Cale Zoeller tosses complete-game shutout to help Wheaton North avoid series sweep to St. Charles East

ST. CHARLES — Wheaton North pitcher Cale Zoeller didn’t have an ideal start to DuKane Conference play.

After only lasting 1⅓ innings and allowing seven runs in the team’s league opener against St. Charles North, the senior knew that he wanted to come out against St. Charles East to not only prevent the three-game series sweep, but to also prove what he’s capable of on the mound.

“After my last outing, it just didn’t go my way and I was a bit flustered,” said Zoeller, a John A. Logan commit. “I knew that we could beat this team, so I figured I’d go out and carry the team to a victory the best I could.”

Safe to say, he did just that Wednesday.

Zoeller put up a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowed just four hits as he pitched a complete-game shutout to pace the Falcons to a 7-0 victory over the Saints to avoid the series sweep.

“This was probably our best overall game so far,” Falcons coach Dan Schoessling said. “Cale just commanded the game and got ahead of hitters the entire way. The defense was decent behind him. And if we can continue to do that, we can be a pretty good team.”

The Falcons (7-10-1, 3-3 DuKane Conference) got on the board early in the contest after junior Alex Pophan drove in two runs off of a single to center field in the bottom of the second inning, giving the team their first lead in the three-game series.

The Falcons further padded their lead after scoring five runs in the fifth inning to make it 7-0. The team ended up batting around in the inning and had five consecutive batters drive in a batter.

“In the past week or so, we’ve left some guys on base,” Schoessling said. “We got a couple of big hits and had some guys come up big in those key situations. It was just nice to play in front, cause it’s seemed like a while since it happened.”

The lead was more than enough for Zoeller, who stuck to his game plan of getting pitches in the zone early and often. He was also aided with his effective use of off-speed pitches.

“My slider was the best it’s ever been in that game,” Zoeller said. “I was able to work counts with that, and I used it to get out ahead of the count early. I’m able to work well whenever I get ahead.”

It was that mindset that kept the Saints (9-7, 5-1) guessing at the plate for the majority of the contest. The Saints only had two runners make it into scoring position, and only had two runners on base at the same time once in the contest. Senior Joey Arend had the team’s only extra base hit with a double in the third.

“This was a game where you just have to tip your cap to the other team,” Saints coach Derek Sutor said. “Their pitcher threw strikes and came at us, and we just didn’t adjust. We just didn’t get the timely hit to get a run.”

Despite the loss, the Saints still hold a lead in conference play through two series, which Sutor hopes will help keep the Saints’ heads up after the contest.

“When you win, it’s easy to point out the positives. And when you lose, it’s easy to point out the negatives,” Sutor said. “At the end of the day, we’re still in the driver’s seat and a game up in conference play. We’re in control of our own destiny at the end of the day.”