The Danny Adams on the pitching mound for Crystal Lake Central isn’t the same Danny Adams off it.

Prairie Ridge first-year coach Austin Padjen served as Adams’ pitching coach last season at Central. When asked about Adams’ personality off the baseball field, Padjen affectionately called the likable right-hander a “goofball,” as well as a “great human.”

Nick Kohlhase, Adams’ teammate and classmate, sees a ballplayer who’s simply serious when he takes the mound.

“He’s been great for us all year, in big games and in huge moments,” Kohlhase said. “I like his intensity out there. He pitches with an ego, just full of confidence. It makes us better out there on the field when a pitcher is doing that.”

Adams’ confidence was on display Wednesday. The junior allowed only two hits in a complete-game effort, as Central beat visiting Prairie Ridge 4-2 in a Fox Valley Conference game.

Adams kept Prairie Ridge (16-6, 9-5 FVC) in check with a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and an occasional changeup.

“I had a good feel for [the slider],” Adams said. “I felt I had my location and I could hit the outside and inside corners. Usually, if I’m having a rough day, I can’t hit that. All of my pitches today were in the corners. That really helped me out.”

Adams’ effort spoiled the return of Padjen, who spent the past five springs as head coach Cal Aldridge’s pitching coach. Padjen teaches social studies in the mornings at Central, so he sees his former players all the time.

“There are definitely a lot of memories,” Padjen said. “Cal and I are really close friends. I would say for the first 15 minutes it was strange [being back]. And then it was just, ‘We have to play baseball. We have to be ready to play.’ ”

Padjen knows Adams well and, thus, knew what the Wolves were up against.

“We knew he has a good slider, he attacks hitters and he works fast,” Padjen said. “We just weren’t on time. Tip your hat to him.”

Kohlhase led off the first inning for Central (11-14, 6-8) with a single and later scored on an error. The junior third baseman played his leadoff role to perfection, going 2 for 3 with two runs scored and a sacrifice fly in the sixth to give the Tigers another insurance run.

Both of Kohlhase’s singles were to left field and so was the sacrifice fly off the bat of the left-handed hitter.

“That’s what I’ve been doing pretty much most of my life, just focusing on staying ‘oppo’ and then working in based on where the pitch is,” Kohlhase said.

Prairie Ridge’s Jack Hermann slid into third base with a triple with one out in the third, after Adams set down the first seven batters he faced. Hermann scored on a wild pitch to tie the score at 1-all.

Bud Shanahan’s RBI single with one out in the fifth snapped the tie after Kohlhase singled and advanced to second on Logan Laudadio’s second sacrifice bunt of the game. Ethan Wolf (2 for 2, double) singled home Johnny Geisser in the Tigers’ two-run sixth, ending the day for Wolves starter Colt Zaleski (5⅓ innings pitched, four runs, two earned, five strikeouts).

Maddon McKim reached on a dropped third strike leading off the Prairie Ridge seventh, and Gavin Piekos followed with a double to deep left. Adams allowed Becket Breseman’s sacrifice fly but got the next two batters, giving the Tigers their third win in their past four games.

“Danny competes every single time, even when he doesn’t have his best stuff,” Aldridge said. “Today he had his stuff, and he was working. That’s a very good baseball team he beat today. I hope we don’t have to see them again in the regional.”

Adams struck out seven and walked only one. The strike-throwing, 5-foot-10, 180-pounder had five 1-2-3 innings.

That’s some serious work.

“Off the field, I’m not all that ego,” Adams said with a smile. “But once I step on that mound, I create an ego for myself.”

The bonus for Aldridge was competing against his friend and former assistant coach.

“I love that guy,” Aldridge said of Padjen. “He’s like a brother to me. We push each other as much as anybody out there. I love competing against him. He’s a great competitor, and he’s doing a great job over there.”