Right around the time conference play began, St. Charles East’s Kyle LaRose hit a dry spell.
The junior center fielder and leadoff hitter for the Saints needed to figure out how to get things back on track, especially with expectations of being the team’s spark at the top of the order.
So, LaRose made an in-season adjustment that he had never even considered.
“I implemented the leg kick three series ago against Wheaton North,” he said. “It felt better for me. Ever since than, it’s been getting my timing down because I’ve never been a leg kick guy.
“I wanted to get more comfortable and more consistent, especially on the off-speed stuff, getting my front foot down.”
The changes are taking hold for LaRose, who also is getting hot at the right time — on the eve of the playoffs. He drove in five runs Tuesday afternoon for St. Charles East in an 11-2 DuKane Conference win at league champion Geneva.
LaRose blasted a three-run homer in the second inning, his fourth of the season, to give the Saints (20-11, 12-8) a 4-1 lead they would not relinquish. He added a two-run single in the sixth.
Dylan McCabe added two hits, scored twice and then struck out the side in relief in the seventh. Illinois-Chicago recruit James Feigleson drove in two runs, while Andrew Evans scored twice. Gavin Fuscone went six innings for the win, striking out seven.
Mason Bruesch came through with two hits, stole two bases and also scored twice for Geneva (26-6, 15-5). Alex Abraham singled in Bruesch both times.
LaRose, meanwhile, showed how dangerous he is in that all-important leadoff spot.
He started the game with a walk, stole second and scored on Feigleson’s single. When LaRose came up with runners on base, though, he looked like a cleanup hitter and did some damage.
“Our theme is if he goes, we all go,” St. Charles East coach Derek Sutor said. “He’s that spark plug at the top of the order, for sure.
“He takes pride in that because he’s the guy that sets the tone. If he’s hot, it’s hard to stop.”
LaRose produced a double Saturday off Geneva starter Tommy Lyons, so he had an idea of what pitch to look for before hitting his home run.
“It was a two-seam sinker,” LaRose said. “It started middle-in and dove front foot. I got out in front. I had to get the barrel out. It was 30 feet off the ground, so I wasn’t sure if was going to get out.
“That was the goal — get the barrel out in front because I knew the action of the pitch.”
Getting a .325 batting average, .453 on-base percentage and 10 stolen base from LaRose hasn’t been a surprise for Sutor.
LaRose has scored a team-best 31 runs and is tied with Feigleson for the team lead with 27 RBIs. He has nine doubles, four triples and four homers for a team-high .675 slugging percentage.
Now, that has been a pleasant surprise.
“How he swings the bat, he swings is so aggressively,” Sutor said. “It’s that controlled, violent swing.”
Geneva coach Brad Wendell knew Tuesday’s game would be a challenge after the Vikings clinched the conference title Saturday.
“We had a little letdown,” Wendell said. “We had a big weekend, clinching it outright. We haven’t done that since 2007. It’s been a while for Geneva. To come away with that is a big deal.”
For LaRose, he feels like his slump is behind him. That’s bad news for teams in the Class 4A McHenry Sectional.
“I’ve been getting hot, which is great,” LaRose said. “I’ve been seeing the ball better. Going into the playoffs, that’s huge.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
