Baseball: Collin Severson, Sycamore power past Rochelle

ROCHELLE – Sycamore drew nine walks Wednesday against Rochelle, coming around to score on eight of them.

Combine that with three homers, 11 hits and five Rochelle errors and it added up to a 19-2 Interstate 8 Conference win in five innings for the Spartans.

“Coach [Jason] Cavanaugh always prides us on going deep in counts and just fighting,” said Sycamore leadoff hitter Collin Severson, who walked three times and homered in the fourth inning. “That’s one thing he’s done a great job of preaching to us. And it translates to the field where we never get down, even with the 0-2 counts, looking to fight and it shows.”

Severson drew a one-out walk in the fifth inning with the Spartans (7-0, 2-0 Interstate 8) up 19-2, the only time a player didn’t come around to score after walking.

In the top of the second inning, Severson came up with the bases loaded, two outs and the Spartans down 2-0. Rochelle starter Dylan Whaley got the first two strikes, then on what he thought was strike three ran off the mound thinking the inning was over. But it was called a ball, Severson ended up walking in a run, and Matt Rosado ripped a three-run triple to right field to give the Spartans a 4-2 lead.

Rosado was 3 for 5 with four RBIs and scored once.

“We did a good job by not panicking in that situation,” Sycamore coach Jason Cavanaugh said. “I think our guys feel confident enough that we’re going to be able to score some runs in a small ballpark like this. It was good to bounce back right away, too. Took advantage of a couple errors, and I think we might have the kind of offense where you can’t make errors against us.”

The Spartans topped Rochelle (3-6, 0-2) in the first game of the three-game series Monday in Sycamore in a close 4-1 contest. The Hubs had their first three batters reach off starter Cal Harbecke on two singles and a walk to load the bases. Two infield groundouts plated the two runs.

Halbecke allowed only one single the rest of the way.

“Cal is not going to light up the radar guns ever, but he’s going to keep hitters honest at all times,” Cavanaugh said. “He throws three pitches for strikes and he locates really well. He’s a guy that can get deep into a game without throwing very many pitches. That walk in the first inning was the first time I think I’ve ever seen him walk anyone.”

Severson and Will Klump each drew three walks for the Spartans. Klump scored three times, as did Severson and Teague Hallahan.

“We lost a lot of players last year, but we still have a lot of power. And when it comes out it explodes.”

—  Collin Severson, Sycamore leadoff hitter

“When you’re getting all those free bases you have to take advantage of it,” Cavanaugh said. “And when you hit a couple home runs in the game, hit a few balls hard, it makes the pitchers pick at the strike zone a little bit more than what they normally would.”

Kyle Prebil started the third with the Spartans’ first home run, a no-doubter to left-center field. No. 9 hitter Tyler Townsend continued the power output in the same inning, launching a three-run shot to center that put Sycamore up 8-2.

Severson capped a four-run fourth with a three-run home run to left field. The pitch before, Klump scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. Sycamore left the fourth with a 14-2 lead.

Prebil and Townsend had two hits each for Sycamore, with Townsend driving in four runs, Prebil two. Hallahan had a pair of RBIs to help the Spartans ensure the series win. They’ll look for the sweep Thursday in Rochelle.

Severson is one of a handful of Spartans from last year’s team that finished third at the Class 3A state tournament, a team that was buoyed by an explosive offense.

“We lost a lot of players last year, but we still have a lot of power,” Severson said. “And when it comes out, it explodes. Everybody starts hitting the ball. ... For me, I was just looking to drive a ball, got a pitch and drove it.”