Jeffry Schwab shines as McHenry walks off a winner

McHENRY – McHenry doesn’t need Jeffry Schwab to pitch.

Not with Louisville commit and potential MLB draft pick Brandon Shannon anchoring the staff. Not with fellow 90-mph fireballer Kaden Wasniewski. Not with Bryson Elbrecht, another varsity veteran who will pitch for McHenry County College. Not with Zach Readdy, who’s shown this season he can stymie Fox Valley Conference hitters, whether starting or relieving.

Friday, McHenry needed Schwab to pitch.

Crystal Lake Central had just scored five runs in the fourth inning to surprise the FVC leaders.

“I pitch when they need me,” said Schwab, a junior whose speed and ability to handle the bat, and play the infield and outfield have been more noticeable for the Warriors this season.

Schwab’s three perfect innings in relief of starting pitcher Readdy was just what McHenry needed. That and an elusive pitch.

Carver Cohn raced home on a fastball to the backstop with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the seventh, giving McHenry a 6-5 win and Schwab the victory.

“We had the opportunity to win the game, and that’s a very good baseball team over there,” said coach Cal Aldridge, whose Tigers (9-13-1, 3-9) led 5-1 after four innings. “So you give them chances to win the game, and they’re going to do it. We just got to finish some games up. We’ll be OK. We’re not far.”

Kyle Maness was at the plate when Tigers reliever Carter Kelley threw a pitch that eluded catcher Boedi Newsom, giving McHenry (20-2-1, 11-1) the walk-off victory and its fourth straight season of 20 wins. The Warriors now have 15 20-win campaigns under coach Brian Rockweiler.

“These guys stay pretty even keel all game, every game,” Rockweiler said of his players. “It seems like we start slow, a lot, but to their credit they don’t let those things affect them and keep going.”

Central’s five-run fourth featured Konner Altergott’s two-run double, a two-RBI single by James Dreher (2 for 4) and Kelley’s sacrifice fly. Schwab, who started the game in right field, took the mound to start the fifth. He retired the side in order in each of his three innings, striking out four.

“He did a good job,” Rockweiler said. “He’s gotten only a couple of innings all year so far, but we put him in there, and he competed.”

Schwab guesses he had pitched about four innings all season.

“I threw a lot last year for the guys,” said Schwab, a returning varsity player. “This year I haven’t gotten much of a chance, but I pitch when I can. I do what I can.”

He showed Friday the Warriors can count on him when he takes the ball.

“I love pitching,” Schwab said with wide eyes. “I just love playing ball, man. I’ve been playing it since I was a kid. I love this sport.”

Central starting pitcher Danny Adams threw shutout ball for four innings, striking out three, before allowing back-to-back singles to Nathan Niedhardt and Schwab to start the McHenry fifth.

Adams, a sophomore righty who was promoted to the varsity about a month ago, walked Wasniewski two outs later and left leading 5-3. Landon Clement’s ground out (his second RBI of the game) and a double steal executed by Schwab and Wasniewski had pulled the Warriors within two.

“I thought he was great,” Aldridge said of Adams. “He competed. You could tell he wasn’t his full self today. But it was awesome to see him go out there and still do what he did to a really, really good baseball team.”

Conner McLean greeted reliever Connor Gibour with an RBI double off the top of the fence in center field. Maness’ run-scoring single tied the score.

The switch-hitting Cohn, who singled off Adams batting left-handed in third, led off the McHenry seventh with a base hit batting right-handed against the lefty Kelley. Walks to Wasniewski and McLean loaded the bases, before Maness (2 for 3) stepped into the box and darted out of the way as Cohn sped across the plate.

“We can’t seem to find it the first few innings,” Schwab said. “But we just trust each other and know we’ll get the job done.”