Kits Fall Short In Battle Of The Bullpens

Evanston’s non-conference baseball matchup with Lane Tech Thursday at Kerry Wood Field provided a classic example of two teams hoping to get past the starting pitchers --- and get into the enemy bullpen.

And Evanston isn’t in position to win a battle of the bullpens yet.

Lane Tech’s Alex Zeigler singled home the winning run with one out in the bottom of the 8^th inning as the Champions --- who trailed 7-3 in the 6^th inning --- rallied for an 8-7 victory.

Zeigler’s game-winner came against the fourth ETHS pitcher, junior right-hander Chuck Lubinsky. The blow dropped the Wildkits to 4-8 on the season while Lane Tech improved to 7-4.

Neither Evanston ace Elliot Paul nor Lane starter Charlie Lust figured in the decision after effective starts for both hurlers. Lust led 3-1 after his five-inning stint, having struck out six, while Paul wriggled off the hook with scoreless innings in second and third and left with two outs in the fourth. He was yanked with a pitch count of 68 so he’d be eligible to start early next week in a three-game series against Maine South to open the conference season.

Pitching depth will loom large once the Central Suburban League South division slate starts --- and right now the Kits don’t have much.

Head coach Frank Consiglio’s search for consistency on the mound led to the promotion of sophomore righty Tyler Long to the varsity. He coughed up a 7-3 late lead in his varsity debut and his successors, juniors Matt Gilroy and Lubinsky, didn’t fare much better.

The entire mound staff is trying to walk that fine line between attacking hitters early in counts --- that’s always been the program’s philosophy --- and trying to prevent hitters from teeing off on pitches right down the middle of the strike zone.

The 4-8 won-loss record reflects that lack of success.

“The bottom line tonight is that we gave up way too much hard ‘pull side’ contact in RBI situations,” Consiglio said. “You can’t win if you miss in the middle of the plate and let the other guys tee off on you.

“We’re not doing a good job of working the edges, of making hitters reach for the ball. When you can’t execute those pitches consistently, you have no chance. But the three guys who came in after Elliot did make a lot of good pitches, too. They’re starting to learn how to beat good hitters.”

Once Lane’s Lust left the game, Evanston pounced on his successors, Alex Delaney and J.J. Stoner, for six runs in the top of the 6^th.An error and Aaron Shalin’s double as part of a 4-for-4 performance opened the gates and the Kits cashed in on Noah Nelson’s RBI single, a two-run double by Caleb Prendergast, Dion Lane’s squeeze bunt and a steal of home by Nate Willman to open up a four-run advantage.

The Champions answered with a four-run attack in their half of the 6^th. They chased Long after the sophomore retired just one of the six batters he faced, allowing three hits, a walk and a hit batsman. The next reliever up, Gilroy, threw a wild pitch with two outs and two strikes on Lane’s Miles Mazanowski as Tanner Toback raced home with the tying run for the hosts.

Lane freshman Paris Head moved to the mound from shortstop in the 7^th and retired six of the nine Evanston hitters he faced, striking out the side in the 8^th.

The Champions put their leadoff hitter aboard in the 8^th when ETHS catcher Garrett Hagerty committed a two-base throwing error on Eric Acevedo’s tap in front of home plate.

After an intentional walk, and a forceout, Zeigler lashed a vicious one-hopper off the glove of Evanston third baseman Shalin for the game-winner.