South Elgin’s call to arms got answered late in Wednesday’s Upstate Eight Valley game at West Aurora and only one of those belonged to a pitcher.
Senior right-hander Max Keough threw a complete-game four-hitter, and two throws from Storm fielders with West Aurora threatening in the sixth inning helped him get by for a 2-1 victory over the Blackhawks.
“Pitching has been one of our strengths this year, but defensively we’ve been kind of letting Max down with some errors, and our hitting has been spotty here and there,” South Elgin coach Jim Kating said. “This tonight, and the last game were playoff-style baseball and that’s something we’ve been trying to get across to the kids is we need to get ready for playoff baseball.
“We were playing baseball the way we’re supposed to be playing it tonight.”
A day after Ryan Weiss blanked West Aurora 2-0, Keough (5-1) struck out six, walked none and took a perfect game into the fourth before Philip Mallory’s one-out double. Then he lost the shutout in the fifth on T.J. Jackson’s one-out home run to left.
“I was throwing a lot of curve balls tonight,” Keough said. “I was trying to keep it down to get ground balls late in the game.
“After the home run, I didn’t really think about it because I don’t usually give up many home runs.”
West Aurora (9-18, 7-12) threatened to tie in the sixth with Cole Rundle at second, when Mallory singled to right. But a perfect throw from right fielder Dan Asa caused Rundle to freeze and scamper back to third.
Then, with runners at first and third and one out, Connor Palmby’s high hopper against a drawn-in infield went right to Storm third baseman Kyle Hays and he threw out Rundle at home.
Keough was all right after that, getting the strikeout and retiring the side in order in the seventh.
“We were expecting them to do something when they had runners at first and third to manufacture a run, whether it be trying to get him to steal second with the runner at third coming home, or a squeeze bunt,” Keough said. “We were ready if they brought it.
“Some great fielding plays then. That’s more like what we’re capable of.”
South Elgin (14-7, 11-7) had committed four errors in a loss last week to Metea Valley last week, but made none for the second straight game Wednesday.
“The Metea game, mentally we didn’t have it and were kicking the ball around,” Hays said. “We’ve played great defense two games in a row now. That’s more like it.
“Now we need the bats to come around. They will.”
South Elgin, which learned Wednesday it will face Batavia in the first round of regionals, scored both its runs off losing pitcher Jimmy Tunney on errors. Dane Toppel was at third and trotted home on an overthrow by catcher Seth Palmby trying to get Hays stealing second in the third.
Justin Howard walked, stole second, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Rundle’s bobble of a grounder hit by Nick Menken.
Beyond that, Tunney went the distance and allowed just five hits.
“Jimmy was only about our fourth pitcher when we started this and he’s shown a lot of improvement,” West Aurora coach John Reeves said. “That’s two great pitching efforts in a row for us.
“I was talking to Glenbard East’s coach and he was raving about (South Elgin) and the way they run the bases. Jared (Liebelt) pitched outstanding (Tuesday) against them so to hold them to four runs in two games is an accomplishment.”
