Junior college baseball: JJC wins sectional, prepares to host Region IV Tournament

JOLIET – The Joliet Junior College baseball team keeps getting hurt.

However, that did not stop the Wolves from sweeping Rock Valley, 8-1 and 5-2, in Saturday afternoon’s Region IV sectional at Wayne L. King Jr. Field and advancing to next weekend’s Region IV Tournament.

JJC (26-22-1) was the No. 2 seed in the eight-team event while Rock Valley (19-30) was No. 7. The four sectional survivors from each best-of-three series will square off in a double-elimination tournament beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday at JJC. The Wolves will host because No. 1 seed Waubonsee Valley has graduation next weekend and cannot host.

It will be nice to play at home, but how healthy coach Wayne King’s team will be is to be determined.

JJC is without freshman catcher/outfielder Joe McGuire (Lockport), a candidate for postseason honors who was in a car accident recently. He may not return this season.

In the fourth inning of Game 1 Saturday, shortstop Adam Knerr (Lincoln-Way West) injured his hamstring running between first and second base and was gone for the day. His availability for next weekend is unknown.

Then in the seventh, center fielder Rob Blissitt was running out his second straight single and pulled up as he arrived at first base. He injured a hamstring in the final game of the regular season and tweaked it. He did not return Saturday.

That meant King had to call on his bench, and the reserves delivered.

After sophomore right-hander Kendall Interial (Plainfield North) escaped a bases-loaded situation in the top of the sixth of the opener, Anthony Agne (Plainfield North) opened a three-run uprising with a double to left. Josh Tesch (Plainfield Central) – who replaced Knerr, with Luke DeBenedetti (Joliet Central) moving from third base to shortstop – singled to knock in the first run. A wild pitch and a single by Tyler Desmarais (Minooka) made it 3-0.

Agne doubled to the right-field corner on a hit-and-run to drive in DeBenedetti and then scored on Tesch’s long sacrifice fly in the seventh to make it 5-1. The Wolves put it away with a three-run eighth, two scoring as Davis Purviance (Lockport) grounded a bases-loaded single.

“It was totally big to win the first game,” Agne said. “Coach King has been preaching to us to go to the right side, so the big hit on the hit-and-run really got the team some momentum.

“It was awesome to see Tesch get in the game and come through like he did, too.”

“I got a chance to do something, and I’m glad I was able to help,” Tesch said. “Kendall [Interial] was awesome, and we finally got him some runs.”

Interial went seven innings, allowing one run on five hits. Nicholas Followell (Plainfield East) worked the final two innings, allowing three hits and no runs.

The Wolves’ reserve strength made an early impact in Game 2 as Jake Poch (Joliet West), playing right field as Purviance moved to center to replace Blissitt, made an excellent running catch of a foul fly in the bullpen with two runners on base to end the first inning.

“Jake Poch has done some of those little things to help us when he has gotten an opportunity,” King said. “And Tesch had a good game in the first game, so our guys off the bench were big today.”

JJC scored a run in the first on a two-out error and another in the second as Agne, who had four hits on the day, blooped a hit to short right-center.

The Wolves then got some insurance with three in the fifth. Poch led off with the first of his two hits, Agne had a bunt single and Marcus Stewart (Plainfield South) and Cole Thompson (Minooka) singled in runs.

That was more than enough for sophomore left-hander Nick Evola (Morris). He went the distance, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out nine, walked two and hit a batter.

“It was nice that we took care of business and put them away,” Evola said. “I just wanted to get ahead of the hitters and put them on their heels. I know I threw a lot of pitches, but I’ve done that before. This wasn’t my best game, but it was somewhat similar to how I’ve been pitching.

“The catch that Poch made, and the one Tesch made [adjacent to the dugout to end the seventh inning with two men on] both were big. It all came together today.”

King said the Wolves still are not hitting the ball the way he would like, but “Evo [Evola] pitched a nice game and Kendall [Interial] threw well, too.

“We do have guys who are hurt. We have a catcher in the outfield because we have to. Maybe this next week off will help get some guys back.”