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ThfTmm.ii\i‘iiWednesday, May 9, 2001 • Page D1r-'W, n, lt;• * v» p- lt;•» - »fMNMMNISWC BASEBALL*#*•Edwardsville, West lead conferencestandings by a gameBy GREG SHASHACKAssistant sports editorEDWARDSVILLE — Two of the signs adorning the outfield wall at the Sports Complex tout Edwardsville baseball victory streaks of 64 and 49 games.Neither of those winning streaks — the two longest in state history — were expecting company from the run the Tigers took into Tuesday’s date with Alton But the Redbirds still were able to take much satisfaction in halting Edwardsville’s 15-game win streak with a 5-4 Southwestern Conference triumph.“It’s a big confidence boost for our team,” said senior first baseman Pat Gibson, whose two-out RBI single broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning. We played as a team today.”Edwardsville, which had not lost since falling to Alton 4-3 on April 13 at Hopkins Field, drops to 22-4 and 9-3 in the SWC. Alton improves to 19-8 and 8-4 in the conference.With two games left in SWC play, Edwardsville and Bel’^ville West, a 5-2 winnerover Collinsville on Tuesday, are tied for firstwith Alton one game off the pace. The Tigers play at West on Thursday.For Alton coach Michael Bellm, in his eighth season with the Redbirds, it was his first-ever victory over Edwardsville at the Sports Complex. -That’s a big step right there, Bellm said after a victory preserved when catcher Zach Wooley gunned out Todd Spitzj attempting to steal second base for the game’s final out.After Edwardsville took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, Alton played small-ball to trigger the Tigers’ self-destruction in the third. Consecutive Tiger errors on a groundball and sacrifice bunt put runners on first and second with nobody out. Then Thomas Richards’ bunt was ruled a single to load the bases.An Edwardsville throwing error on a double-play ball off the bat of Gibson plated two runs before Stephen Nash doubled with one out to score two more runs to extend the Redbirds’ lead to 4-1“We gave them six outs in one inning and theygot four runners on base in a row without hitting the ball out of the infield, Edwardsville coach Tim Funkhouser. “When you do that, you’re not going to win many ballgames. We didn’t execute on the defensive end and that was the big difference in the ballgame.”Edwardsville came into the game having committed just 20 errors in 25 games. The Tigers committed four errors Tuesday and all five of Alton’s runs off sophomore left-hander Nathan Culp were unearned.“We take a lot of pride in our defense and fora breakdown like to happen . . . we’ll just have to continued to work on it, Funkhouser said. “If a team can bunt on you and you can’t get an out, you’re in trouble.We did a good job of putting out bunts where we wanted to and put a little pressure on them, Bellm said. “We were just lucky to come out ofThe Telegraph/JIM BOWLINGEdwardsville’s Todd Spitze, left, walks off the field after being caught stealing to end the game on a tag by Altqn’s Jeremy Bond, center, Tuesday.Alton secret agent Bond fuels Redbird attackBy STEVE PORTERAssistant sports editorALTONThe name’s Bond,UJeremy Bond. Batting is his game and he likes his hits to shake and stir things.But it doesn’t take a secret agent to realize Bond’s hitting is one of the reasons the Alton High baseball team is enjoying a successful season. The Redbirds are 19-8 following their 5-4 win Tuesday at Edwardsville.It all starts at the top forSee SWC, Page D4 Alton and Bond, a junior left-handed swinging second baseman, is the player who ignitesthe Redbirds. He’s the guy with the golden bat.“I like to get on base any way I can,” Bond said.No. 17, not be to be confused with 007 has found his way to first, second and third base, time and time again this season Bond is the prototype top of the order batter, AHS head coach Michael Bellm said.“He’s everything you want in leadoff hitter,” added Bellm, the Redbirds eighth-year head coach. “He has a high percentage of getting on base and he’snot afraid to work deep in thecount against opposing pitchers.“He also has good instincts and good speed. And Jeremy is smart,” Bellm noted “He will take what other pitchers give him.The statistics back Bellm.Bond was hitting :433 through the Redbirds first 26 games (18-8 record) and he had an on-base percentage of .519. Of his 39 hits, 11 were for extra base. Bond also had 18 RBIs and 27 stolen bases, putting him within two of the school record. Dustin Cowan swiped 29 bases five years ago.“I take pride in stealing bases,” Bond said. “But I didn’t expect to steal as many bases as I have this season.”Last year, Bond stole 16 bases and batted .413 as a sophomore. He went on to hit .434 the past summer for the Alton American Legion Post 126 baseball team “I worked on my hitting two hours a night and three nights a week down at the old Pepsi plant,” Bond said “Dennis Sharp, Pat McGinnis and ButchChapman (of Post 126) reallySee BOND, Page D4
Newspaper Details
Alton Telegraph
Alton, Illinois, US
Wed, May 09, 2001
Page 31
Full Page
Clipped by
Hayner P.
IL, USA 13 May 2022
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