Jack Curran’s 2-run double the spark as Hall pulls away from Streator 8-1

SPRING VALLEY – Hitting the field again soon after a season-opening defeat gave the Hall baseball team an opportunity for a quick bounce-back.

The Streator Bulldogs will be looking for a similar opportunity later this week after Tuesday‘s 8-1 defeat at the hands of the host Red Devils at Foley Field in Kirby Park.

A 2-1 Red Devils' advantage heading into the bottom of the sixth inning ballooned into a much more comfortable seven-run lead. Jack Curran’s two-run double to deep left field and a pair of Streator fielding errors – their third and fourth of the afternoon, all leading to Hall runs – were the big blows in the inning.

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Hall third baseman Hunter Edgcomb tags out Streator's Colin Byers trying to advance to third base on a ball in the dirt Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at Foley Field in Spring Valley. (Scott Anderson)

“I remember just looking fastball and adjusting offspeed,” Jack Curran, Hall’s No. 5 hitter, said of his double. “Kid had a pretty good curveball. It was a close game.

“We wanted insurance runs, so I was looking for something right side to move the runners and let the next man come up and get a big hit or try to get a really good hit, move all of ‘em. ...

“Feels good to come back and get a win.”

Hall (1-1) finished with seven hits, led at the plate by Braden Curran with two singles, Noah Plym and Geno Ferrari each with RBI singles and Jack Curran’s aforementioned two-run double to plate Braden Curran and Pinter and start the scoring in the game-salting sixth.

The eight runs – one scored in the second, a second in the fourth and six more in the sixth – proved to be more than enough on a day Hall starter Braden Curran (win, 4 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 K) and reliever Jack Jablonski (save, 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 4 K) combined to not allow an earned run. Only one Streator baserunner – the one who scored – reached third base.

“Two good pitching performances, obviously, from Braden and then Jack on the back end,” Red Devils coach Tom Keegan said. “Some of the runs [we scored] from situations we recognized and executing ... and then Jack Curran with the big one that got us some breathing room, which was nice to have.

“I’ll just say resiliency [is what I’m seeing so far]. Yesterday, we didn’t look real sharp, left a lot of guys on base, but today we were able to capitalize on some situations that presented themselves.”

Streator’s lone score came in the second, when Colin Byers drew a lead-off walk, advanced to second on a Luke Bemont groundout and scored from there when a dropped-third strike was compounded by a Hall throwing error into right field.

The Bulldogs (0-1) finished with just three hits, all singles – one by the sophomore Byers and two off the bat of junior No. 3 hitter Cole Winterrowd.

“The biggest thing is, we had three hits,” Bulldogs coach Beau Albert said. “Early on, we use a bunt to get a guy in scoring position with one out, and we strike out. We’ve just got to have better at-bats. We’ve got to produce. We’ve got to hit. It’s going to be a long season if we don’t.

“We’ll just chalk it up to first-game jitters and move forward getting better.”

Jake Hagie (loss, 5 ⅓ IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K) started for Streator, which now is heading into a Friday visit to another former conference rival, Sandwich. Isaiah Weibel (⅔ IP, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 K) came on in relief.

Hall is plays Friday at home against Alleman.