Aaron Peskar drilled a two-out line drive single into right centerfield in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday, scoring Aaron Ortiz and giving the Collinsville Kahoks a 5-4 Southwestern Conference victory over Belleville East.
Grant Bauer slides home safely, as Kyle Reeves notes / Photo by Roger Starkey
It was the third time this season Peskar has delivered the game-winning hit in the Kahoks’ final at bat, all three giving Kyle Reeves (3-0) a victory on the mound. Zach Mathes took over for Reeves in the top of the seventh, retiring three of four Lancers to record his first save of the season.
Reeves was not as sharp as he has been this season, Head Coach Pete Trapp said.
“I don’t think he had 100 percent control over everything,” Trapp said. “At the same time, give Belleville East credit, they had a great game plan and they hit the ball hard.”
Reeves pitched around four errors, allowed seven hits, struck out five and issued only one walk. He retired the side in order only one time, in the top of the sixth, his final inning.
Grant Bauer’s hustle gave Collinsville (3-2 SWC, 10-4) a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. He singled with one out – the first of four hits for the shortstop – then moved all the way to third on Dylan McEwen’s slow rolling groundout. When Belleville East pitcher Brady Schanuel could not get a handle on Tanner Houck’s groundball, Bauer scooted home.
Belleville East (2-3 SWC, 4-7) tied the game in the top of the second, and then grabbed a 4-1 lead with three in the third. Two Kahok errors and three Lancer hits led to the three-run inning. Drew Millas’ two-out double just over the third base bag scored two. Millas then scored on an error.
Bauer’s hustle created the first of two Collinsville runs in the third. He singled, took second on a passed ball, stole third and scored on Mathes sacrifice fly. McEwen, who had reached on an error, came around to score when Reeves reached on an error. Collinsville trailed 4-3 after three innings.
A walk and two hits allowed the Kahoks to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Spencer Thomas drew a one-out walk and later scored on McEwen’s RBI single.
The vociferous Belleville East fans gave the men in blue an earful after a controversial fifth inning call led to a spirit breaking double play. Keven Horner led off the inning with a single. Millas followed with a soft, looping line drive to Kahok second basemen Mitch Reising, who dropped the ball, surprising Horner and Millas, who had stopped running on the play.
After flipping to Bauer at short, who threw to first to complete the double-play, East Head Coach Todd Blomberg had two conversations with the umpires, claiming Reising illegally dropped the ball to create the double-play opportunity. After the umpires conferred, the initial call stood.
Ortiz led off the bottom of the sixth and later scored on Peskar’s two-out game winner.
“Two-out base hits can be destroyers of teams,” Trapp said. “Luckily it was a good thing for us.”
Notes: Bauer’s four hits on the day raised his team leading average to .412. Peskar’s game winner, his only hit of the day, kept his average above .400 (.405) on the season. Reeves has a team-high three wins and leads the staff with an ERA just over 1.00.
Collinsville travels to Waterloo for a 10 a.m. Good Friday doubleheader, before traveling to Edwardsville for a 4:30 p.m. contest Tuesday.
