Baseball

Merrillville, Ind. — August 13, 2020 — For the fourth time in six games, the Joliet Generals find themselves in the win column, this time against the Crestwood Panthers in an extra-inning 5-4 victory at Andrean High School in Merrillville, Ind.

 

Joliet (8-24) once again received solid starting pitching. Noah Mathias (Roosevelt / LaPorte, Ind.) gave the Generals five innings, striking out six and allowing one earned run. Seth Quick (Triton College / Lombard, Ill.) gave up two runs in three relief innings and earned the victory. Oscar Trevino (St. Xavier / Lowell, Ind.) was credited with the loss for Crestwood.

 

"We just played the same baseball we have been playing for the past two weeks," manager Matt Vitulli said. "Today, we definitely had to bear down and grind it out. That was critical to see our pitchers bear down mentally. We got the job done at the plate and on the mound."

 

The Generals scored twice in the first and once in the second to take an early 3-1 lead. The Panthers were able to tie the game at three in the bottom of the sixth inning. In the first extra-inning, center fielder Bryant Diel (Northwestern Ohio / South Elgin, Ill.) played hero.

 

Diel smacked a hanging curveball over the left-field wall for a two-run home run, putting Joliet up 5-3 and bringing second baseman Daniel Gutierrez (Chicago State / Chicago Heights, Ill.) home with him. Crestwood could only score once in the bottom of the inning as Quick closed out the 5-4 victory.

 

Over the past week, Joliet has doubled its win total from four wins to eight. Vitulli gave all the credit to his players for showing up and playing well down the stretch.

 

"These guys could have easily given up given their record," Vitulli said. "They come out here and compete no matter what. It is good to see."

 

With Thursday's win, the Generals have now defeated each of its five league rivals at least once in 2020

 

The Joliet Generals will travel to Aurora, Ill. for the season finale against the DuPage County Hounds at Aurora Central Catholic High School on Friday night for a 5 p.m. start. Tom Gorski and Alex Coil will have the call on the Joliet Generals Broadcasting Network on the Joliet Generals Facebook page.