Hubs baseball team falls to Sterling

Golden Warriors stop Rochelle boys 13-2 in regional semifinals

Russell Hodges
Posted 5/22/18

The Sterling Golden Warriors were more aggressive at the plate than the Hubs varsity baseball team and head coach Jarrod Reynolds had seen when the two squads squared off in the IHSA Class 3A Regional Semifinals at Rock Falls on Wednesday.

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Hubs baseball team falls to Sterling

Golden Warriors stop Rochelle boys 13-2 in regional semifinals

Posted

ROCK FALLS — The Sterling Golden Warriors were more aggressive at the plate than the Hubs varsity baseball team and head coach Jarrod Reynolds had seen when the two squads squared off in the IHSA Class 3A Regional Semifinals at Rock Falls on Wednesday.

The second-seeded Golden Warriors jumped on the seventh-seeded Hubs early in the game, scoring six runs in the first inning to take control over Rochelle. Behind eight strikeouts over five innings from pitcher Nolan Sullivan and a walk-off three-run homer by Trey Morse in the fifth inning, Sterling defeated Rochelle by a final score of 13-2. The Golden Warriors reached the regional championship game with the win, while the Hubs finished with a final record of 14-8.

“We haven’t seen them turn on pitches and pull them with authority all year,” Reynolds said. “They were taking big swings and finding the barrel with the baseball. We were a little surprised by that I think… I’m really proud of our kids and I know so many of them were contributors on a team that was able to be really competitive.”

Sterling smashed two home runs in the first inning while totaling three walks and three singles. Camden Bailey also reached on an error for the Golden Warriors. Sterling added to its lead when Morse, who had two home runs in the game, reached on an error and scored on Sullivan’s RBI single in the second inning to put the Golden Warriors ahead 7-0.

“Everybody wants to win when its game time and I’m confident that we’re going to have some kids next season who are going to work hard and get better,” Reynolds said. “I think we’re going to come out next year and be ready to go.”

The Hubs tallied their first run of the game when junior Brandon Johnson, who doubled in the first inning, reached on a single in the top of the third inning. Johnson advanced on a wild pitch before scoring on an RBI single by junior Johnny Beck. Senior Johnny Kisner singled before junior Hayden Jones was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Rochelle was unable to do any more damage.

“We were threatening in some innings but we just couldn’t get that big hit to help us break through,” Reynolds said. “Our kids were up there trying and it’s really hard to hit when their pitcher is throwing fastballs in the low 80s with a good curveball.”

Wednesday was Rochelle’s second time facing Sullivan on the mound this season, but the Sterling hurler was in command throughout the game. Sullivan yielded just five hits and one walk in the game. The Golden Warriors tacked on two runs in the fourth inning to lead 9-1 before Kisner’s RBI groundout in the fifth inning plated Rochelle’s second run. Sterling finished the Hubs off with four runs in the bottom of the fifth including Morse’s three-run blast.

“We had so many kids contribute this year and I think we’re really proud of that,” Reynolds said. “We appreciate all of the hard work that the kids put in.”