Streamwood earns share of first UEC title

Updated: May 18, 2011 9:14PM

A swarm of white, gold and black receded away from the dugout area at Sabre Field to the bleachers, then exploded back toward the bench and coach Steve Diversey, who could only raise his arm with an emphatic fist pump.

Shortly after a five-run comeback and a 9-6 win over Geneva, Streamwood parents told their sons that St. Charles East had lost to St. Charles North, clinching a share of the first conference championship in Streamwood baseball history.

“It’s the first time ever. We’ve never won conference, we’ve never won anything,” Diversey said. “To guarantee a tie, we’re setting history here at Streamwood. There’s nothing greater than that. I couldn’t ask for anything more right now.”

Streamwood can clinch the outright UEC River title Thursday with another win at Geneva, and they’re sending senior ace Josh Harris to the mound.

“We’ve worked so hard for four years, all the guys were committed in the offseason, everyone did so much and it’s so rewarding to know we turned things around here,” Harris said as he looked over at his jubilant teammates. “When we first got here we didn’t have that many wins every year, so it’s nice to be able to leave our footprint here and at least have a tie for the conference. That’s something we couldn’t even dream of freshman year. We made it a goal and it’s real now.”

The 6-4, 220-pound left-hander is bound for Villanova in the fall, and said he couldn’t ask for a better assignment heading into regional play than to take the mound for an outright title.

“I feel great right now about that,” he said. “I’m excited because I want to be part of this and make sure I can help these guys win this thing outright. I’m going to do my best.”

It took some work to make that history, however.

Streamwood starter Blake Hunter could not make it out of the first inning as he allowed five runs to the first eight batters for the Vikings (19-10, 16-8). He was relieved by Lucas Leckie, who stranded a runner to end the first and then retired nine straight to get the Sabres back into the game.

“In the game of baseball you’re either above a team’s velocity, below or, or you’re batting practice — and I think (Hunter) threw right at what they liked and they were digging in, swinging for the downs and hitting it hard,” Diversey said. “(Leckie) was a bit below what they were used to digging in on and it kept them off guard. He kept us in it. Without him going those five innings, we’re not winning.”

Streamwood (26-5, 19-5) did get back into in the fourth off Geneva starter Drew White, scoring four runs on four hits, the highlight being a three-run home run by Harris.

Geneva finally touched Leckie for a run in the fifth to extend the lead to 6-4, but Vikings reliever Mike Monaghan could not hold it. With the bases loaded and facing a two-strike, two-out pitch from Monaghan, Sabres shortstop Nate Pearson took a fastball up the middle to score Tim Cohen and Zach Bucher to tie the game.

“I’ve been struggling hitting, so I was trying to put the confidence into the hit and to just put the ball in play somewhere,” Pearson said. “It was a big hit. The adrenaline was pumping definitely, nerve-wracking for sure. Down 5-0 ... it was a team win, for sure.”

The ball was then bobbled in the outfield, allowing Brent Kiesel to score and give Streamwood a 7-6 lead. Richie Gorski then doubled home two more runs.

“They hit the ball in the last inning, that’s for sure,” Vikings coach Matt Hahn said. “We let them back in the game with a couple of errors in the fourth inning, but that’s a good baseball team. We made mistakes and they took advantage of it.”

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