By Ed Muniz-Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
** Additional Photos are Available for purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p238162756 **
Potential …. abilities, skills or qualities that may be developed and lead to future success.
Watching the Illinois-Lisle Wolves 12U team, that word easily comes to mind.
From the onset of that 2023 fall tryout, Coach Brandin Muniz and Coach Grant Johnson saw and felt the players chosen were exhibiting a high level of potential.
After dispatching the Glen Ellyn Rebels 10-0 in 3.5 innings in WSBL play on April 11 in Lisle and the previous evening gutting the Carol Stream Cougars 17-0, also in 3 innings, Potential could quickly turn into Bona Fide!
After a lighting calamity snuffed their first WSBL game two days prior, the Wolves played host to the visiting Glen Ellyn Rebels Black in another league game.
As host, the Wolves quickly turned into unwelcoming proprietors, bashing out 12-hits in three innings including four doubles and plating 10 runs, nine of which came in the third inning.
Stellar pitching and solid defense prevented the Rebels from scoring a single run.
On the mound, starting pitcher Michael Petrbok started the game with a called strike out and ended his three-inning stint with the same. He allowed no hits and gave up just two walks in the ten batters he faced.
The lefty pitcher showed good movement and showed his ability to finish when a runner was in scoring position.
“I try to hit my pitches, hit the zone and put the ball where my catcher wants it,” said the lefty hurler.
“I thought I worked out good, I was finishing my throws and hitting the targets. I think I could have done better still. I should have finished down by my right leg more.”
Petrbok also spoke of his double in his second at-bat.
“I was a little bit nervous because first I struck out and I wanted to get my revenge on the pitcher, so I got my pitch and I hit it.”
Petrbok’s double scored two runs in that third inning hit parade.
The game started off with neither team doing much in their first inning. Petrbok and his Wolves teammates allowed just three batters in each of the first two innings, highlighted by a pick-off at third.
Catcher Tyler Sokolnicki saw the Rebel runner at third wander too far and rifled a throw to third baseman Quinn Robinson to eliminate the scoring threat.
The second inning saw the Wolves open the scoring when Robinson’s single eventually scored after reaching third on two Rebel miscues. From there, he scored on a Christian Slazak ground out.
The Wolves did add two more hits in the inning. Nico Villanueva ripped a double to left-center followed by a Johnny Burke single, but both were left stranded.
Petrbok walked the first batter to start the third. Next, a bunt attempt was pounced on by Sokolnicki who threw to first baseman Slazak for the first out. A groundout to Gavin Smith at second was then followed by a caught-looking strike out for the third out, keeping the Rebels scoreless.
In the Wolves half of the third, an explosion of hits and runs put the game in hand.
Started by a single to left by Auggie Ruffolo, the Wolves would go on to send 14 batters to the plate, scoring 9 runs on 8 hits.
A walk to Smith followed Ruffolo, Griff Sinkovich loaded the bases with his single then Eamon Muldoon singled, driving in the first run of the inning.
Petrbok then took his revenge on the opposing pitcher with a double to left-center that drove in two more Wolves runs.
The hits and runs kept coming for the Wolves.
Graham Johnson next smashed a double to clear the bases adding two more runs, plating Muldoon and Petrbok.
Robinson coaxed a walk and was next followed by the third double of the inning by Slazak that again scored two more when both Johnson and Robinson scored on the liner down the left-field line.
After a strikeout, Nico Villanueva lined a single to left. A sacrifice fly by Johnny Burke saw Slazak score the eighth run of the inning.
Villanueva concluded the scoring when he crossed the plate on a single by Brian Grogan.
Since day one, Brian Grogan has taken a leadership role among the players. A natural vocal leader on and off the field, the outfielder has shown the tendencies of a Captain.
“Our communication and how we rally is what we do well on this team, I communicate well with all of them especially our other outfielders.” said Grogan.
When asked what the team needs to do better, he said, “We need to start off better, instead of just one run, then next inning scoring 8-9 runs, just start better.”
Grogan added he feels he’s hitting pretty good but “I need to find the gaps now.”
With a Wolves 10-0 lead, to continue the game, the Rebels would have to score a run according to league rules. With Villanueva on the mound, that became an impossible task.
Villanueva’s arsenal consists of a speedy fastball and a curve that breaks at the right time. His ability to throw his pitches in the strike-zone made short work of the Rebels, finishing the game with three strikeouts, all looking.
“Today I was accurate pitching and kept the ball in the strike zone. But I want to improve a little bit more on my accuracy on the mound,” said the pitching Ace.
“This team is really good and fun. I also like how we have great communication, and the friendships are also strong. We have a lot of talent on this team.”
In back-to-back games, the Wolves scored 27 runs and allowed none.
The Potential is there, what the Illinois-Lisle Wolves decided to do with it, we will see as the season moves forward.