Photos by Renee Kaspar
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Palatine— Heading into the Casey Pohl Memorial Tournament Championship, the Illinois Wolves 13U to were looking to play better in their rematch with the Palatine Travelers Bulldogs.
In their previous game just a day before, the Wolves won but looked off against the Bulldogs pitching. They managed nine hits but struggled to cross the plate in the usualness seen most of the 2025 season.
This championship game saw a fast start catapult the Wolves to a 15-1 bashing of the Bulldogs and make the game a 3.5 inning assault.
The Wolves also took advantage of every opportunity given to them to pile on the runs.
The Wolves managed to score six runs, then three runs and then six more in their first three innings, scattering nine hits in the win. The struggles of yesterday were banished in that first inning where they sent 11-batters to the plate to open the game.
Wolves pitching also did their part. Lefty’ Michael Petrbok gave up five hits in his three innings, allowing just one earned run.
Christian Slazak polished off the Bulldogs in order, striking out the side in his relief appearance to close out the Championship for the Wolves.
“Coming into this tournament, we had just played a really competitive tournament with some fast pitching, this one we were able to ease into it,” said Fred Sackley. “I think after our first day, we got used to the slower pitching; today we were able to knock the ball around.”
Sackley was a big part of knocking the ball around, he led off the game with a triple. He also added a double in his next at-bat and walked in his final time up.
“I was kinda waiting back more, I started my leg kick a little later once I saw the pitcher releasing the ball.”
After the Sackley triple, the Wolves took advantage of the freebies they received. Four times, a Wolves batter reached base after being struck by a pitch in the first inning with Julien Duque adding an RBI without swinging the bat after being hit by a pitch.
Two of the four “hit by a pitch” along with a walk issued, ended up scoring.
Things were working well for the Wolves in their opening at-bats, even grounding out produced a run twice.
Hits by Slazak and Matthew Wiskowski each also drove in runs.
The Wolves scored six times in their fast start to go up 6-0, a total contrast to the first time the teams met where no one scored until the fourth inning of that game.
The Bulldogs did grab a double in their half of the first, but that runner was left stranded after Petrbok got two ground outs to second with a strike out in between to stay at 6-0 after an inning.
The Wolves added to their lead sending nine batters to the plate in inning two.
Brady Madden started with a single and would score one batter later on Sackley’s double.
Watching Madden, you’ll see he’s not the fleetest of players but can easily get the job done when needed. His toughest opponent lies within and he knows it.
“Sometimes I’m just really mad at myself for not hitting the ball when I know I could have,” said Brady. “Other times I’m very happy at the plate. I talk my way out of it when I miss an opportunity, I just say stuff to myself, getting hits when I’m batting always works. We just had to adjust. This tournament we saw a lot of slow pitching we hadn’t seen before.”
Sackley stole third and after a walk to Petrbok, Sackely scored on a Jackson Martin single. Petrbok managed to get to third base and scored on a sac-fly by Payton Swartzendruber, elevating the Wolves lead to 9-0 after an inning and a half.
An error started the Bulldogs second but that batter would be forced out at second on a grounder to Sackley who relayed to Griff Sinkovich for the force. After a strike out, Petrbok picked off the runner at first to end the top of the second inning.
“I thought I was hitting my spots, but I had a hard time getting my curveball over, Said Petrbok. “I tried that 45-degree angle move and it worked, I picked off the guy, he thought I was going home. I was getting mad in my last inning because they loaded the bases on bloop hits. I then got madder and wanted to just get out of the inning and I did with some help from the defense.”
The Bulldogs plated a run in their third inning when the bloop hits, as Petrbok called them, found openings over the infield. Defense did step in to assist.
A grounder to Sackley who threw home got the runner on the Auggie Ruffolo tag. A strike out and a grounder to Sinkovich retired the Bulldogs with just a solo run which scored on a walk by Petrbok.
Another six-spot was put on the board in inning three for the Wolves, increasing their lead to 15-1
The big shot of the inning was a ball hit to center field off the bat of Slazak. The Bulldog fielder kept chasing the ball struck in the perfect spot as Slazak kept chugging around the bases, not stopping until he completed the inside the park home run, scoring two more runs.
In the inning, six different Wolves scored on 3 hits by Slazak, Duque and Martin. Martin went 3 for 3 in the game and drove in three. Slazak also scored twice and drove in three runs also. Sackley was the only Wolves to score three times.
Slazak struck out the side in the Bulldogs last shot, giving the Illinois Wolves the 2025 Casey Pohl Memorial 13U Championship on May 18 .
