North Star’s Jones comes up big

Updated: April 29, 2011 11:45PM

Maybe it was the atypical night backdrop of UIC’s Les Miller Field for a high school baseball game that started Friday night’s wackiness.

Or maybe the no-dirt field turf playing host to St. Charles North and Wisconsin’s Burlington Catholic Central, both having driven over an hour to get downtown if not longer, was responsible.

The time spent getting to the stadium must not have mattered much to North Stars starting pitcher Ryan Jones as he threw a no-hitter in six innings, striking out six and walking one as St. Charles North (11-5) earned a 10-0 win.

“I was just getting first pitch strikes and everything was working. I was able to get the ball in play and my defense was making plays behind me,” said Jones, who usually comes out of the bullpen.

After the end of the sixth inning, the game was deemed official because of the 10-run rule. But because of the time it spent to travel to the city, both coaches decided to play the final inning. Jones would give up three hits and two earned in the unoffical frame.

“I think it needs to go in as a no-hitter,” North Stars coach Todd Genke said after explaining the three-person meeting that took place when the mercy rule came into effect. “I don’t know, it’s a nonconference game. It’s a tough call. I don’t want to alienate anybody either because we did play the extra half and they got a couple hits. They actually hit the ball really well there. So it’s a tough call, but our pitcher threw really well. Ryan Jones threw great.”

The only batter Jones allowed to reach through six innings, officially, was the Hilltoppers’ Zach Mehring, who walked and stole two bases before Jones got the third out on a strikeout.

Burlington pitcher Rex Morrow was cruising on no-hit ball through 2-2/3 before North scratched a run across via a walk, a steal, an error and an Andrew Elliot RBI infield single.

The game was broken open a bit in the fourth when John Brodner led off with a double and Dirk Schmitt and Jake Johansmeier singled. All three would score as the defense and pitching for Burlington fell apart.

Hits kept coming, this time by reserves, as SCN tacked on three more runs in the fifth with the big hit being a two-run single by Adam Delisi.

“We were scratching a little bit the first couple innings and then we started hitting the ball to right center, which is what good hitters do,” Genke said. “Then we started pulling the ball, got some guys on base and moved them around. All in all, pretty happy.”

“I wanted my team to do well of course, but I also wanted to pitch in the seventh inning and finish it out,” Jones said. “It ended up turning out well. That last inning, it was a good thing it didn’t count.”

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