Baseball squad plays steady with 9-1 start
HUNTLEY — It has been so far, so good for the Huntley baseball team, both overall and in Fox Valley Conference games.
Huntley has defeated McHenry twice and Crystal Lake Central once as it aims to defend its league crown.
“We’re getting off to a good start in the FVC,” HHS head coach Andy Jakubowski said. “Our situational hitting is coming. We know each player has strengths and weaknesses and we try to play to their strengths.”
The triumphs over McHenry both featured late-game rallies, for 5-2 and 8-3 triumphs, April 5 and 8. The victory over CLC was 5-1 on April 9 for a 9-1 overall start, 3-0 league.
HHS beats Tigers
Mason Leske and Colby Aschenbauch shared pitching duties against the Tigers.
“Leske did a good job setting up his fastball with a change-up,” coach Andy Jakubowski said. “We were able to execute a squeeze play and a hit-and run and got a two-out run. We knew this year we would have to win with small ball as we only have two home runs, both by AJ Putty.”
Wins over McHenry
“It was a good win,” Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski said of the first McHenry game. “Starter Malachi Paplanus worked out of some jams and Leske kept them off-balance. Janke and Quinn Drews got some big hits.”
Janke, a senior, was 3 for 4 on the day with two RBIs. Huntley scored four of its five runs in the final two innings.
It was an 8-3 second win over McHenry, with a sixth inning comeback needed.
“The wins over McHenry were amazing. We have the ability to turn it into another gear late in the game,” Janke said.
Lone loss
Against the St. Ignatius Wolfpack, Huntley enjoyed a 6-1 lead thanks in part to three runs scoring on a misplayed pop up in the fourth inning. Griffin Goldstein singled, Marco Stawski singled, Drew Borowski was hit by a pitch and all three scored on the play. Kyle Larson had a key two-RBI double in the second and TJ Jakubowski walked and scored on a Borowski single for a 3-1 lead. But the Wolfpack had the final say with a six run sixth inning.
Baseball notes
Brandon Hanley, a HHS Class of 2022 member, is a catcher this spring for McHenry County College Scots. He had a two-hit game in a recent 21-0 Scots win over Rockford University JV. MCC had an 18-7 record and had won eight straight contests.
Bakes update
Bakes is a freshman catcher at the University of South Carolina. He has seen action in 12 games for the Gamecocks. His top game for hits was three against Queens College of North Carolina,and he also had three RBIs. The Gamecocks were 21-10, 5-6 Southeast Conference.
South Carolina is the new NCAA Women’s Basketball team champions after a 87-75 win over Iowa in the title game.
Brayden Bakes, on the baseball squad at Indiana University, was injured earlier this season.
