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SYCAMORE – Sycamore was all about the comebacks in an 11-6 win over St. Charles North on Thursday.
Tyler Lojko overcame a baserunning mistake to make a spectacular play in center field.
Trenton Meisch, who made a costly error at third that allowed two runs to score and the North Stars (4-3) to jump out to a 5-0 lead, later had two hits in one inning.
But the biggest comeback belonged to the Spartans (4-4), who scored 11 straight runs in the fifth and sixth innings to escape with the win.
“All of us in here were getting a little bit down, but all it takes is one person to start it back up,” Meisch said. “We’ve had our ups and downs so far this year. This is a good win for the guys. We really needed this one.”
Sycamore starter Cal Harbecke and St. Charles North starter Emerson Miller both were in control early, each starting the game with three scoreless innings.
The North Stars broke through first with a four-run fourth. Ty Heimbuch and Mason Netcel started the inning with singles, but Harbecke got the next two batters. Langdon Straub came up with a two-run single, then Reed Raczka singled.
That’s when Meisch was wild on a throw on what would have been the third out of the inning, allowing Straub and Raczka to score.
Harbecke pitched six innings and allowed three earned runs, eight hits, no walks and struck out six.
“It starts with starting pitching, and Cal did a wonderful job today on the mound,” Sycamore coach Jason Cavanaugh said. “He pitches against a really good team and gives up [three] earned runs in six innings, holding out long enough for the offense to get going.”
Down 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth, Meisch started a four-run rally for the Spartans that featured a sacrifice fly by Davis Collie, an RBI single by Nathan Lojko with two outs, and a balk that brought home a run.
Meisch had an even bigger sixth, leading things off with a double and scoring for a second time, then singling home a run with two outs in his second at-bat of the Spartans’ seven-run inning.
“It’s difficult, but at the end of the day everything has to be for the team,” Meisch said. “I can’t get down on myself because it’s just going to bring everyone else down. I make that error and come back and get a knock for the guys. I mean, it’s the least I can do for everyone.”
Collie had a two-run single in the inning, and Henry Hamingson also drove in a run. And again, the Spartans scored on a balk.
Cavanaugh said Meisch did a really good job after the errors, especially with the two good at-bats in the seven-run sixth inning. He said that kind of redemption was the name of the game for the Spartans on Thursday.
“He just kind redeemed himself a bit,” Cavanaugh said. “Then Tyler Lojko makes a great catch in center field right after he gets picked off. So it’s like OK, he took away a couple bases right there and we lost a base there. You just try to be on the positive side of the ledger for every game.”
Ben Auer and Heimbuch each had two hits for the North Stars.
Miller pitched four innings, allowing four hits and four runs, one earned. He walked four and struck out three.
“Miller threw the ball very well to start off,” said St. Charles North assistant coach Brett Wikierak, who was filling in for head coach Todd Genke. “We got to get him through the middle innings. It’s a little bit of a pattern with him getting to the fourth or fifth innings. We have to get him deeper in ball games.”
Collie finished with a pair of hits and three RBIs, Tyler Lojko and Meisch scored twice, and Nathan Lojko, Meisch and Hamingson each had two of Sycamore’s 10 hits.
Evan Munch relieved Harbecke in the second, allowing a double to Nolan Macholz and a triple to Reinke to start things off. The game ended on a double play on a pop-up to Tyler Lojko in center, whose throw to the plate ended up getting Reinke caught in a rundown.