Broc Slais’ gemleads Somonauk past Hinckley-Big Rock

By EDDIE CARIFIO ecarifio@shawmedia.com

HINCKLEY–Somonauk starter Broc Slais was perfect through four innings and ended up retiring the side in sixofseveninningsagainst HinckleyBig Rock on Wednesday, withthe Bobcats getting enough timely hits for a5-1 win over the Royals.

“He just sat there on his fastball,” Somonauk coach TroyFelton said. “His gameplanatthe beginning was wait until they can stop fouling it off, then I’ll switch it up. He’s got an overpowering fastball,soheleansheavily on it.”

The Bobcats (15-5 overall, 11-3 Little Ten) scored four of their runs with two outs. Hinckley-Big Rock starter Judson Scott hit two batters in the first inning and allowed two hits –including atwo-out, two-run single to Jaylen Dion to make the score 3-0.

Scott did strike out the side and finished with 11 strikeouts in six innings for the Royals (11-5, 7-3). The two other runs he gave up were unearned.

Hinckley-Big Rock coach Matt Olsen said thoseare the sort of mistakes that he would have hoped would have been fixed in practices by now, but the Royals really haven’t been able to practice outside much at all this season because of the weather.

“It’s frustrating, but it’spart of the game,” Olsensaid. “We have to make plays. You have to be clean defensively, we preach that all the time. We work it and rep it, but unfortunately it is what it is. When you’re stuck in the gyms, it’s hard.”

Slais went the distance for the Bobcats, allowing three hits and one earned run –all in the fifth inning. He walked no one.

Slais said he was just using his fastball until theRoyalscaught up to it. All the H-BR hits went to right, including an RBI single by Saje Beane that scored Ben Jourdan.

“Theystarted to time it, take it to right field, so Ithrew some spinners in there,” Slaissaid.“They couldn’t adjust to it.”

Slais finished with 13 strikeouts in the win, and Felton saidhis fastball was on point.

“When you put Broc Slaisonthe mound, you know he’s going to come out and throw aheck of agame,” Felton said. “He doesn’t give up alot of hits, typically. We put atough defense behindhim,and we knoweven if he does giveupa hitwe’re goingtodo something with it.”

The Bobcats opened a4-0 lead in the second inning. AfterScott started the inningwithtwo strikeouts, adropped fly by Mason Albright in right field put

Carson Bahrey on secondbase, then Parker Wasson ripped adoubleinto theleft-center gap.

The lead grew to 5-0 when Dion cappedhis 3-for-3 day with his third RBI, asingle that scored Brendan Roberts after an error by shortstop Ben Hintzsche gave theBobcats and extra out.

Felton said two-out hitting recently has been afocal point for the Bobcats.

“You can’t get down to two outs and pack it up,” Felton said. “You still have to be able to do something. We’ve really concentrated on that in practice and having an approach at the plate.”

The Royals scored their run with two outs in the fifth, but Slais got a strikeout to end the threat with two on.

“It felt pretty nice, it was pretty big,” Slaissaid. “They could have made acomeback, but we held them.”

Dion had the only multihit game for either team and was the only player for the Bobcats not to strike out –Beane was the only Royal not to strike out.

“You have to tip yourcap to Broc, he pitchedoutstanding,”Olsen said “We put some good at-batstogether andmanufactured that onerun late there.”

Prep Schedule

Thursday, May 5

Girls track: Little Ten invite, 4p.m.; DeKalb at DVC meet, Metea Valley, 4:30 p.m.

Boys track: Little Ten invite, 4p.m.

Baseball: DeKalb at Naperville Central, Genoa-Kingston at Dixon, 4:30 p.m.

Softball: Neuqua Valley at DeKalb, 3:45 p.m.; Rock Falls at Genoa-Kingston; 4:30 p.m.

Girls soccer: Sycamore at Woodstock North, 4:30 p.m.; Streamwood at Kaneland, 4:45 p.m.; DeKalb at Dixon, 6p.m.

Friday, May 6

Boys track: Holt invite at DeKalb, Sycamore at Northern Illinois Invitational at Beloit College, Kaneland at Kane CountyMeet at Geneva, 4:30p.m.

Baseball: Genoa-Kingston at Sycamore, 4:30 p.m.; St. Francis vs. Kaneland at Trout Park, 7p.m.

Softball: Sycamore at Plano, Genoa-Kingston at Winnebago, 4:30 p.m.; Oswego at Kaneland, 5p.m.

Girls track: Kaneland, Sycamore at Interstate 8championships, 4p.m

Saturday, May 7

Girls soccer: Sycamore at Hampshire, noon

Softball: Sycamore at Glenbard South (DH); Indian Creek at Polo, 11 a.m.

Baseball: Genoa-Kingston at Byron (DH), 10 a.m.; Indian Creek at Hinckley-Big Rock, 1p.m.

Boys track: Indian Creek, Hinckley-Big Rock at Genoa-Kingston invite, 11 a.m.

Girls track: Indian Creek, Hinckley-Big Rock at Genoa-Kingston invite, 11 a.m.

Monday, May 9

Boys tennis: Jefferson at DeKalb, 4p.m

Softball: DeKalb at Metea Valley, Sycamore at LaSalle-Peru, Morris at Kaneland, Harvard at Genoa-Kingston, Indian Creek at IMSA, 4:30 p.m.

Baseball: DeKalb at Neuqua Valley, Sandwich at Sycamore, Kaneland at Rochelle, Genoa-Kingston at Rockford Christian, Indian Creek at IMSA, Serena at Hinckley-Big Rock, 4:30 p.m.

Girls track and field: Indian Creek, Hinckley-Big Rock at Oregon Sectional Prep, 4p.m.; Last Chance Meet, Kaneland, 4:30 p.m.

Soccer: Hinckley-Big Rock at IMSA, 4:30 p.m.