Lockport Pitching Shines in Combined One-Hitter to Secure 5-3 Victory Over Lincoln-Way Central

Despite committing five defensive errors that led to three unearned runs, the Lockport varsity baseball team relied on a dominant combined one-hitter and a timely offensive surge to defeat Lincoln-Way Central 5-3 in Tuesday’s home conference matchup.

The game opened as a chaotic back-and-forth affair. Lincoln-Way Central capitalized on Lockport’s uncharacteristic fielding struggles right out of the gate, scratching across two runs in the top of the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Lockport quickly answered in the bottom half of the frame, plating two runs of their own to tie the game at 2-2 against Knights starting pitcher Owen Novak.

Central regained a 3-2 advantage in the third inning, once again manufacturing a run by utilizing patience at the plate and taking advantage of Lockport’s defensive miscues. Sophomore C. Lovingfoss recorded the lone hit of the afternoon for the Knights, while senior Conor McCabe contributed on the basepaths with a stolen base.

However, Lockport’s offense—which tallied 10 hits on the day—finally broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth. The home team erupted for three runs to take the lead for good, highlighted by a home run from Nick Moerman, who scored twice in the contest. Adam Kozak, Connor Ryan, and Jack Schiek each delivered two-hit performances to pace the aggressive Lockport attack and build a 5-3 advantage.

Armed with the lead, Lockport’s pitching staff firmly shut the door. Starter Austin Winge earned the win, tossing five innings and allowing just one hit and three unearned runs. He effectively neutralized the Knights’ lineup by striking out eight batters. Relievers Tommy Miller and Declan Andler pitched the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, striking out two more and holding Central hitless the rest of the way to seal the victory.

For Lincoln-Way Central, Novak took the loss after battling through four innings, yielding five runs (three earned) on nine hits. Senior Nolan Bartkus provided excellent relief for the Knights, throwing two scoreless innings and striking out a pair of batters to keep his team within striking distance, though the offense could not muster a late rally.

Game Summary

Score by Innings

Scoring Drives

• 1st Inning: Lincoln-Way Central takes advantage of defensive errors to score two runs; Lockport responds with two runs in the bottom half to tie the game.

• 3rd Inning: Lincoln-Way Central pushes across an unearned run to take a 3-2 lead.

• 4th Inning: Lockport mounts a three-run rally, punctuated by a Nick Moerman home run, to establish a 5-3 advantage.

Individual Statistics

• LINCOLN-WAY CENTRAL BATTING: C. Lovingfoss (So) (1-2); Tyler Arnold (Jr) (1 R, 1 BB); Luke Tingley (Sr) (1 R, 1 BB); Conor McCabe (Sr) (1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB); Austin Welch (Sr) (1 BB).

• LINCOLN-WAY CENTRAL PITCHING: Owen Novak (Sr) (4.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K); Nolan Bartkus (Sr) (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K).

• LOCKPORT BATTING: Nick Moerman (1-3, 2 R, 1 HR); Adam Kozak (2-4, 1 R); Connor Ryan (2-3, 1 R); Jack Schiek (2-3, 1 SB); Drew Satunas (1-4); Zack Skrzypiec (1-2); Brendan Mecher (1-3).

• LOCKPORT PITCHING: Austin Winge (5.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 K); Tommy Miller (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K); Declan Andler (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K).

• LOCKPORT FIELDING: Team Totals (5 Errors).