Funkhouser big again for Bengals

Photos: Reavis vs. Oak Forest

Updated: April 25, 2011 6:28AM

Oak Forest baseball coach Thad Gatton is waiting for his team to explode offensively.

The Bengals have scored more than seven runs just once in 12 games.

But when Kyle Funkhouser is toeing the rubber, the Bengals don't need many runs to register the victory.

Case in point, Thursday against Reavis.

Brian Richard drove in two runs and Bobby Sheppard and Kyle Linares added one each to help host Oak Forest post a 4-0 win in a South Suburban Red contest.

Funkhouser, a junior, relied on his fastball which reached the upper-80s to limit the Rams (8-7, 5-2) to just four hits while striking out eight.

"Scoring four runs with ‘Funk' out there, I feel pretty comfortable," said Gatton, whose Bengals improved to 8-3-1 overall and 6-1 in conference. "With the exception of (Tim) Barry, we're not the type of team who is going to rely on home runs. We have to get timely hitting and execute the small ball."

Richard, a left-handed-hitting freshman, got the Bengals on the board in the third with a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. He then ignited a three-run outburst in the fifth, lacing a two-out double down the right-field line that scored George Jester (1-for-3) for a 2-0 advantage.

After an intentional walk to Barry, Sheppard (1-for-3) and Linares (2-for-2) followed with RBI singles to extend the Bengals' lead to 4-0.

"Richard has been unbelievable," Gatton said. "That was a big two-out hit. Without him this season, I don't know where we'd be at."

Reavis put its leadoff hitter on base in the fourth and fifth innings, only to come away empty.

Matt Javorski (2-for-3) singled to start the fourth and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Mike Falbo. Funkhouser got Valparaiso-bound Rob Rabakozi on a popout and struck out Brandon Hines looking.

Jake Stano singled leading off the fifth and Cameron Koepke registered a one-out base hit to put runners on first and second. But Funkhouser, who threw 87 pitches, turned a comebacker by David Beltran into a 1-6-3 inning-ending double play.

"He's the real deal," Reavis coach Don Erickson said of Funkhouser. "We got a couple of hits but we just couldn't get the big hit. Oak Forest is a good team."

Josh Arnold took the loss for Reavis, allowing all four runs on eight hits over 42/3 innings. Hines worked a hitless 11/3 innings.

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