Ourada, Cook combine for 27 Ks in sweep
April 5, 2007 | By Bob Skolnik | SPORTS WRITER
Kasey Ourada was almost perfect Saturday.
The 6-foot-3 senior right-hander allowed a bloop single to Proviso West leadoff man Eloy Carillo and then struck out 13 of the next 15 batters as host Hinsdale Central won 17-0 in five innings.
Junior Garrett Cook then struck out 14 in six innings as the Red Devils won the second game 6-5 to complete the sweep to start West Suburban Conference Silver Division play.
Ourada faced only one batter over the minimum and only three made contact. The strikeout totals were career highs for both Ourada and Cook.
"I felt really good," said Ourada (2-0), who struck out 10 batters in row from the first inning until the leadoff hitter in the fifth grounded out weakly back to the mound. "I was kind of in a groove, and usually if I get in a groove, I'll stay there for a while. I was more proud of the way we hit today. My teammates came out there and were hitting well today. It's a lot easier to pitch when you've got some runs."
Ourada finished 8-1 with 2.73 earned-run average last season despite poor run support.
That wasn't a problem Saturday.
The Red Devils (3-2, 2-0 in Silver) scored their 17 runs in just four innings, pounding out 14 hits and taking advantage of seven Proviso West errors. The game was shortened to five innings because of the slaughter rule.
Hinsdale Central scored one run in the first, four runs in both the second and third innings and then erupted for eight more runs in the fourth.
Third baseman Jason McClain went 3 for 3, belting out two triples with four RBIs and three runs scored. Leadoff man Carl Madej reached base three times and scored three runs. Shortstop Billy Auriemma was 2 for 2 with a sacrifice fly and three RBIs.
The second game was more competitive, but Cook (1-1) was in control to earn his first varsity win. McClain pitched the seventh to earn his first save, stranded the tying and go-ahead runners on first and second base.
"It feels great," Cook said. "I was a little nervous. I'm always nervous at the beginning of games. Then I calm down and get in a groove. I've never gotten that many strikeouts. Actually, I wasn't trying to strike them out. I was just trying to get ground balls and get them out."
Cook allowed no earned runs on only three hits and one walk. But some shaky defense cost the Red Devils in the sixth as Proviso West took advantage of two hits, a walk and an error to score three runs.
Proviso West (1-5, 0-2) had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first in the nightcap when a two-out error led to an RBI double by Proviso West clean-up hitter Karik O'Brien.
But the Red Devils took control when they batted around and scored four runs in the third. The rally started after two outs on an infield single by Kris Leksas (3 for 4). Brock Piche walked and Jared White was hit by a pitch. Jack DiNardo drew a walk to force in a run. Brett Suchy delivered the big hit with a line-drive single up the middle to score two runs, and the final run came home on an error.
Hinsdale Central added two more runs in the fourth. Taylor Weil led off with a single. Matt Meyer followed with a single that moved pinch runner Auriemma to third. Meyer then stole second as Auriemma raced home on a double steal. Leksas then ripped an RBI double for a 6-1 lead.
McClain allowed one run on two hits and an error in the seventh as Proviso West put runners on first and second with two outs. McClain then got O'Brien to pop out to second baseman Piche to end the game.
Coach Tom Dorrance is happy with his team's progress.
"We're a young team," Dorrance said. "We've got a lot of inexperienced players. If we continue to work, I think towards the mid part of the season we'll be tough. We'll be the kind of team that not a lot of teams will want to go battle against."
(http://www.pioneerlocal.com/clarendonhills/sports/326732,ch-centralbaseball-040507-s1.article)
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