PREP BASEBALL: Freeburg edges Alton 2-1 in season opener at SIUE
Freeburg edges Redbirds in opener
Louie Korac For The Telegraph Published 8:28 pm, Wednesday, March 14, 2018
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Alton Redbirds pitcher Charlie Erler delivers a pitch to a Freeburg batter during Wednesday’s season opener at SIUE. The Redbirds lost 2-1.
Alton Redbirds pitcher Charlie Erler delivers a pitch to a Freeburg batter during Wednesday’s season opener at SIUE. The Redbirds lost 2-1.

EDWARDSVILLE — The first game of the season in the middle of March won’t bring much analysis from Alton baseball coach Todd Haug. What he can deduce moving forward, though, is that his Redbirds are able to pitch effectively right off the hop, but that the offense and defense may need some time to round into form.

All three parts were in full bloom for the Redbirds in their season-opener Wednesday during a 2-1 loss to Freeburg to kick off the PBR Metro-East Kickoff Classic at SIUE’s Roy E. Lee Field.

Freeburg’s Brady Schmitz walked with the bases loaded to bring home Tommy Speranzi, who reached on an error to lead off the home half of the seventh inning.

“It shows a lot of mental toughness,” Freeburg coach Drew Gericke said. “It shows they weren’t down when (Alton) tied the game. The kids responded with mental toughness, competitiveness, and that’s what we try to preach to the whole program.

“… I thought our pitching was outstanding for the first game.”

In a game where offense was sparse for both squads, the game-winning run was scored in the bottom of the seventh inning on a bases-loaded walk.

Alton (0-1) could only scratch out five hits in the game, scored the tying run in the top half of the seventh inning by manufacturing a run, and defensively, made three errors to spoil the solid pitching performances by starter Charlie Erler and tough-luck losing pitcher Zack Knight.

“I think their coach would tell them the same thing, a 2-1 ballgame where a lot of things went well,” Haug said. “For a good portion of the game, neither team could steal first base. We had two good guys (Erler for Alton and Freeburg starter Travis Bergkoetter) going on the mound. Zack pitched in his first varsity game and did very well.

“… A 2-1 ballgame, neither team hit the ball particularly well. It’s very similarly pitched. Defense, we got a run off one of their errors, they scored a run off one of ours. It’s very similar.”

Gericke echoed Haug’s comments. His team only mustered up four hits in the game but three of them came in the fifth, and on the third, Ryan Schaller’s RBI single broke a scoreless tie.

“You could tell with the bats early,” Gericke said. “They’re getting used to varsity pitching and Alton’s got a very good pitcher that we faced, but what helped is we were able to get his pitch count up early in the game and stretched a run across.”

Alton was able to tie the game 1-1 in the top of the seventh off reliever Brant Bowen on Adam Stilts’ fielder’s choice groundout. His ground ball to short scored Robby Taul, who’s gift bloop double to lead off the seventh fell between second baseman Dylan Neuner and Schaller in right.

Taul moved up to third base on Brandon Droste’s sacrifice bunt to the mound.

Other than that, it was slim pickings for the Redbirds.

“Our approaches are fine,” Haug said. “We really talk about a compact swing, staying short to the ball, long through the ball and driving the ball to the opposite field. We hit a ton of balls up the middle, they were just worm burners. We just need to square up the ball a little bit more, but other than that, we’re hitting the ball where it’s pitched, it’s just early in the year.”

Erler, who worked the first 4 2/3 innings, was pulled after 93 pitches and worked effectively for a first outing. He walked three and struck out eight while allowing three hits and one run (all in the fifth inning).

“I think he’ll tell you it was good, not great,” Haug said of Erler. “Velocity is definitely there. He had a couple pitches working, a good curveball and it shows. On a nice day, he’ll be a tough foe to go against. I think he knows it changes the complexion of the game if he can get ahead of the batters, and there’s a few times where he was working behind. His stuff gets a lot better when he keeps the ball down. As the game went on, he did that.”

Taul and Riley Phillips had four of Alton’s five hits.

The Redbirds will march on in the four-day event and play Carbondale on Thursday at 7 p.m. at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget.

“I’m proud of them,” Haug said. “They played acceptable defense, not great. But again, it’s early and we’ll be bouncing back tomorrow, that’s the great thing about this game.”

FREEBURG 2, ALTON 1

Alton 000 000 1 — 1 5 3

Freeburg 000 010 1 — 2 4 0

Alton (0-1) — Taul 2-3 2B, Stilts 0-3 RBI, Phillips 2-3 2B, Erler 1-3. LP-Knight IP-1 2/3 H-1 R-1 ER-0 BB-3 K-2.

Freeburg (1-0) — C. Smith 1-2, Schaller 1-4 RBI, Lugge 1-3, Schmitz 0-3 RBI, Benkendorf 1-2. WP-Bowen IP-2 H-2 R-1 ER-1 BB-0 K-3.