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

Red Devils move to 1-1; Bulldogs drop season-opener

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.

SPRING VALLEY – Hitting the field again soon after a season-opening defeat gave the Hall baseball club 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 big inning.

“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 the six insurance tallies 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.”

Hall's Hunter Edgcomb slides safely into second base as Streator's Blaize Bressner gathers the throw Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Foley Field at Kirby Park in Spring Valley.

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 on the mound for Streator, which is now heading into a scheduled 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 scheduled back in action Friday at home against Alleman.

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