In The Zone
Looking for a quick game? Hand the baseball to Jack Bartek.
The Knoch senior wastes little time and few pitches when he's on the mound. His complete-game 4-1 victory over Indiana Monday afternoon at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park barely took 90 minutes.
“Jack throws strikes and that's what we preach our pitchers to do,” Knoch coach Sean O'Donnell said. “After three pitches, we want the next batter up there.
“When a pitcher's throwing strikes, it keeps his defense in the game. His fielders stay alert because they know the ball's coming.”
Bartek retired Indiana's first 11 hitters on 34 pitches. He threw only six balls during that time.
His RBI single in the first inning — following two-out singles by Sean McGill and Eli Sutton — gave the Knights (5-1, 2-1) an early 1-0 lead.
Bartek wound up tossing a three-hitter. Indiana (0-7, 0-2) bunched all of its hits together in the fourth, including back-to-back doubles by Zach Eisenhower and A.J. Ryan that tied the game.
Reserve senior outfielder and No. 9 hitter Tucker Scully — who started in left field Monday for regular Guy DeLeonardis — delivered a two-run single to center in the bottom of the fourth to snap the tie.
Knoch added an unearned run in the fifth.
“Guy's been feeling ill the past couple of days and I have all the faith in the world in Tucker,” O'Donnell said. “That was a great at-bat. He fouled some pitches off and hit a nice line drive.
“That was a big hit in this game. I'm thrilled for that kid.”
Bartek made the runs stand up. He wound up striking out eight and throwing 70 of his 94 pitches for strikes. He struck out the side in the seventh.
“I like to get ahead in the count with my fastball, then throw my breaking balls on the outside corner,” Bartek said. “I don't look to strike people out.
“I try to get guys to hit the ball. I have confidence in my defense and we're going to make the plays.”
Bartek credits his consistent control to “just being a pitcher for a long time. I know I can hit the zone with all of my pitches.”The right-hander is in his third year as a starting pitcher for Knoch.“He has logged a lot of innings for us these last three years,” O'Donnell said. “The games usually go at a quick pace. He throws a fastball, curve and change-up and can put the ball where he wants.”Indiana committed two errors each in the fifth and sixth innings, contributing to Knoch's final three runs.“Our mistakes cost us the deciding runs in this game,” Indiana coach Larry Cadile said. “If we play a clean game, this might have been a different game.“Fielding mistakes has been our M.O. We need to clean that up. That, and we didn't hit today.”Cadile admitted Bartek had a lot to do with that.“He threw strikes and got ahead in the count,” the coach said. “He's a good pitcher. I told our guys to be aggressive at the plate. If you take a first-pitch strike, you're behind in the count and you don't know what's coming next.“That's what was happening out there.”Indiana played without six starters Monday due to a school field trip.Indiana 000 100 0 — 1 3 4Knoch 101 210 x — 4 9 1W: Jack Bartek 7IP (8K, 2BB). L: Lucas Connell 3.2IP (1K, 2BB).Indiana (0-7, 0-2): Zach Eisenhower 2B, A.J. Ryan 2B RBI, Antonio Caporossi 1BKnoch (5-1, 2-1): Ethan Sloane 2-1B, Sean McGill 2-1B 2-R, Eli Sutton 1B, Jack Bartek 1B RBI, Braden Tristani 1B, Blaze Voltz 1B, Tucker Scully 1B 2-RBIWednesday: Knoch at Freeport
