By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
One thing one must say about Joliet Catholic Academy’s legendary, varsity baseball head coach, Jared Voss, is he has his priorities in the correct place.
On the brink of his 500th win of his legendary coaching career at JCA, on Friday, Voss reported to Gillespie Field. His Hilltoppers were to host the Tigers of Plainfield North in a 4 pm, make-up game, from the originally scheduled game, that was frozen out last month.
Having circled April 27 on the Voss Family calendar, as Father\Daugter Dance Night with his daughter, Lyla,
Voss was present for the Hilltoppers pregame, turned in the starting lineup, which officially, made him head coach of the game and then left for the dance, as originally planned. The game was supposed to be rescheduled for next Friday, May 4. A scheduling snafu caused the problem for Coach Voss.
Meanwhile at Gillespie Field, Voss’s Hilltoppers (16-3), trailed 1-0 as the game entered the bottom of the fifth. For the third consecutive game, the Hilltoppers rallied to victory. This time by a 3-1 score.
With one out, No. 9 hitter third baseman, Christian Knapczyk drew a huge base on balls. On a hit and run, Hilltopper leadoff man Aidan Tyrell (2-for-3) ripped a booming RBI double to left, scoring Knapczyk with the tying run.
“I was up In the count 1-0. I hit a fastball up and away and got a barrel on it,” Tyrell said.
Matt Bebar, followed with a single and senior Simon Grashoff, crushed a ball to center, for a sacrifice fly, that plated Tyrell,with the eventual game-winning run.
“Coach Voss is a great guy and a great coach,”Grashoff said. “He is always picking us up when we are down. I love hitting in clutch situations. I really hit the ball hard and drove home a big run for us. 11 in a row for us is amazing. We are very confident and are having a lot of fun. I am so happy we were able to bring home win No. 500 for Coach Voss.”
Meanwhile, on the mound starting and winning pitcher Alex Vera (3-0) was dealing. After giving up an unearned run in the first inning, Vera allowed just three hits and struck out eight in his game-winning performance.
In the Tiger sixth, the play of the game was next, in the top of the sixth.
With Cal Cangillia, on third and one out, Tiger third baseman Sean Tillmon laid down a suicide squeeze bunt back to Vera, on the mound. Vera flipped a strike to catcher Tony Fleischauer, who put the tag on the befuddled Cangillia.
“We work on that play in practice,” Tyrell added. “PFP – Perfect Fielding Position. Alex and Tony worked the play to perfection.”
“My curveball was my best pitch tonight,” Vera said. “I was bale to get the majority of my swing-and-miss strikeouts with it. A great win for us and Coach Voss.”
The Hilltoppers would pick up an insurance run in the sixth, on a Tiger miscue allowing the red-hot Tony Fleischauer, who had doubled, to score.
Greg Ziegler finished off the Tigers 1-2-3 in the seventh, to nail down the save with two strikeouts. Ziegler had a perfect 2-for-2 day with a walk, at the plate.
“Jared (Voss) has always been a Joliet Catholic guy at heart,” JCA pitching coach Ryan Quigley said. “It has been not about wins and losses but about how he has taught us, to be successful people, in life not just on the ball field.”
“Having played and coached for Jared, this is a very happy moment for me to witness,” JCA former associate baseball coach and current JCA varsity head football coach Jake Jaworski said. “Having played for and coached with Jared, he has had a great impact on my life, on and off the field.”
“It’s all about the kids”, Associate coach Tony Giese said. “We have had such great kids here at Joliet Catholic. For the 20 years, I have been here and for all the victories we have accomplished, it has been all about the kids.”
Garret Cook, Gavin Doyle and Chris Miller, each singled for the three Tiger hits in the game
SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN BLUE
Lockport 4 Homewood-Flossmoor 1
The Porters (12-8, 4-1) kept pace with Lincoln-Way East (18-2, 4-1) in the SWSC Blue on Friday. John Gallet and Rich Jessie, combined on a five-hitter with Gallet picking up the win and Jesse, his third save of the year.
Freshman Ryan Moerman and CJ Weins, singled home Porter runs, while Bryan Fox, chipped in with a double.
INTERSTATE 8 CROSSOVER
Herscher 13 Westmont 6
The Sentinels (11-10, 3-7 North) fell to the I-8 South leaders from Herscher (17-4, 7-3) on Friday. Christian Alexander and Mike Kokoszka, each had three hits on the day for Westmont.
NONCONFERENCE
Downers Grove North 12 Benet Academy 4
The Trojans (8-10) blasted the Redwings behind Parker Webber and TJ Drohan, who both drove home a pair of Trojan runs.
The Redwings (9-8) were led by Andy Prisby, who had a pair of RBI and Connor Hincks chipped in with a double.