Baseball: Woodstock North’s aggressive baserunning pays off against Marengo

WOODSTOCK – Woodstock North knew what to do once it got a couple baserunners in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Press the issue. Throw caution to the wind.

As Thunder assistant coach Mike Clarke said while Marengo warmed up reliever Cody Stallings, “If we’re going to go out, let’s go out our way.”

The Thunder’s Sean Pigliacelli stole third on his own, with Morgan Klinker following by swiping second. On the next pitch, Pigliacelli scored on a wild pitch in the dirt, and Klinker raced home behind him on an errant throw trying to get Pigliacelli.

North had its first lead of the game and a 3-2 walk-off victory in a matchup of the Kishwaukee River Conference’s two best teams Tuesday in Woodstock.

“Those were the two perfect guys to have out there in that situation.”

—  John Oslovich, Woodstock North coach

Pigliacelli started the rally with one out with a soft liner over Indians third baseman David Lopez.

“I just had to get on base. I calmed myself down and wanted to hit a line drive over their heads,” Pigliacelli said. “It’s an intense moment, stay calm and do what you can.

“You just have to do what you can. Even if you’re 0 for 2, like I was, you can’t think about the past, you have to stay in the present.”

Klinker then took a pitch off his helmet, and the Thunder (12-5, 10-1) had real life.

On the second pitch to Rylen Given, Pigliacelli raced to third base uncontested. It was only Stallings’ second pitch of the game after a strong 6 1/3 innings from Aaron Schroeder.

“[Stallings] had a little quirk where he only gave one look over,” Pigliacelli said. “After he gave that first look, I knew I could take off because he wasn’t going to pick me off. If he did, he would be behind me and I could get the base for free.”

Pigliacelli did not hesitate when the next pitch was in the dirt and deflected off of catcher Drew Litchfield. In his haste to try to get Pigliacelli at home, Litchfield’s throw was wide of Stallings, and Klinker came all the way home without a play.

“Double stealing, reading wild pitches and dirtballs, that’s something we work on multiple times a week,” Thunder coach John Oslovich said. “We’re going to be aggressive, and we have athletes who are smart enough to identify that and are quick enough to do that. Those were the two perfect guys to have out there in that situation.”

Marengo (14-4, 8-2) won Monday’s first meeting of this week’s three-game series 6-3. The two teams finish the series Thursday in Marengo.

Blake Herrmann (4-0) struck out seven, allowed four hits and went the distance for North. Marengo’s two runs were unearned and Herrmann got out of trouble in the second inning with the bases loaded and two outs when he got Indians’ No. 3 hitter Caden Vogt on a flyout to center field.

Schroeder was tough on the other side, striking out four and giving up five hits and one earned run for the game.

“I just have to go out there and match what he’s doing. I have to be better,” Herrmann said. “It was huge. This put us in a very good spot. We can afford to lose Thursday, but we don’t want to, but if we win Thursday it puts us in a very, very good spot.”

Schroeder was thrust into the starting spot after Monday’s game because Andrew Johnson, who would have started, was ejected and, by IHSA rules, had to sit out Tuesday’s game.

Schroeder kept everything down. The Thunder did not hit a fly ball the entire game.

“It was my defense. Any ball to the infield, they made the play,” Schroeder said. “I was just throwing my offspeed and keeping it down. It was just working. You try to step up whenever you’re called, you know? I just did as much as I could.”

Carter Heimsoth doubled to lead off the game and scored on Vogt’s sacrifice fly. Schroeder singled in the second and came around to score on a bases-loaded walk for a 2-0 lead.

Indians coach Nick Naranjo appreciated the effort his junior righthander gave in his longest outing of the season.

“He threw the ball extremely well and kept their hitters off-balance,” Naranjo said. “He had confidence, and we had confidence in him, too. He put us on his back. In a season when our offense has been carrying us a lot, our pitching and defense was able to carry us today. I’m proud of him for that.

“It was a tough day to hit, too, so we knew if he kept the ball in the strike zone and made them put the ball in play, the defense would make plays behind him.”

Woodstock North 3, Marengo 2

Marengo 110 000 0 – 2 4 2

Woodstock North 010 000 2 – 3 5 2

WP: Blake Herrmann, 4-0 (7IP, 4H, 2R, 0ER, 2BB, 7K). LP: Aaron Schroeder (6.1IP, 5H, 3R, 1ER, 4BB, 4K).

Top hitters–Marengo: Carter Heimsoth 1-3 (2B, R), Schroeder 2-2 (R). Woodstock North: Cade Blaksley 1-3 (RB), Jay Zinnen 1-3 (R), Sean Pigliacelli 1-3 (R), Herrmann 2-2.