Pfister's pitching keeps Elk Grove on track

Elk Grove's Kyle Pfister winds up during his complete-game win against Warren.
(Scott Powers/For the Sun-Times News Group)

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Kyle Pfister was not a happy camper when rain washed out the first day of the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer state tournament.

"That was real tough," the Elk Grove junior said. "Now I'm staying at a football camp all day instead of coming here and playing ball."

Besides, Pfister had been off since last Thursday, which is like an eternity for him lately. So understand the right-hander was chomping at the bit to get back on the mound Tuesday against Warren.

It showed, as Pfister pitched a five-hitter to lead the Grenadiers past the Blue Devils 7-1 in pool play at Benedictine University.

It was the latest in a run of clutch performances for Pfister and Elk Grove. The Grenadiers were just 11-11 in the regular season, but are 6-0 in the playoffs with Pfister getting three wins and a save.

"I love pitching," Pfister said. "That's the thing I play for. It's a ball out there."

It certainly has been for the Grenadiers lately.

"We had a tough summer," coach Terry Beyna said. "We challenged [the players]. We talked about this tournament and how far teams in the past have advanced. We told them, 'You guys have more to prove than any other team because of your regular-season record.'

"This is a different team than we saw ... throughout the summer."

Pfister wasn't the only difference maker for Elk Grove on Tuesday. No. 9 hitter Danny Lopez singled home two runs in the second inning and finished 2-for-2, while every Grenadier starter reached base safely.

A four-run fourth that featured RBI singles by Don Duschinsky and Matt Martinski made it 7-1 and Pfister handled the rest.

"Near the end of the game we were talking about how few strikeouts he had, but what a great game he pitched," Beyna said. "His bread and butter is locating the fastball. Here and there he changed speeds with a changeup or a curveball."

Scary to think Pfister didn't believe he was even at the top of his game on this day.

"My curveball, I wasn't getting it over till the later innings and even then I was struggling," he said. "[But] I was able to spot my fastball pretty good and I had the changeup so they couldn't just sit on my fastball."

Elk Grove (17-11, 1-0 pool play) will try to stay in a groove when it takes on Prairie Ridge Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at North Central College.

Matt Dowd was 2-for-3 for Warren (20-2, 0-1), which meets Brother Rice at 10 a.m. Wednesday at North Central.

mclark@chicagosuntimes.com