaping a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the fifth, retiring South’s Nick Massucci on a fine grab in deep left center field by Paul to retire the side.

But with one out in the sixth he surrendered a one-out single to the No. 9 hitter in the Hawks’ batting order, Alex Vale. And his subsequent pickoff attempt skipped past first baseman Aaron Shalin and Vale raced all the way to third, changing the entire dynamic of the rest of the frame.

Hayes got ahead of the next hitter, Evan Adamczewski, then grazed him in the hip with a 1-2 pitch. Luka Stojakovic blooped an RBI single down the right field line and the Hawks tacked on an insurance run when Hayes walked Gavin Krischke later with the bases filled.

Hard-throwing reliever Russell Hengels, who earned a save in Friday’s suspended win, closed the door on the Kits in the last three innings. The junior right-hander, who has been clocked in excess of 90-miles-per-hour with his fastball, retired all nine batters he faced after pitching out of a second and third, no-out situation in the Evanston fifth.

Hengels handled the meat of the Evanston order with ease in that inning, after Nate Willman walked, Tate Schroeder singled and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Ryan Rappoport rapped into a fielder’s choice that retired Willman at the plate, and Hengels reached back to strike out both Shalin and Noah Nelson to put out the fire.

He wasn’t quite as effective in the first game Friday. South held a comfortable 7-2 advantage with one out in the fifth, but the hosts didn’t quit and capitalized on a pair of key errors by the Hawks to climb back into contention.

Evanston pushed across two runs in the fifth, on an RBI single by Matt Gilroy and Schroeder’s infield out. In the sixth, the hosts crept closer after Caleb Prendergast walked and Garrett Hagerty reached on the shortstop’s error.

Following a sacrifice bunt by Dion Lane Jr., Willman’s groundout produced another run. A free pass to Paul loaded the bases, but the rally died when Rappoport flied deep to right against Hengels.

A two-out walk in the seventh to pinch-hitter Shalin kept ETHS hopes alive, but only until Prendergast grounded out to end the game two pitches later.

“We need to let our defense work a little more in key spots in the game,” added Consiglio. “It’s about midway through the season now and we’re getting closer. We’re still not there yet.”