Byron Rallies Back
Tigers overcome go-ahead three-run homerun to beat Freeport 5-4 ...
| Northern Illinois Sports Beat http://www.northernillinoissportsbeat.com |
By Cody Cutter
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Publisher
BYRON (Mar. 23) – After missing a few starters in a loss in their previous game against
Belvidere North on Friday, the Byron Tiger baseball team looked to rally back and get
back on track.
They did that twice in one game. Down 4-3 in the fifth inning against Freeport, Justin
Nason roughed up Pretzel relief pitcher Paul Roloff with a one-out double to drive in two
runs. The Tigers held on to win 5-4 at Byron High School.
“I stepped in there. I was confident. I knew that I was going to get a hit, but stepping in
there and making such a big play like that, that makes me feel good,” Nason said. “I feel
good that I helped out the team with a big play.”
The Pretzels were playing their first game of the season. First-year coach Roger Fegan
went with a three-pitcher setup in which a pitcher would be on the mound for two innings.
After starting pitcher Luke Wichmann pitched his two innings – giving up one run – it was
Max Hoefer's turn.
Having a new pitcher on the mound turned out to be a positive for the Tigers (4-1). With
two outs and runners on second and third base in the third, Adam Head popped a
sacrifice fly to right-center field that brought a tagging Travis Kane home. The other
runner, Mark Goldsmith, was brought home on a throwing error by catcher Jared Rupp.
“It’s the first game and we were just trying to get some guys some innings,” Fegan said.
“We threw guys that we knew are going to pitch on Saturday some practice, our starters
for the game today. We’re just trying to get them ready, keep away from the soreness and
get them ready for conference.”
After Hoefer pitched his two innings, it was Roloff's turn in the fifth inning. He faced a
similar situation to Hoefer's.
Thomas Larson led off the fifth inning for Byron reaching on an error after Hoefer
misplayed a groundout catch at first. Two batters later Lucas Barber drew a walk to set up
Nason with one out. Nason took the first pitch he saw from Roloff and slapped it to
straightaway center to drive in both Larson and Barber.
“We hit the ball in timely situations and scored a couple of runs with two outs that were
big,” said Byron coach Ray Bielskis. “I like what I see so far out of our team. I got some
high expectations for this group.”
Nason's hit was a huge sigh of relief for Head, who had struggled to find his spots on the
mound in the fourth and fifth innings. Head struck out two batters in the sixth inning while
allowing only one runner.
“After (he) hit that it gave me more confidence to go back out there on the mound, and it
got me through a quick inning,” Head said. “I knew if I got to the seventh, Barber would
come in and close it for us.”
Freeport scored its first run of the game in the fourth inning on a passed ball that brought
in Wichmann. A couple of miscommunication errors in the fifth inning put Pretzel runners
on first and second. With one out, leadoff hitter Isaiah Almasy took the first pitch he saw
from head over the center field fence for a homerun, only after knowing it was one after
he crossed second base.
“It was very unexpected,” said Fegan. “ That's a guy that's probably not going to hit too
many homeruns. He's a little guy, and more of a contact-speed guy. I was hoping it would
go, and we needed it.”
Head ended the day with seven strikeouts, two walks and giving up five hits in an 88-pitch
performance. Barber pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the save.
“I felt good, it's the second time out,” Head said. “Last game I got a little tired a little
earlier, but my arm's feeling good right now. The team backed me up real good. It was a
good game.”
Jackson has the game's only multiple-hit performance, also hitting a double in the third
inning.
“There a NIC-10 school, coming in here, playing that good and stepping up like that really
shows that this team has great potential to go somewhere,” Nason said. “We really can.”
The Tigers look to be one of the best area teams in Class 2A. They lost to Morrison by
ten runs in the Sectional final last season, and return enough to make another run this
year.
“My goal is just to play to our potential every game, and I think we'll do good and have a
fun season,” Head said.
“Ours is definitely 'team first',” Nason said. “We take care of each other outside and on
the field, we look after each other, we cheer each other up when we're down, that helps in
big games like right here.”
Cody Cutter is the Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat. He can be reached at
Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our Message
Boards!
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Publisher
BYRON (Mar. 23) – After missing a few starters in a loss in their previous game against
Belvidere North on Friday, the Byron Tiger baseball team looked to rally back and get
back on track.
They did that twice in one game. Down 4-3 in the fifth inning against Freeport, Justin
Nason roughed up Pretzel relief pitcher Paul Roloff with a one-out double to drive in two
runs. The Tigers held on to win 5-4 at Byron High School.
“I stepped in there. I was confident. I knew that I was going to get a hit, but stepping in
there and making such a big play like that, that makes me feel good,” Nason said. “I feel
good that I helped out the team with a big play.”
The Pretzels were playing their first game of the season. First-year coach Roger Fegan
went with a three-pitcher setup in which a pitcher would be on the mound for two innings.
After starting pitcher Luke Wichmann pitched his two innings – giving up one run – it was
Max Hoefer's turn.
Having a new pitcher on the mound turned out to be a positive for the Tigers (4-1). With
two outs and runners on second and third base in the third, Adam Head popped a
sacrifice fly to right-center field that brought a tagging Travis Kane home. The other
runner, Mark Goldsmith, was brought home on a throwing error by catcher Jared Rupp.
“It’s the first game and we were just trying to get some guys some innings,” Fegan said.
“We threw guys that we knew are going to pitch on Saturday some practice, our starters
for the game today. We’re just trying to get them ready, keep away from the soreness and
get them ready for conference.”
After Hoefer pitched his two innings, it was Roloff's turn in the fifth inning. He faced a
similar situation to Hoefer's.
Thomas Larson led off the fifth inning for Byron reaching on an error after Hoefer
misplayed a groundout catch at first. Two batters later Lucas Barber drew a walk to set up
Nason with one out. Nason took the first pitch he saw from Roloff and slapped it to
straightaway center to drive in both Larson and Barber.
“We hit the ball in timely situations and scored a couple of runs with two outs that were
big,” said Byron coach Ray Bielskis. “I like what I see so far out of our team. I got some
high expectations for this group.”
Nason's hit was a huge sigh of relief for Head, who had struggled to find his spots on the
mound in the fourth and fifth innings. Head struck out two batters in the sixth inning while
allowing only one runner.
“After (he) hit that it gave me more confidence to go back out there on the mound, and it
got me through a quick inning,” Head said. “I knew if I got to the seventh, Barber would
come in and close it for us.”
Freeport scored its first run of the game in the fourth inning on a passed ball that brought
in Wichmann. A couple of miscommunication errors in the fifth inning put Pretzel runners
on first and second. With one out, leadoff hitter Isaiah Almasy took the first pitch he saw
from head over the center field fence for a homerun, only after knowing it was one after
he crossed second base.
“It was very unexpected,” said Fegan. “ That's a guy that's probably not going to hit too
many homeruns. He's a little guy, and more of a contact-speed guy. I was hoping it would
go, and we needed it.”
Head ended the day with seven strikeouts, two walks and giving up five hits in an 88-pitch
performance. Barber pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the save.
“I felt good, it's the second time out,” Head said. “Last game I got a little tired a little
earlier, but my arm's feeling good right now. The team backed me up real good. It was a
good game.”
Jackson has the game's only multiple-hit performance, also hitting a double in the third
inning.
“There a NIC-10 school, coming in here, playing that good and stepping up like that really
shows that this team has great potential to go somewhere,” Nason said. “We really can.”
The Tigers look to be one of the best area teams in Class 2A. They lost to Morrison by
ten runs in the Sectional final last season, and return enough to make another run this
year.
“My goal is just to play to our potential every game, and I think we'll do good and have a
fun season,” Head said.
“Ours is definitely 'team first',” Nason said. “We take care of each other outside and on
the field, we look after each other, we cheer each other up when we're down, that helps in
big games like right here.”
Cody Cutter is the Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat. He can be reached at
Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our Message
Boards!
Photo by Cody Cutter
Byron senior captain Adam Head takes a swing in the sixth inning of Byron's game versus
Freeport. Byron won 5-4.
Byron senior captain Adam Head takes a swing in the sixth inning of Byron's game versus
Freeport. Byron won 5-4.
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