When a starting pitcher is dealing like senior right-hander Henry Humes was through four innings Wednesday for Homewood-Flossmoor, he usually doesn’t want to come out of the game.
But this time was different for the Northwestern recruit. Entering the game as a reliever in the fifth inning was his brother, Myles, a sophomore who was making his varsity debut.
“I was perfectly OK with him getting that last inning,” Henry said. “Me being a senior and the season ending soon, this was special. It’s good we were able to do that.”
It was better than good.
Henry and Myles Humes combined to pitch the Vikings’ first shutout since the season opener for a 10-0 SouthWest Suburban Conference victory over visiting Stagg in Flossmoor.
Henry struck out six in four innings for H-F (17-14, 6-9), while Myles gave up a leadoff single but then retired the next three batters.
“This was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Myles said of pitching in the same game as his brother. “Not a lot of people get to accomplish that with their sibling.”
Lake Land commit Evan Bradford added three hits, drove in two runs and also scored two times for H-F. Zach Klyn and Jhames Holley III each drove in two runs.
William Houston reached base twice for Stagg (11-17, 2-13) on a walk and single in his only two plate appearances.
The 6-foot-6 Henry Humes, meanwhile, confirmed this was his best start since missing time with biceps and triceps issues.
“I had some inflammation and I just worked my way back,” Humes said. “I’ve worked back to the best I can be. Coming back now, it’s not like I ever skipped a beat.”
Bradford, a senior outfielder, gets a kick out of watching Humes hit 90 mph with his fastball.
“Man, I love it when he gets those big strike threes,” Bradford said of Humes. “I would run through a brick wall for that guy. I tell him that all the time. If the ball is hit to me, I’m going to go through the fence for him.”
H-F coach Marcus Rodgers is happy to have Humes back to full strength as the playoffs are just around the corner.
“He checks all the boxes,” Rodgers said of Humes. “He is one player who — when he leaves us — that one is going to hurt. He is our guy.”
As a junior, Humes was accepted and committed to Navy after mulling offers from Northwestern, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood and Purdue.
But he had a change of heart because he has aspirations of playing professional baseball.
“I didn’t want to be limited of playing baseball at the highest level by a contract which would have been signed,” he said of a seven-year commitment to the Navy after the first two years there.
“I want to give myself the chance of playing ball at the highest level while still going to an academically strong school. That’s super important.”
That love of baseball began for Henry when he, his brother and their father, Brad, played in the backyard of their Homewood home.
“Every single day, we would play catch,” Henry said. “We would make throws like Derek Jeter. We had a lot of fun at a young age.”
His younger brother, Myles, shows similar potential with a high upside.
“He can be just as good, if not better, than Henry,” Rodgers said. “He needs to work at it.”
Henry has been watching his little brother for years and admires his skill and athleticism.
“He can be as good as I am,” Henry said of Myles. “He swings the bat better than me and he’s a better athlete. He’s young and he has the mentality to play this game.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
