On Thursday evening, the Streaks moved their record to 15-2 with a 12-8 victory over the host Richwoods Knights. The win was not easy however as Galesburg battled back from an 8-0 deficit.
Maybe it was the bus ride, or the chilly temperatures, but the Streaks were cold early to start the game. Richwoods used a couple of well placed "ground balls with eyes" to rack up 6 runs on starter Chris Fields in the first inning. Another two runs were tacked on in the second on a two run shot by the Knight's three hitter. The Galesburg bats weren't any better as the Richwoods starter carried a perfect game into the fourth.
The second time through the order proved to be much different though for us. Galesburg began to chip away at the lead in the fourth and scored in every inning after. There were many big hits tonight including home runs by Andrew Steck and Nick Milligan, but the biggest blow came off the bat of Dalton Davis. With two outs, and runners on first and second, Dalton hit a double down the left field line in the sixth that put Galesburg ahead for good. He had a great game tonight offensively with two doubles and a bunt hit sprinkled in for good measure.
I was most impressed with two things. First, Chris Fields was given a chance to continue to work and found his groove after the second. It is not often a starter gives up 8 runs in the first two innings and still gets the win. He showed poise and maturity by settling down and slamming the door for the rest of his outing which lasted 6 innings. Coltan Crain finished the game in the seventh. Secondly, I was equally impressed with our composure offensively. How many games does one see and 8 run lead erased? I certainly have not seen too many. Tonight showed what type of team we can be. Many of our guys picked up their teammates by following a strike out with a big hit. They stayed in the game and showed why they are in consideration as a ranked team in the state of Illinois. We haven't been down by more than two runs all year...and for us to respond like this to a situation that is unfamiliar is a great sign.
We play again tomorrow (weather permitting) at home against Morton at 1:00. I know the team is looking forward to Saturday, and rightly so. But, we need to stay focused tomorrow and continue our momentum. Come out and watch. Coach Gonzalez said it before and I echo that "Right now, we are the best show in town"...the fans at Richwoods tonight can attest to that. Come out and support your 15-2 Streaks!
