Thom Cornelis (KWQC Sports Director) with Rocky Color-man
Don Wentler broadcasting the
"Joe McGinnity Rock Island Baseball Game of the Week"

Alleman eyeing first Big 6 title since '81
April 23, 2002 11:28 PM

The irony was not lost on Alleman baseball coach Bob DeDoncker.

``I had two Division I pitchers last year and we were not even in the fight. Now, you look on paper, we don't have the stars Rock Island and Moline have, but we're right there and the title is for the taking,'' DeDoncker said Saturday after his squad's Western Big 6 Conference sweep of Rock Island.

Coupled with Moline's split against Galesburg, Alleman's 15-2 and 10-8 victories at Rocky pushed the Pioneers into a tie for the league lead heading into the final weekend of the conference season.

Alleman (19-8, 6-2) hosts last-place United Township (3-16, 1-7) next Saturday; three-time defending champ Moline (13-8-1, 6-2) visits Quincy (15-7, 2-4).

The Pioneers last shared the conference crown in 1981 and last won the title outright in 1979.

The doubleheader setback all but ends the title hopes of preseason favorite Rock Island (19-6, 4-4).

``It's not the end of the world,'' Rock Island coach Andy Campbell said after his club committed 10 errors and issued 10 walks in the twinbill. ``Alleman's good. Moline's good. We've just lost to two good teams in conference (play).

``We had no answer for their bats (Saturday). They got a lot of big hits, and a lot of two-out hits.''

Campbell said the biggest of those clutch knocks was a two-out, two-run double by Zack Smith in Game 2.

Smith's fifth-inning heroics turned a 7-6 Rocky lead into an 8-7 Rocks' deficit and capped Alleman's comeback from a five-run second frame by the hosts.

The Rocks failed to hold leads of 5-2, 6-4 and 7-6 as the Pioneers outhit Rocky 13-9 in the nightcap. Incredibly, Alleman still won despite stranding 12 runners.

Ty Schmidt went 4-for-4 with three RBIs after sitting out the first game for Alleman.

One of Schmidt's hits was a two-out, two-run double to spot the Pioneers a 2-0 lead. Another was an RBI single for insurance in the sixth, following a similar knock by Adam Pagett (2-for-4, RBI).

Tommy Lenger (2-for-5, RBI double) and Justin Wykle (2-for-2, two RBIs) also had two hits in the second game. Wykle and Andrew Stontz were the others delivering run-scoring hits with two down.

``We figured we couldn't afford a split, not if we wanted a shot at the conference title, so our comeback was huge,'' Wykle said after a 5-for-6 performance in the sweep with two doubles, a homer and five RBIs.

``After the first game got away from them, you could tell they really wanted that second game. But we wanted it just as bad. It's been a long time since Alleman's won the conference title, so it's real important to all of us to get the job done.''

Pagett (2-for-4, 2 RBIs), Dylan Cross (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) and Chris Morlok (4-for-4, a double) joined Wykle in registering two or more hits in Alleman's 15-hit assault in the opener.

The Pioneers scored six runs on seven hits in their first at-bat and were aided by six Rocky miscues in cruising to a victory shortened to five innings by the 10-run rule.

John Brozovich (4-3) and Lenger (4-3) were the benefactors of the big day. Brozovich scattered four hits in a complete-game victory in Game 1, and Lenger managed his win despite surrendering seven runs in Game 2.

Jordan Rangel relieved Lenger for two innings to register his sixth save.

The Pioneers have won 16 of 18 since a five-game losing streak punctuated a 3-6 start.

The Rocks were again without staff ace Clayton George. The Division I-bound pitcher is suffering from tendinitis in his pitching shoulder and has missed three Big 6 starts.

``That had nothing to do with us losing,'' Campbell said. ``Sometimes you have to adjust and adapt in this game. So, it's not an excuse. That had no effect on our mindset.''

Steve Mumma had three of Rocky's 13 hits, going 3-for-4 in Game 2. Jake Meisenbach also was 2-for-3 with an RBI double in the nightcap.

Jake Vroman (2-for-6, RBI, two doubles) also had two hits in the twinbill.

Vroman, Grant Snyder (RBI double) and Nick Carmack (two-run single) had two-out hits in Rocky's big second frame in Game 2. Jim Wignall added an RBI double in Game 1 for one of the twinbill's 12 extra-base hits.

Copyright 2002, Moline Dispatch Publishing Co.