YHS Sports Roundup: Sectional Time for Lady Foxes

Mistakes won't hurt a softball team too much if the opponent doesn't take advantage.

Yorkville took advantage of Sandwich's mistakes and misfortune, and also hit the ball well in Saturday's Class 3A Yorkville regional title game. The Lady Foxes needed only six innings to dispose of Sandwich, 10-0, hammering out 15 hits and winning their second consecutive regional title.

Yorkville advances to Wednesday's Rochelle sectional semifinal against Belvidere North at 4 p.m. Last season the Lady Foxes were overwhelmed 15-4 by Geneseo in sectional play. They are the only Yorkville spring sports team that will still be playing as June rolls around.

In Saturday's game, Sandwich shortstop Hannah Prucha dislocated a finger in pregame warm-ups and was scratched from the lineup.

Her absence proved to be an enormous setback for Sandwich, which committed two infield throwing errors in the first inning that helped stake the Lady Foxes to a 3-0 lead. They wouldn't need any more runs, but would continue to extend their lead.

Yorkville (22-10) put the game away in the sixth inning, enforcing the 10-run mercy rule after a two-run double from Lauren Rhodes, an RBI triple from Megan Kuhn, who was a perfect 4-for-4 on the day, and then the game-shortening RBI single from Heidi Dockstader.

Freshman Rachael Owens (10-6) fanned eight Indians while picking up the victory.

Prior to the regional title game, Yorkville blasted the Illinois Math & Science Academy, 12-2 during Tuesday’s semifinal. Allison Haskins went 2-for-3 with an RBI while Devin Turner went 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs. Lauren Rhodes picked up the victory.

Baseball: Foxes' rally falls short in regional title game

Yorkville was one run away from a possible come-from-behind rally to victory Saturday and just one victory short of No. 20.

Still, the Foxes had one heck of a season.

It did come to an end, however, Saturday in the Class 3A Tinley Park regional championship as No. 3 seed Lemont held off the Foxes' late rally, winning 3-2.

“The fifth inning was tough,” Yorkville coach Scott Luken said. “They had first and third and ran a double steal. We tried to get the guy at second which was too late and then the throw back to the catcher went past him, so the second runner moved to third and the scored on a fly to left off the heel of the glove of our left fielder.”

Trailing 3-0 heading into the top of the seventh inning against southpaw Tyler Jay, time was running out on the Foxes' season. They had produced some hits against Jay, finishing with nine in the game, but also had some problems making contact, fanning 11 times.

Finally, down to their last three outs, they rallied.

Ryan May and Luke Lucchetti hit back-to-back singles but Derek Piszczek popped up and Jacob Mathre struck out to take the Foxes down to their final out.

That’s when Josh M. Cooper, who had struck out in his previous at bats, came within a few feet of tying the game, doubling home two runs off the fence in right-center field.

That made it 3-2, but the Foxes couldn’t find a way to bring Cooper home as pinch hitter Tanner Cook struck out to end the game. Starting pitcher Stephen Toma went the distance for the Foxes but was the tough-luck loser.

“We were really close to winning that game and, hopefully, that can have a positive effect,” Luken said. “[Lemont] was a quality ballclub that executed well in all facets, but we played with them. I’m proud of our guys. They fought to the last out and had a chance to tie or take the lead.”

Yorkville (19-16) beat Tinley Park, 6-1, on Thursday in their postseason opener behind the pitching of Piszczek and hitting of Mathre. Piszczek surrendered just two hits and threw only 80 pitches for the complete game victory while Mathre went 3-for-3 with a walk, double, home run and four RBIs.

“We started with a little small ball to get some runs early and Derek pitched very well,” Luken said. “In two regional games we threw two complete games and gave up just six hits. You can’t ask for much better than that.”

Piszczek finished the season on the mound with only four walks in 37 innings.

“He doesn’t allow many base runners and when you don’t allow base runners, you can’t score runs,” Luken said.

“He’s very effective at what he does and I just wish I would’ve put him in the rotation, instead of the bullpen, earlier, but he has so much value as a middle infielder and for his offensive production. He’ll really be one of our top pitchers for next year.”

It certainly was an exciting and successful season for the Foxes who had their first winning season since 2002.

“We had 17 games decided by three runs or less so we were competitive in most of the ballgames,” Luken said. “I wanted to compete everyday and I think we did that for the most part.”

Luken won’t deny that he was hoping for a better W-L record and that the 20-win plateau is a benchmark. Still, he was very pleased with how the team came along.

“The kids had the right attitude, worked hard everyday in practice, hustled and bought into it,” he said. “I think our record wasn’t as good as I thought it could be, but the program hasn’t won 19 games in like 10 years.

“It seemed like every week there was someone different who stepped up which is big for a team. We had a bunch of different guys come through for us.”

The Foxes will lose seven seniors to graduation, four who were position player starters. This includes Lucchetti, who led the team with seven home runs and Cooper, who had a team-best 33 RBIs, as well as Toma who led the team in team in games started on the mound (10) and innings pitched (52 2/3).

“I would say we have a good nucleus of kids coming back,” Luken said. “I think we also have talent at the sophomore level from a pitching standpoint.”

Boys track: King, Dhuse, Kellogg, Callahan finish 2nd in 4 x 800 relay

A couple Saturdays ago, it was the girls 4 x 800 relay team of Bri Stuepfert, Leena Palmer, Ali Hester and Esther Bell that stole the show in Charleston, Ill., by winning a state title.

This past Saturday, the boys nearly duplicated the feat.

The 4 x 800-meter relay team of Scott King, Kyle Dhuse, Chris Kellogg and Jake Callahan ran a season-best 7 minutes 51.76 seconds to claim second place in the Class 2A IHSA boys state track and field finals. Belvidere North, considered by most to be the favorite, won with a 7:50.40.

While King and Dhuse will graduate, Kellogg and Callahan will have to find two new teammates to make a run at a state title next spring, as well as the school record time of 7:46.37, which was established in 1989.

The Foxes were also well represented in the 3,200 meters as sophomores Eric Baker (9:46.75) and Zak Arcara (10:04.38) finished in 16th and 24th respectively.

Kellogg ran a 4:45.44 in the 1,600 preliminaries on Friday but didn’t advance to Saturday’s final. Senior Matt Anzelc finished his high school career Friday, tossing the shot put 46 feet 5 1/2 inches.

Boys tennis: Hernandez/Pickering end season in state tournament

Yorkville was represented at the IHSA boys tennis state finals as doubles team Ricky Hernandez and Jason Pickering were in action Thursday at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights. The duo dropped both of its matches, losing 6-3, 6-2 to Warren’s Nikola Trukov and Eric Seller and then they were eliminated in the consolation round by Rock Island Alleman’s Mark McLaughlin and Austin Schoeck, 6-2, 6-4.

Assembly To honor athletic success

YHS holds an assembly Tuesday at 2 p.m. to honor the state champion girls track 4 x 800 relay team as well as the regional champion softball team. In addition, sports banquets for the various spring sports teams are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday evening.

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