CARY – Cary-Grove starting pitcher Ethan Dorchies relentlessly attacked the strike zone Thursday against Johnsburg.
The result was a 6-1 nonconference win for the Trojans (3-1), who spoiled the Skyhawks’ 2023 debut.
Dorchies threw 67 pitches over four innings — 47 for strikes — while striking out eight, to pick up the victory.
He scattered four hits, walked one, and the lone run the right-handed junior yielded was a first-inning RBI single to Johnsburg cleanup hitter Ian Boal (2 for 3).
“Ethan did a fantastic job,” C-G coach Ryan Passaglia said. “He started last week against Barrington and was a little emotional early-on, which is understandable when it’s your first game of the season.
“Today, he was relaxed and consistent. And we played pretty good defense behind him after we spotted Johnsburg a one-run lead.”
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second, the Trojans tallied a leadoff single from right fielder P.J. Weaver. That was followed by Keenan Krysh getting clipped by a pitch from Boal (4 IP, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K), who was also the starter for the Skyhawks.
A Johnsburg balk, wild pitch, then a sacrifice fly from Ty Wuytack, gave the Trojans the lead for good, 2-1, after two.
“Once my teammates gave me the lead, I started to lock in and felt like I had pretty good command of my pitches,” Dorchies said.
Wuytack later smacked a one-out double over the center fielder’s head in the bottom of the fourth, advancing to third on a throwing error.
He made it 3-1 Trojans moments later, when he scored on a botched pickoff attempt of teammate Jake Steele at first.
In the fifth, Passaglia turned to sophomore Charlie Taczy out of the bullpen, who proceeded to strike out five of the eight Johnsburg hitters he faced.
Taczy fanned the side in the fifth, then whiffed two more Skyhawks in the sixth, thanks in part to tremendous late movement on his fastball.
“That’s one thing we noticed about Charlie during tryouts and the preseason,” Passaglia said. “He doesn’t throw anything straight. Everything moves. And he’s also got a breaking pitch that guys seem to have real trouble putting the bat on.
“He understand how to expand hitters’ strike zones.”
The Trojans added three insurance runs in the fifth to help Taczy’s cause.
Cooper Motz notched an infield single, followed by a single off the bat of Vinnie Lutz. Catcher Nathan Crick drove them both home on a triple to the gap in left-center, while Weaver’s ensuing sac fly made it 6-1, C-G.
C-G’s No. 1-7 hitters all reached base safely at least once.
“We really had to adjust to what Boal was doing on the mound,” Passaglia said. “He was locating his pitches on the outer half of the plate, so we had to start going to the opposite field.
“Credit to our guys, that’s exactly what they did. Baseball is a game of adjustments, and I was really excited to see our guys rise to the challenge. Especially in an early-season game where it’s cold out, because it can be difficult to maintain focus.”
Skyhawks coach Mark Landvick had words of encouragement for his players following the loss.
“We were just a hit or two away from being right in the thick of things until we made a few mental mistakes in the fifth,” Landvick said. “We were selective and only kept 13 kids on our varsity roster this spring because we wanted to really give those 13 guys who earned a spot the chance to show just how competitive they can be.
“Even though we lost and have some new, younger players out there, our arrow should keep pointing up. We have a group of guys who are truly committed to getting better every day.”
Jake Metze had a single, triple, run scored and a stolen base for Johnsburg (0-1).