Author: Joey Yelenick

Blue Caps End KCL Regular Season On Top With Five-Run Victory

NORMAL, IL – The final day of the KCL regular season started with the first-place Blue Caps taking on the Merchants. The Blue Caps entered Sunday’s action with a half-game lead over the Bobcats, meaning a win today clinches the #1 seed in the KCL playoffs. 

Alec Bergman got the start for the Blue Caps and got through the first inning unscathed despite walking two. Bergman struck out the final two batters of the first, and the starter finished with five Ks in three innings of work.

The Caps made their mark in the bottom of the first, as Gage Wolfe tripled in the frame, launching a ball to deep center field that landed near the wall. Wolfe scored on a throwing error by the catcher with two gone, giving the Blue Caps a one-run lead. 

Bergman worked a one-two-three inning in the second, before allowing his first hit of the game to Ashton Horchem in the third. While that was the Merchants’ only baserunner of the inning, they got two on to start the fourth, thanks to a single from Luca Morelli and a walk from Daniel Bastidas. They failed to capitalize on the opportunity, as Sam Beirne got three straight outs to keep the Caps on top.

The Blue Caps blew the game wide open in the fourth, putting up a four-spot thanks to a pair of singles, two hit-by-pitches, and three walks. 

The five-nothing scoreline held until the end, as Blue Cap pitching dominated, only allowing two Merchant hits in the game as they combined for the shutout. 

The victory lifted the Blue Caps to a 14-11 regular season record, as they get ready for next week’s KCL playoffs, starting this Wednesday, June 17. The Merchants will be the three seed as they finish season 13-14. 

Anderson’s Heroics Help Ground Sloths Take Down Bobcats

NORMAL, IL – The Ground Sloths and Bobcats were set to face off in the final game of regular season KCL action on Sunday, and both teams did not disappoint in a game that saw neither team take a multi-run lead. 

The Ground Sloths put out six arms to throw seven innings on Sunday, as Devon Vanderheydt started in the first inning. He allowed a single to Dan Mosele but got out of the inning without allowing a score. 

Dalton Hobick led off for the Ground Sloths with a single, and Shea Zbrozek followed that up with a single of his own, which Hobick scored on due to multiple Bobcat errors on the play. Despite loading the bases with a hit-by-pitch and a walk, Bobcat starter Sam McArthur got a big strikeout to end the inning. 

Colin Karr and Riley McAlister both reached to start the second for the Bobcats. After a double steal, Karr came home on a wild pitch to tie things up. 

The score remained tied at one until the fourth inning, thanks to some solid pitching from both sides, including the Bobcats’ Mac Raymer with four strikeouts, and the Sloths’ Nicholas Curry allowing just one baserunner in the third and fourth innings combined. 

Patience was key for the Sloths in the bottom of the fourth, where they loaded the bases with three walks. Mateo Casillas drove a ground ball through the gap in the right side to bring home Hobick, but a nice throw from Trey Thompson beat out Zbrozek at home. 

In the sixth, the Bobcats looked to regain control of the game, and they did just that. Mark Wagner singled to lead off the inning, and a double from McAlister drove in Wagner to tie the game. Bobcat second baseman Will Strehl then fought through a seven-pitch at-bat before hitting a fly ball to left that got Strehl his first extra-base-hit of the year, a lead-taking RBI double. Despite putting two more ducks on the pond thanks to a pair of walks, the Bobcats couldn’t extend the lead as the Ground Sloths ended the inning just down one. 

The Sloths got their first baserunner on due to an error in the sixth, but a pair of strikeouts had things looking rough. Jimmy Anderson stepped up and drilled a ball deep to left-center, where both outfielders lost track of the ball as it landed on the warning track. The speedy Anderson was rounding third as the throw from the outfield was coming in, and the relay couldn’t get home in time as the Sloths took the lead on the inside-the-park homer. Mateo Casillas almost worsened the damage as he launched a ball to left that also went over the outfielders’ heads, but he stayed at second for a double. A strikeout ended the inning, but the Bobcats needed to score in the seventh as the Ground Sloths held a 4-3 lead. 

Illinois State pitcher Chris Danko came in for the Sloths and slammed the door with a one-two-three inning with a pair of strikeouts. The victory moved the Ground Sloths to a 7-1 July record as they enter the KCL playoffs on Wednesday. 

Hitter of the Day: Jimmy Anderson, Infielder, Ground Sloths, Heartland CC

Hit the go-ahead inside-the-park home run against the Bobcats, helping secure the victory. 

Pitcher of the Day: Alec Bergman, Blue Caps, Parkland CC

Bergman pitched three scoreless innings in the Blue Caps’ win over the Merchants, striking out five and earning the win. 

KCL Playoff Schedule

First Round

Wednesday, July 17th

5:00 PM 

#1 Blue Caps vs. #4 Ground Sloths

~7:45 PM

#2 Bobcats vs. #3 Merchants

Posted in KCL and tagged

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