Sawyer Valdez sparks Sycamore past DeKalb with key hit, strong relief performance

SYCAMORE – After five games of a team-wide offensive slump, Sycamore freshman leadoff hitter Sawyer Valdez provided the spark the Spartans needed with his bat.

And with his arm he made sure the offensive performance would stand up.

Valdez drove in two runs and allowed three hits in 4⅓ innings on the hill to help Sycamore knock off rival DeKalb 7-4 on Saturday.

“It feels good today,” Valdez said. “We came together and got the win today, which is something we need to start doing. And I think we’ll start doing that more.”

DeKalb (16-7-1) trailed the Spartans (13-8) 7-1 into the bottom of the seventh when Brodie Farrell and Isaac Black started the inning with singles.

Valdez, who came on to pitch in the third inning with the game still scoreless, walked Paul Kakaloris and was lifted for Henry Hamingson, setting up runners at first and second with one out after Farrell was picked off.

Hamingson walked Evan Johnson to load the bases and Hunter Kriese walked to drive in a run, cutting the Sycamore lead to 7-2. Kakaloris came across on a wild pitch and Johnson scored on a dropped third strike.

Nik Nelson came up with two on and one out representing the tying run, but Hamingson struck him out. Hunter Hoerchler came in and struck out Cole Latimer to end the game.

“We’ve been slumping the last few games,” said acting head coach Jeremy Morton, filling in for Josh Latimer as DeKalb lost for the third straight time and fifth time in its last six games. “DeKalb-Sycamore, the temperature is always pretty high. Both teams want to win this game pretty bad.”

Kriese started for the Barbs and carried a perfect game into the third. Ben Anderson drew a walk to break it up, then Valdez doubled with two outs to score Anderson. Davis Collie singled to score Valdez and the Spartans led 2-0 after three.

Sycamore broke things open with four runs in the sixth. Valdez walked with the bases loaded to score Anderson, then Davis Collie singled to bring home Adam Eder and Carter Yoakum. Valdez came around on a wild pitch and Sycamore led 6-0 after five.

Tyler Townsend, unable to pitch the last six weeks with an injury, made his first start for the Spartans. He had a two-inning limit, striking out three and walking two while not allowing a hit.

Valdez came on in the top of the third and retired the first nine Barbs until Nelson’s home run was the first hit and first run of the game for DeKalb.

“He’s definitely the player of this game,” Sycamore coach Jason Cavanaugh said. “He got the scoring started with a single to right field and then he came in to relieve today. He’s a freshman and he’s not afraid of anything. He’s absolutely not afraid.”

The Spartans entered Saturday having lost four of five, scoring five total runs in those games. The performance against the Barbs was the most runs they’ve scored in a game since April 21, an 8-3 win against La Salle-Peru which was the last game of an eight-game winning streak.

“We’ve gotten a few clutch hits here and there these last few games, but our bunting came through today,” Valdez said as Eder and Yoakum both reached on bunts in the pivotal fifth inning. “Our clutch hitting at the end, putting the ball in play we needed to, let us score the runs that we needed to get.”

Collie had two hits and three RBIs for the Spartans. Valdez scored twice and drove in two runs, while Ben Anderson scored twice.

Cavanaugh said in the last five games the Spartans weren’t really getting any help from Kaneland or La Salle-Peru, especially in terms of walks. He said part of that was not getting enough competitive at-bats.

On Saturday, he said, the team did much better and that led to a resurgent offense.

“We did a good job of fouling off a lot of two-strike pitches and getting the ball in play,” Cavanaugh said. “We certainly didn’t knock the ball around the yard. We’re not going to be able to do that. That‘s who we are as a team. We’re going to need to rely on a two-strike approach and getting the ball down.”