photo by mvcyclones.com
Gilberto Hernandez takes a swing for the Cyclones
By Mike Pocza, JRN 111 Student
Entering their last game of the season, Moraine Valley baseball was hoping to get revenge against their most recent opponent, South Suburban College. It was an uphill battle for the Cyclones throughout the game, but they lost 15-6.
From the first pitch, the South Suburban players were behind the backstop tracking the speed of freshman Daccarius Chapman’s pitches. Chapman got a balk warning and then balked the next pitch, bringing in another run.
photo by Mike Pocza
Starting pitcher Daccarius Chapman delivers an important pitch for the Cyclones
The Bulldogs’ bench was screaming “BALK” and “COME ON” nonstop while Chapman was pitching. South Suburban seemed like it had home field advantage with how vocal and electric their bench was.
The top of the first inning was rough for Chapman and the Cyclones as Moraine allowed the Bulldogs to catch an early 4-0 lead.
Sophomore Gavin Quinlan, who was a pitcher only for most of the season, was looking like a natural in center field. Making a diving play to end the first inning that had him walking back slowly to the dugout, Quinlan came back out in the third inning and made another spectacular catch.
“He’s a beast!” said his teammate, sophomore pitcher Colin Bulger.
An RBI single to the outfield brought Moraine its first run. With a man on first and third, Thomas Carlson stole home, while Quinlan stole 2nd base to bait the catcher into throwing across the field.
While earning some runs in the second and third inning, Moraine also gave up some runs and were still trailing 7-4.
Spectator Colin Elsen, a Moraine student, had some input on the Cyclones’ performance in the first half of the game. “They have to throw strikes, tighten up the middle infield. There’s a lot of walks,” he said. “And start swinging the bat.”
Freshman 1B/OF Winston Hill II went down looking at a third strike to retire the inning. He ripped off his padding and threw it against the dugout wall in anger.
“That was off, Blue,” said Hill to the umpire when walking back onto the field for the next inning.
It was a little too hot for sophomore 1B/3B/OF Anthony Cappelletti at third base as a couple of tough plays got the best of him. Cappelletti threw a ball in the dirt, stopping any chance of getting out of the ninth inning early.
The last three innings, Moraine couldn’t get the bats working. Although they stopped South Suburban from extending their lead in the ninth inning, it was too late as the Cyclones fell to SSC.
After doing all they could, Moraine didn’t have enough to walk away with a victory and put a wrap on their 2022 season, finishing with a 10-26 record.