By Scott Taylor | @Taylor_Sports
Non-conference games are meant to give your team added experience and see different players and systems you wouldn’t normally see in conference play.
It is safe to say Downers Grove North won’t see many better players throughout the year than Joliet Catholic senior Blake Reardon, who carried the hosts to a three-set comeback win in a recent match.
In that match not only did the Trojans have to see a strong player, they had to defend JCA’s constant back row attacks when Reardon was in the back row.
“We don’t see a team run the back row the way JCA did, so that was good for us,” Downers North coach Mark Wasik said. “We practice the back row in practice, but you aren’t going up against a hitter like that. Our goal was to be a better six or seven then their one or two and that didn’t happen. Our ball control wasn’t as good as it needed to be.”
Downers North’s advantage over JCA and many of teams is the depth of the team and plethora of potential hitters throughout its lineup.
“We can be balanced and we can bring it from all areas,” Wasik said. “If we can get the first and second ball contact, we will be ok.”
The Trojans have dealt with a stretch of play without their top hitter, but that can be helpful during the middle of the season rather than at the end of it.
“We were missing our No. 1 outside (Bryan Eckmann),” Wasik said. “But this is good for us because anytime you aren’t at full strength, it makes you better as a team because other guys have to step up and that will help you out later. But it is also hard not being at full strength.”
With only one full rotation player back from last year (Dan Kalmer), the regular season, especially the non-conference games, are good to get players the varsity experience they need by the end of the season to be successful.
“We just need to continue to get better and are a relatively young team,” Wasik said. “I want to be peaking by the end of the year. We could be undefeated right now and I don’t think we would be any different of a team. It is all about team development right now.”
Ball control will also be vital if the Trojans want to find success at the end of the season.
“I would like us to be better at ball control and I challenged them at serve-receive to be better because we are a smaller passing team,” Wasik said.
BASEBALL
Nick Taviana pitched a no-hitter as Downers North beat Proviso West 11-0. Taviani had 10 strikeouts. Alan Janowiak, Dalton Baran (3 RBI, triple) and Matt King (double) all had two hits.
•Downers South fell to Addison Trail 4-0 and Morton 11-3.
The Mustangs rebounded with a 5-2 win over Downers North. Danny Oriente had two doubles and Tyler McCulloch had a pair of hits with Mike Hill driving home two RBI. McCulloch went the distance on the mound, allowing two hits and one earned run.
•Benet fell to Nazareth 9-7 as CJ Birck had two RBI in defeat.
The Redwings also fell to the Roadrunners 10-6 despite two doubles from Danny Sobolewski to go with five RBI and a pair of hits each from Alex Tassos and Bobby Ernsting.
•Lisle caught fire in a 20-5 win over Plano. Christian Grego had four hits with a home run and three RBI and David White had there hits with a double and there RBI. Alec Van Volkenburg (3 RBI, double), Trevor Stitt and Alex Rodriguez (2 RBI) had two hits each.
The Lions added an 11-1 win over Plano behind Zach Heidenry, who struck out six and allowed two hits and one unearned run in five innings. Drew English had three hits with a double, while Stitt, Mark McGrath and Max Sokolowski (2 doubles, 3 RBI) all had two hits.
SOFTBALL
Downers North beat York 5-3 as Savannah Rodriguez picked up the win and at the plate had three hits with two doubles and two RBI. Katie Polaski, Jaclyn Pasakarnis, Rae Meents, Jade Mejia Wick and Renee Bielawa all had two hits.
The Trojans rolled to a 19-0 win over Benet as Madison Christ pitched a no-hitter, striking out six. Christ and Polaski (triple) both had a home run and two RBI. Pasakarnis, Rodriguez (4 RBI) and Kaylee Newstrom (2 RBI) all had four hits, while Meents had two hits and three RBI.
•Benet fell to Waubonsie Valley 11-3. Alexis Potapczak had three hits with a double, while Megan Stoppelman and Brooklyn Baccega each had two hits.
•Lisle fell to Plano 6-5 as Catherine Coppin had there hits with a double and Maddie Smith had two hits with a double. Anna Palicka had a home run and struck out 10.
The Lions bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat Plano 14-13. Megan Carlson had five hits with two doubles and three RBI, while Melissa Ericson (double) and Erica Krause (2 RBI) had two hits apiece.
SOCCER
Benet beat Marian Catholic 6-0 as Maddie Becker and Betsy Keefe scored two goals each, with Abby Casmere and Mia Ullmer each had a goal. Erin Flynn tallied two assists, while Ellie Bumpus, Casmere, AnnMarie Berry and Clare Bumpus all had helpers.