Owen Piazza, Sycamore explode in 11th for win over Kaneland

MAPLE PARK – Despite a defensive implosion in the bottom of the seventh that allowed Kaneland to tie the game, the Sycamore baseball team had an offensive explosion in the 11th to turn a low-scoring battle into a 7-3 Interstate 8 Conference win over the Knights.

Owen Piazza hit a double with the bases loaded and no outs to break open the 1-1 game, his first hit of the day.

“I was just thinking to make sure I put the ball in the outfield,” Piazza said. “The bus ride home would not have been fun if I didn’t.”

It was the second bases-loaded, no-out situation for the Spartans (11-4 overall, 7-2 Interstate 8) in the game. In the top of the sixth off Kaneland starter Brady Popovich, Sycamore loaded the bases with two hit batters and a walk.

But Popovich struck out the next three batters to escape the jam, hitting his pitch count in striking out the final batter of the inning. Popovich allowed one run and three hits in six innings, striking out eight.

“He pitched well enough to win,” Kaneland coach Brian Aversa said. “That’s on us to get the job done for him when he puts on a performance on like that. He was on tonight. He pitched well and got out of a huge jam [in the sixth].”

The Spartans broke through against Popovich in the fifth when Caleb Tonovitz singled home Byron Blaise.

Kaneland (10-6, 6-3) got the run back in the bottom of the seventh with only one infield hit. An error on a foul popup allowed Jack McIntire to eventually reach on a single. An errant pickoff throw moved him up to third, then he scored on a wild pitch.

“We definitely didn’t do ourselves any favors in that inning,” Sycamore coach Jason Cavanaugh said. “But it was a good win against a good team. It was a great baseball game for 10 innings and worked out well for us in the end.”

After Piazza’s double in the 11th, the Spartans weren’t done. Tonovitz singled, and Blake Novinsky followed with a single to score Piazza. Tonovitz, who had three hits and and RBI in the win, scored for the first time on a triple by Jimmy Amptmann.

“We did a really good job of staying in the game,” Piazza said. The energy stayed up in the dugout. Even though we could have been out it that inning, kids didn’t give up.”

Sycamore had five hits in the 11th after only five hits in the first 10 innings.

Popovich walked and scored on a single by Alex Panico in the 11th, then Johnny Spallasso added an RBI single. The two runs were the only blemish for Sycamore reliever Jacob Reidl, who pitched three innings and retired the first eight batters he faced.

After allowing the unearned run in the seventh, Tommy Townsend allowed a leadoff single to Tyler Conklin in the eighth but got the rest of the Knights in order before being lifted for Reidl in the ninth. The two retired 10 straight batters at one point in extras.

Sycamore starter Amptmann pitched five innings, allowing no runs, two hits and striking out eight.

“I couldn’t tell if it was [also] great pitching, but it was certainly bad offense, which led to no runs being scored forever,” Cavanaugh said. “To be able to persevere and break it open in the 11th - Owen Piazza had a big hit in a bases-loaded situation, and that’s what we had been waiting on all day.”

Twelve Kaneland batters struck out in the game.

With the win, Sycamore moves into first place alone in the I-8, with Kaneland and Ottawa one game back in the loss column. The Knights and Spartans play Monday, while Sycamore and Ottawa play Wednesday and Friday.

“They got a couple timely hits that we had opportunities to do as well,” Aversa said. “They were just the better team today. We’re pretty evenly matched and it will be another good one on Monday. We’re looking forward to getting the opportunity to get revenge in that.”