Huntley evens league series with win over Jacobs

HUNTLEY – Huntley and Jacobs experienced had a split decision, with Jacobs winning 5-1 Saturday and Huntley coming back for a 10-0, six-inning win Monday. Conditions were as different as the outcomes, with a summer Saturday replaced by a winter-again like temps Monday.

HHS coach Andy Jakubowski was pleased with how his team responded for a 14-2, 7-1 FVC mark.

“We challenged the hitters to do have a better two-strike approach,” the coach said. “I think six or seven of our hits were with two strikes,” Jakubowski said.

Senior Brayden Bakes led the offense with a key home run while classmate Adam Guazzo supplied the pitching with a 12-strikeout, four-hit performance.

“I shortened up the swing with two strikes,” Bakes said. “And got it into the wind which was blowing to left.”

Bakes’ blast was a three-run shot for a 4-0 lead.

Jakubowski praised the efforts of staff ace Guazzo on a frigid Monday.

“He is our ace, our workhorse and today he demonstrated why,” Jakabowski said,

Saturday was the Golden Eagles’ day as they ended HHS’s 11-game win streak with a 5-1 victory.

“It was a great atmosphere with two real good teams and two real good starting pitchers,” Jakubowski said,

Huntley grabbed an early lead at 1-0 in the first inning but Jacobs kept on coming with hits and runs, taking a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning on a home run and and another in the sixth. The Red Raiders had base runners, including two in the sixth with the tying run up but could not get the clutch hit. Malachi Paplanus took the hard-luck loss.

Jacobs’ ace Nathan Chapman stopped HHS on a four-hitter.

“That was on me,” the HHS coach said afterward. “I got away from our ideals of bunting and hit-and-run and was too aggressive. I thought we had a lot of good at-bats, especially early, for seven to nine pitches.”