Danchris tops S.A.T Construction for Streator Minor League title

STREATOR — At any level of baseball, the name of the game is putting the ball in play to put pressure on your opponent.

On Wednesday night during the Streator Youth Baseball MInor League (9-10) city championship, the lads from Danchris Nursery did just a little bit better job in that facet of play against S.A.T. Construction and walked away with a 10-4 victory here at Southside Park.

Fifth-seeded Danchris Nursery (8-6-1) broke open a 3-3 tie with a pair of runs in the third, tacked on one in the fifth and then put up four more in the sixth. Third-seeded S.A.T Construction (9-5-1) put up a trio of tallies in the opening inning, but could only manage a sixth-inning score the rest of the way.

"They all believed in themselves and had the confidence going into this tournament that they were going to win. We had guys put the ball in play all throughout the lineup tonight, which was a big key," said Danchris Nursery coach Matt Darrow.

"It's the best feeling in the world watching these kids accomplish their goal."

Starting and winning pitcher Talen Melvin settled in after giving up three runs in the first as he didn't allow another base hit over the next four frames while walking one and striking out seven. Keegan Angelico closed things out in the sixth, giving up a run on two hits and fanning two.

"I think he was throwing the ball harder at the end of the game than he was at the beginning," Coach Darrow said of Melvin.

Kamdyn Darrow gave Danchris a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an RBI single to knock in Angelico. Darrow scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Bryce Heider, and Melvin (who had singled) came across to score on a Noah Lopez single. S.A.T Construction got those back in their half of the first with Aiden Ferris blasting a single to score Joe Hoekstra, who had singled. Ferris and Kolton Highland each touched home on wild pitches.

"I was just looking for a good pitch to hit tonight," said Heider, who finished with three RBIs. "I've been practicing a lot with my mom, dad and brother in the backyard, so I think that helped."

Danchris took the lead for good in the third on back-to-back run-scoring groundouts off the bats of Heider and Mason Spellious to make it 5-3. They made it 6-3 in the fifth as Jared Clark reached on a one-out hit by pitch, moved to second on a groundout, and scored after two consecutive wild pitches. Meanwhile, Melvin was cruising along, including striking out the side in the fifth.

"It's going above the television in my bedroom," said Melvin, first-place trophy in one hand and the game ball in the other. "I knew Monday I'd be pitching today, but I wasn't really nervous. I just wanted to throw strikes and let them hit it."

In the Danchris four-run sixth, Darrow led off with a walk and touched home plate on a single from Heider. Melvin, Heider and Lopez (2-for-3) all eventually scored on pitches that reached the backstop. S.A.T Construction made it 10-4 when Cade Vickers walked and came around to score. They would proceed to load the bases in the sixth, but Angelico induced a groundball back to him to end the well-played contest.

"Talen was just phenomenal tonight for them and we have been watching him all season. That was the best game I've seen him pitch," said S.A.T Construction coach Steve Hoekstra, who saw both his pitchers, starter Madden McCloskey (2 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K) and reliever Aiden Ferris (4 IP, 2 H, 8 K), pitch well.

"As a coach, you just want your players to improve in some way. Every team I have ever coached I've told the kids, when the season is over and you want to play baseball again next season, I've done my job. They all told me yes, so that makes me happy."

At Southside Park, Streator

Danchris Nursery 10, S.A.T. Construction 4

(Key: AB-R-H-RBI)

DANCHRIS NURSERY (10) — W. Heider 3-0-0-0, Angelico 2-1-0-0, Darrow 1-3-1-1, Melvin 2-3-1-0, B. Heider 3-1-1-3, Spellious 2-0-0-1, Lopez 3-1-2-2, Adams 3-0-0-0, McMullen 2-0-0-0, Fialko 2-0-0-0, Moton 2-0-0-0, Clark 0-1-0-0. Totals 25-10-5-7.
S.A.T. CONSTRUCTION (4) — Fowler 3-0-1-1, McCloskey 3-0-1-0, Hoekstra 3-1-1-0, Ferris 2-1-1-1, Highland 1-1-0-0, Kolosay 2-0-0-0, Davis 2-0-0-0, Vickers 0-1-0-0, Yeck 2-0-0-0, Puetz 1-0-0-0, Schubbe 2-0-0-0. Totals 21-4-4-2.

Danchris Nursery (8-6-1)  302  014  — 10  5  1

S.A.T Construction (9-5-1)  300  001  — 4  4  1

LOB ​— Danchris Nursery 5, S.A.T Construction 3. SB — Hoekstra. HBP — Fialko (by McCloskey), Clark (by Ferris), Highland (by Melvin), Puetz (by Angelico).

Danchris Nursery  ip  r  er  h  bb  k

Melvin (W)  5.0  3  2  2  1  7

​Angelico  1.0  1  0  2  1  2

​S.A.T Construction

McCloskey (L)  2.0  3  3  3  2  4

Ferris  4.0  7  7  2  4  8