Metea sweeps past South Elgin

Updated: May 14, 2011 8:44PM

South Elgin’s hopes for an Upstate Eight Conference Valley baseball title took a serious hit on Saturday.

Host Metea Valley used clutch two-out hitting and dominant pitching to down the Storm 3-1 and 10-2 for a doubleheader sweep.

South Elgin began the day tied for first in the Valley Division with Waubonsie Valley, but was without three regular starters — John Menken, Robbie Green and Jake Buhmann — due to injury.

“Prom was yesterday but that’s not an excuse,” said South Elgin coach Jim Kating. “When you make six errors and give them extra outs it’s gonna be a long day. Metea is a scrappy team and played well.”

In Game 1, the Storm (18-8-1, 11-8-1) was clinging to a 1-0 lead behind left-hander Marty Knuth’s pitching efforts.

However, with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the wheels came off.

Metea’s Matt Fitzgerald singled and Will Doiron drew a walk to give the Mustangs (13-12-1, 9-11-1) runners at first and second. Andrew Fox followed with a line-drive single to left field. Left fielder Dillon Gardner handled the ball cleanly and fired a rocket home, but the throw was high, allowing Metea to tie the game at 1.

After a pitching change, No. 7 hitter Jake Charuk stepped to the plate with runners at second and third. After falling behind 0-2, he hit a chopper up the middle to score both runs and give Metea a 3-1 lead.

Starting pitcher Clayton Gonzalez (2-1) put away the Storm in the top of the seventh to close it out.

“An 0-2 count, I’m thinking fastball and reacted to an off-speed pitch,” Charuk said of his game-winning hit. “He threw me a high inside curveball. I waited back and drove it up the middle.”

Gonzalez allowed one unearned run, struck out four and stranded nine Storm runners. South Elgin tallied its lone run in the top of the fourth after a dropped fly ball allowed Andrew Weedman to score.

Knuth was the tough-luck loser, allowing three earned runs on just three hits.

Relaxed and confident, the Mustangs rode the momentum and made it look easy in Game 2.

After South Elgin jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Metea responded with three runs. Fitzgerald had an RBI double in the inning and Ryan Solomon delivered an RBI single off starter Kenny Lowden.

Sticking to their MO, the Mustangs added two more the next inning after Kenny Obendorf (1-for-4, three RBI, two runs) drilled a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line on an 0-2 count to put his team up 5-1.

After another run in the third, Metea put the Storm away for good during a three-run fourth inning.

Again with two outs, Fitzgerald (3-for-4, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 2 runs), Solomon (3-for-4, 2 RBI, run) and Doiron (2-for-3, RBI) each delivered an RBI hit to push the lead to 9-1.

“Offensively, it’s our approach. When we decide we want to go up the middle or to right field, it seems the hitting is contagious on our team,” said Metea coach Craig Tomczak. “When our is approach is like that, we’re good. When we’re trying to hit home runs, we’re not good.”

Meanwhile, freshman Max Custer made his varsity debut by giving up two earned runs on six hits over six innings. The lefty also picked off two would-be base stealers.

“Not having an upper class, everyone has thrown a lot of innings,” Tomczak said. “We gave him a shot, hoping he would eat up a few innings and he was outstanding. I was talking to the umpire after the game and even he couldn’t believe he was only a freshman.”

Nathan Garris had two hits and a run scored to lead the South Elgin offense. Lowden was pegged with the loss, giving up two earned runs over five innings.

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