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June 3, 2024

Huntley's Kyle Larson slides to third base with a triple against Barrington. HHS head coach Andy Jakubowski looks on. Huntley won the IHSA Class 4A sectional game 6-3.
Steve Peterson
Huntley’s Kyle Larson slides to third base with a triple against Barrington. HHS head coach Andy Jakubowski looks on. Huntley won the IHSA Class 4A sectional game 6-3.

Sports • June 3, 2024

Huntley 9 reaches sectional final

By

HUNTLEY — A determined Huntley baseball team sought a return to the IHSA post-season tournament sectional final.

When the final ground ball hit by a Barrington player was secured by first baseman AJ Putty in the sectional semifinal the Red Raiders had achieved their objective. They advanced to the IHSA Class 4A Hampshire sectional final, with a 6-3 verdict over the Broncos.

HHS’s next game, against McHenry for the sectional crown, was to be continued June 3 due to weather June 1. “It would be amazing, something we’ve worked for all year,” Huntley senior catcher Quinn Drews said of a sectional title. Whether it be a clutch hit early or after a momentum switch, a force play at the plate, or a legged-out triple, the Red Raiders (29-7-1) continued to come up with the key play.

Huntley led 4-0 after two innings. The first five hitters reached safely for the Red Raiders. AJ Putty, Kyle Larson, Drews had the first inning RBIs followed by Larson again in the second.

Larson led the offense with a 4 for 4 day, with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. He just made it ahead of a tag on the fifth inning triple. TJ Jakubowski was 2 for 4 with one run while Drews was 1 for 3 with 2 RBIs.

“It feels pretty good,” Larson, the team’s designated hitter, said of moving on. “I was sitting first pitch fastball and didn’t miss it.”

For the final run, a pinch hit by Jason Wolter was followed by a perfect bunt from Dylan Visvarde as Wolter advanced two bases on what Andy Jakubowski called a “great read.” Alex Buchs, a pinch hitter, delivered an RBI hit.

A defensive play was key in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded and the lead cut to 4-2,  Drews fielded a grounder and sophomore relief pitcher Josh Rudnick completed the force play. Second baseman TJ Jakubowski then caught a line drive to end the threat.

“We’ve been doing a much better job lately of situational hitting and pitching,” Huntley head coach Andy Jakubowski said. “Larson’s hit was huge when it was 4-2 as we didn’t have much going on offensively.”

The pitchers were able to turn back a Barrington offense which did not go away, as it had the bases loaded in the seventh inning with one run in. Starter Drew Borkowski threw 3.1 innings of one-hit, four strikeout ball. Rudnick’s pitching ended the Barrington uprising. He worked for eight outs, before Paplanus finished the game.

“No matter what happens, we pick each other up,” Wolter, a senior, said.

 

Suspended game

 

FVC rivals Huntley and McHenry clashed in the sectional semifinal which started June 1. McHenry led 2-0 in the third inning when rain necessitated a suspension of play. It resumed June 3 in the morning, with the winner facing Conant in the super-sectional at Kane County Cougars’ field that evening.