OSWEGO – Tyler Stack believes Oswego is a slept on lineup.

Stack, a senior catcher and Xavier recruit, is the headliner, but it’s a deep group around him of capable bats, one through nine.

Their grit showed during last year’s playoff run to a sectional final, and Oswego has shown the ability to pile up runs in the early going this season.

It made a pretty loud statement on Tuesday, April 18.

The Panthers tagged Minooka ace Ryan Anderson, an Arizona recruit, for eight runs in the first inning. Stack had two run-scoring hits in the inning, and Oswego went on to a 10-0, five-inning win in the first game of a three-game Southwest Prairie West series.

“We know we’re capable of anything, regardless of who’s on the mound.”

—  Tyler Stack, Oswego senior catcher

“They’re a great opponent, heavily respected, great pitcher – we just stayed within ourselves,” Stack said. “We know we’re capable of anything regardless of who’s on the mound.”

Oswego (11-6, 1-0) sent 13 batters to the plate and had seven hits off Anderson, who did not come back out to start the second inning. Six of the runs came with two outs, starting with Ben Hernandez’s booming two-run double to the gap in left center. Luke Voelker laced an RBI double down the line to make it 5-0, Stack singled in two runs, and Trey Hernandez capped things off with an RBI single.

If the inning was stunning in a vacuum, it followed Oswego’s recent pattern of cleaning up. The Panthers have scored a combined 46 runs over their past four wins and have won five of their past six games.

“[Anderson] is a dominant pitcher, but I think we just had a good mentality in the box. They all had good approaches and let the ball travel,” Oswego coach Joe Giarrante said. “He threw a lot of strikes and we told our guys to get in the box and be ready to hit.”

Stack, who like leadoff hitter Chase Gerwig reached base four times April 18, hasn’t seen many good pitches to hit. Like last season, Oswego’s No. 2 hitter has drawn a fair share of walks, and twice drew free passes later.

But he didn’t miss his chances against Anderson.

Stack drilled a 2-1 pitch for a double to score Gerwig, who had led off the game with a single and scored three runs. Later, Stack lined Anderson’s outside offering to center to bring home two runs, making it 7-0.

“I knew he would try to attack heavy outside, I needed to get up on the plate, get that outside pitch and went with it,” Stack said. “I definitely have experienced pitchers pitching around me this year, but I’ve embraced the mindset that I’m not going to help them at all. I know they’re going to give me something eventually or I’ll take the walk. If they do put the ball over the plate I’m going to make it count.”

As much as Anderson was off his game, Minooka’s defense did not offer much support to get him through the rough first.

On Stack’s RBI double, he was caught between second and third for a potential first out. But the throw to third sailed high into the dugout, allowing Stack to score Oswego’s second run. Three batters later, with a runner at first, a grounder was booted. Minooka (12-3-1, 0-1) committed five errors for the game, three in the first.

“The games we played poorly this year that’s kind of been our M.O. where we don’t make a play or two and it kind of opens the floodgates,” Minooka coach Jeff Petrovic said. “We make a play or two in the first inning and it’s 1-0 instead of 8-0 and what a different kind of game it is. Defensively the first inning was a nightmare.

“Listen, Ryan will be the first one to tell you he didn’t pitch very well today. He won’t make any excuses. They were up ready to swing the bat today.”

Oswego pitchers Eddie Scaccia and Noah Mottet made it stick.

Scaccia, making just his second appearance of the season after a return from injury, struck out six over three innings, allowing three hits and two walks.

“It’s good having Eddie back,” Stack said. “He’s a really talented pitcher. Having him back with all that velo and that slider. We just told him to pound the zone. When you have that lead you don’t want to be too perfect.”

Griffin Hall threw three shutout innings in relief of Anderson before being nicked for two runs in the fifth. Andrew Forillo had two of the Indians’ three hits.