Johnsburg beats Harvard, clinches KRC championship

JOHNSBURG – A soaked and dripping Peyton Mesce, the recipient of a water-jug dousing, performed a cartwheel on the infield as his happy teammates laughed at his spontaneous act.

Johnsburg‘s stadium lights flashed repeatedly, because that’s what these new-and-improved Skyhawks do after every home win this season.

Players posed for pictures with teammates, everyone getting a chance to hold the Kishwaukee River Conference championship trophy that seemed like a pipe dream only months earlier. The Skyhawks were in no rush to go home after 14-0, five-inning win over Harvard on Wednesday night.

Compare that to last season, when the team won six games, after a five-win campaign in 2023.

“It feels awesome just to be playing winning baseball,” said Johnsburg senior first baseman and leadoff hitter Dom Vallone, a three-year varsity player. “The last couple of years weren’t really fun. The whole dugout would be miserable each game, just would want to go home.”

Johnsburg (19-7) finished KRC play with a 12-2 record. Sandwich also has only two losses in conference, both to Johnsburg. Coach Eric Toussaint said it’s his understanding that because his Skyhawks swept Sandwich, they win the KRC title outright, even if Sandwich wins its remaining conference game, against Woodstock next week.

It’s Johnsburg’s first conference championship since 2017.

“It’s so fun, coming from where we were last year,” Johnsburg winning pitcher Ashton Stern said after throwing four innings. “Everybody worked so hard in the offseason. This is what we worked toward, and it feels really good to finally get there. There wasn’t anybody who slacked at practice.”

The Skyhawks also celebrated the return of Stern to the mound. The junior right-hander hadn’t pitched since straining his right triceps against Rockford Boylan on April 2. He threw three innings in the Skyhawks’ 8-4 home win.

Wednesday was Stern’s fourth start of the season. He struck out five, didn’t walk a batter and allowed only an infield single to Landon Crone in the third.

“I feel great,” Stern said. “It was a good confidence booster to get back.”

Toussaint was thrilled, as Stern and Evan Pohl give the Skyhawks’ a quality 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation.

“He was throwing way harder than he did the last time he pitched,” Toussaint said of Stern. “His fastball looked really good. I think when you’re away from something and you miss something ... yeah, he was dialed in and ready to go, and it couldn’t come at a better time before the playoffs start.”

Harvard (5-18, 1-11) did not throw ace lefty Adam Cooke in either game against Johnsburg this week (24-3 loss Monday). Hornets coach Adam Ulen said he planned to pitch Cooke on Thursday against Plano. Cooke beat Plano last week, striking out eight in 6⅔ innings.

Junior righty Eltan Powles drew the start Wednesday. He pitched 2⅔ innings, allowing only one run through two innings, before running into control problems in the third, when the hosts scored five runs.

“They’re just a good ballclub,” Ulen said of the Skyhawks. “My hat goes off to them. They got a good coach, and they earned the conference title, for sure.”

Johnsburg drew 12 walks against Powles and two relievers. Jack Nelson had a double and bunt single. Stern capped the Skyhawks’ eight-run fourth with a three-run double. Twins Riley and Landon Johnson and Kaeden Frost each had two RBIs.

Mesce completed the one-hitter with a 1-2-3 fifth.

“We put some balls in play,” Ulen said. “We got a little behind in counts and we were off on our front foot – or on our back foot, actually, because we were getting gassed up pretty good."

Mesce let out a primal grunt before his final pitch, a swinging strikeout. The Skyhawks then poured out of the dugout, with a couple of players carrying a Gatorade jug filled with icy water, and chased a scrambling Mesce.

“We were going to give [the dousing] to [senior Jacob Brown, who was playing second base] because he doesn’t really get many at-bats,” Vallone said. “When we threw it around the horn [after the second out], Riley Johnson (third baseman) told us that we were going to dogpile on Peyton [Mesce after the final out], and then they came out with the water.”

It was hardly the only time the Skyhawks have made a splash this season.