LITH Thunder pull upset in USSSA tourney

Lake in the Hills Thunder third baseman Brett Kale gets fired up after catching a line drive to end the 6th inning during their Wednesday's game against New Lenox Black Diamond at Crystal Lake Central High School. (Travis Haughton photo)

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

CRYSTAL LAKE – The Lake in the Hills Thunder already were the only local team to reach the championship tournament in the 15-year old USSSA Open Summer National Championships.

Behind a complete game from Kevin Hubner on Wednesday, the No. 12-seeded Thunder scored one of the tournament’s first upsets, knocking off previously undefeated New Lenox Black Diamond, 8-2, at Crystal Lake Central’s Fred Tipps Field. The Thunder will face the Upper Deck Cougars (Zarcone) at 11 a.m. today at CL Central.

Lake in the Hills got off to a fast start in the first inning. Christian Cervantes scored on a passed ball by catcher Robert Hubbard and Brett Kale doubled in Steve Schwartz to give the Thunder a 2-0 lead.

After Black Diamond cut the lead in half in the second inning, the Thunder responded with a run in the third on a Schwartz single that scored Joe Wright.

They made it 5-1 in the fourth when Hubner opened the inning with a triple and Eric Lonigro singled in courtesy runner Tyler Johnson. Lonigro scored later in the inning on an error. That was all Hubner would need as the righty gave up four hits in the win. Hubner said things were going the way he wanted all day.

“I just threw strikes, all my pitches were working and my defense made all the plays,” Hubner said. “Everything was just working (today).”

Schwartz went 2-for-4 with an RBI and also made several putouts at shortstop, as Hubner went on a streak of having eight out of nine batters ground out.

Schwartz said all he wanted to do at the plate was make contact.

“I was just trying to hit the ball and not strike out,” Schwartz said. “I was putting my mitt down and hoping the ball would go in there. Hubner threw a great game for us.”

The Thunder opened the game up further in the seventh, scoring three times as Johnson hit a two-run single with the bases loaded. Johnson was hitting for only the second time in the game after being a courtesy runner twice before for Hubner.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play and not do too much in my final at-bat,” Johnson said.

Lake in the Hills coach Mark Lonigro said his team worked before the game on defense after some defensive miscues in earlier games.

The Crystal Lake Cyclones and Crystal Lake Cardinals both advanced in consolation bracket play of the 15s tournament.

The Cyclones beat Dominican Pimentel League, 6-2, then rolled over the Ontario Thunderbirds, 8-0.

The Cardinals defeated the Iowa Go-Hawks, 13-3, in their consolation game.

The Cyclones got a home run from Matt Kryzak and two doubles from Tyler Bigos in their first win. Alex Posey picked up the pitching victory.

In the second game, Nick Taylor struck out nine batters in five innings and also went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Scott Brooke was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

“We told them [heading into the consolation bracket] not to hang their heads because we played some good baseball, but lost some tough games,” Cyclones coach Dave Covalt said. “They didn’t stop believing in themselves and we put it all together, which hasn’t happened in some games.

“We lost a heartbreaker to Canada Saturday night and it really hurt. We had the opportunity to redeem ourselves and pretty much took over that game. That was the best game we’ve played this year against Canada.”