Baseball: Cole Latimer, DeKalb cruise past East Aurora

DeKALB – Cole Latimer said he wasn’t happy with his performance at the plate when his team opened the season with a win Monday against Belvidere.

He spent extra time Tuesday after practice with his dad and head coach Josh Latimer taking additional reps at the plate, and the results paid off Wednesday.

The DeKalb right fielder and No. 2 hitter had two doubles, scored three times and drove in four runs as the Barbs topped East Aurora 10-0 in five innings.

“I was really trying to focus on hitting the ball hard, right side,” Latimer said. “Every time I’m in the box, that’s what I imagine, hitting the ball to the right side. And today it turned out well.”

Josh Latimer said the sophomore right fielder is going to be a key factor in the Barbs’ success. Hitting ahead of big bats like Brodie Farrell, Jackson Kees and Paul Kakoliris, he’ll extend the DeKalb lineup and make the Barbs an even more formidable lineup, the coach said.

“If we get Cole going, I know Jackson’s going to hit, and I know Brodie’s going to hit and Paulie and those guys,” Josh Latimer said. “We feel like if we get Cole going like he showed today, it’s really going to solidify our lineup for us.”

Each of Latimer’s doubles drove in two runs with two outs, including a walk-off double that plated Hunter Kriese and Ruari Bengford in the fifth.

Latimer also scored the first run of the game after being hit by a pitch and coming around to score on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Kees. His double in the second scored Bengford and Jack Ager. He scored on a single by Farrell to push the lead to 5-0 after two.

“He had a good approach seeing balls and hitting balls where they were pitched,” Josh Latimer said. “He wasn’t happy with himself [after Monday] and we’re just trying to keep him to stay simple. He feels like he has a lot to prove. It’s hard being the coach’s son. He was up last year, he’s still young. The biggest thing is trying to keep the hands simple, trying to keep less movement in the body.”

Latimer’s 3-for-3 performance was the only multihit game for the Barbs, but Bengford reached three times, drove in a run and scored twice.

The DeKalb pitchers dominated, led by starter Kees. Although he did walk three in three innings, he also had eight strikeouts and allowed the Tomcats (0-2) to put only one ball in play, a line drive on which Kakoliris made a leaping catch.

“He was dominant,” Josh Latimer said. “Eight strikeouts in three innings, you love to see that. You feel so comfortable when he’s up there. He does a great job, you know he’s going to be around the zone. He’s your ace, he knows it and he wants to take on that role. He’s ready to face everybody.”

Ferrell pitched 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief, striking out three and not allowing a ball in play either. In relief, Latimer allowed a hit but Farrell, playing right, threw out the runner trying to go to second.

The Barbs will look to stay undefeated when they host Indian Creek on Saturday.

“This momentum is going to help us a lot,” Cole Latimer said. “I think we’re a really strong team, way different from last year. The more and more wins we get, the more the momentum will keep us going. We have the guys for it. We got the team chemistry for it, we’re a great family.”