(Sugar Grove, IL) – Waubonsee Community College's baseball team has been somewhat streaky the first half of the season. The Chiefs have had a seven-game winning streak, a six-game losing streak, and two four-game skids as well. However, behind the stellar pitching of Brendan Lawry they snapped their most recent four-game slide with a 3-1 victory over Elgin Community College on Saturday afternoon. Waubonsee (13-16-1, 4-10) then completed the sweep of their Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) doubleheader against the visiting Spartans by taking game two 6-3.
The Chiefs broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth when Dante Maietta singled to center and made it to second when the Spartans' center fielder bobbled the ball. Maietta then moved up to third on a ground out and scored a moment later when Logan Barnick laid down a perfect squeeze bunt between the mound and first base, beating the throw to first for an infield hit.
Meanwhile, Lawry was brilliant on the mound, no-hitting the Spartans (13-17-1, 7-7) through four innings. However, the no-hitter and shutout vanished in the blink of an eye as Elgin's Gavin Crofoot led off the fifth with a home run over the scoreboard in right center field to tie the game. Lawry, a sophomore from Lyons Township High School, responded by striking out the side after that and allowing only a sixth inning single the rest of the way.
The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth inning. With two outs and no one on base Garrett Bragg ripped a single to center and was lifted for pinch runner Luca Paolucci. Mark Sommers then coaxed a walk to put runners at first and second before a wild pitch moved both of them up a base. Another wild pitch a moment later allowed Paolucci to score and give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead. Ryan Teuscher then followed with a single to center to drive in Sommers with a huge insurance run.
Lawry shut down the Spartans in order in the top of the seventh to pick up his second win of the season. The southpaw finished the game with 10 strikeouts, while walking two and giving up just two hits. Maietta finished 3 for 3 with a run scored to lead the Chiefs' offense, while Sommers and Bragg each contributed a pair of hits.
In game two Waubonsee got on the board in the bottom of the first as Adrian Zietara reached base on an error and scored when Sam Tickel ripped a two-out triple down the right field line. Chiefs' starter Frank Quinn got into trouble in the top of the second as Elgin scored three times courtesy of two hit batsman, a walk and two run-scoring singles. Waubonsee regained the lead in the bottom half of the frame scoring three times after there were two outs and no one on base. Mason Barnick was hit by a pitch and then twin brother Logan Barnick followed with a double down the right field line to put runners at second and third. They both scored a moment later when Zietara blooped a single to left field. The Chiefs' designated hitter then stole second base and scored a minute later on Maietta's line shot single to center field.
The Chiefs' Ryan Beer made a pair of outstanding plays at third base to help Quinn escape another jam in the third inning to preserve Waubonsee's 4-3 lead. The Chiefs tacked on a run in the bottom of the fourth as Van Harrington singled and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches. He scored shortly thereafter when Mason Barnick grounded a single between third and short. Elgin threatened in the top of the fifth as Quinn began to tire, but he stranded two more runners to walk off still holding a 5-3 lead.
John Kruzwicki came on in relief of Quinn in top of the sixth, striking out a pair of batters while stranding a runner at second base. Waubonsee added another insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when pinch hitter Jason Daniels walked and stole second. Not long afterwards he stole third and scampered home when the throw sailed into left field. Kruzwicki then sent the Spartans down in order in the seventh to earn the save. Quinn, despite walking four and hitting four batters, picked up the win as he allowed just four hits over five innings of work.