DIXON, Ill. – After a dominant offensive showing by the Olive-Harvey baseball team resulted in a 20-5 victory over Sauk Valley Community College in Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader, the Panthers relied on its pitching in the nightcap to come away with a 2-1 win in a sweep over the Skyhawks at SVCC.
With the two triumphs, OHC improves to 5-1 for the season.
Olive-Harvey entered play Tuesday with 10 runs scored in the first four games of the season. The Panthers, however, surpassed that total in the first inning as they scored 12 times. They plated four runs in the second, two in the fourth and two in the fifth in the five-inning affair.
The 20 runs are the most OHC has produced in a game since defeating the Robert Morris University junior varsity team 22-21 on April 16, 2016.
All nine starters scored at least once in the opener, including Ronald Applewhite (Rich East H.S.), who crossed home plate four times in addition to recording a double and two singles in Olive-Harvey’s 13-hit attack.
Christian Perez (Colegio Bautista de Caguas H.S./Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico) and Matthew Ramos (Trinepadilla de Sanz H.S./Loiza, Puerto Rico) both had two hits. Julio Castro (Island Coast H.S./Cape Coral, Fla.) launched the Panthers’ first home run of the season – a two-run blast – over the left-center-field fence to cap off OHC’s scoring in the fifth inning. He finished with four RBIs and three runs.
William Wormsbecher (Pembroke Pines Charter/Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and Anthony Martinez (Ridge Community H.S./Kissimmee, Fla.) each had one hit and two RBIs, while Joseph Castillo (Bloom Trail H.S.), Alfred Lott (Hales Franciscan H.S.) and Jorge Torres (North Shore H.S./Houston, Texas) all singled.
Michael Torres (Colegio Nuestra Senora del Pilar H.S./Loiza, Puerto Rico) contributed a pair of runs and knocked in one.
Jeremiah Williams (Thornton Fractional North H.S.) moved to 2-0 on the mound after going the first four innings. He allowed two runs and struck out eight. Relievers Jalil Anderson (Perspectives Charter) and Alberto Perez (Plainfield South H.S.) were utilized in the fifth inning to nail down the win.
Game 2 starter Josh Morales (Island Coast H.S./Cape Coral, Fla.) struck out 13, retired 14 of the final 15 hitters and limited the Skyhawks to two hits, three walks and one unearned run in his complete-game seven-inning effort to up his record to 2-0. In 13 innings this spring, the freshman right-hander has 21 strikeouts and has yet to give up an earned run.
Kenneth O’Farrill (Vocacional Miguel Such H.S./Loiza, Puerto Rico) gave Olive-Harvey a 1-0 lead in the top half of the third inning when he walked with two outs, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error before scoring on a wild pitch.
After Sauk Valley tied the game at 1-1 in its half of the third, Lott put the Panthers ahead when he scored on Rick Montenegro’s (Curie Metropolitan H.S.) sacrifice fly to center field. Lott, who was hit by a pitch, swiped second and moved to third on a groundout to set the stage for Montenegro.
Applewhite, Castro, Williams and O’Farrill had one hit apiece in the finale.
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