SUGAR GROVE – There were plenty of goose eggs on both the scoreboard and players after the first two innings of Saturday’s Class 1A Aurora Christian Regional Championship Game between the host school and Hiawatha.
Neither team scored in the first two frames and three players got hit by baseballs.
The zeroes continued for Hiawatha as Aurora right hander Jake Kuntzendorf no-hit the Hawks for a 10-0, 5-inining win and the regional crown.
Kuntzendorf, a sophomore, struck out 11, walked two and hit a batter in the contest played at Waubonsee Community College.
“He was the best pitcher we have seen all year. He’s one of the faster ones and he had great control. We couldn’t adjust to the speed,” said Hiawatha coach Nathan Hoffman. “And they put the ball in play and put it where we weren’t.”
“I think my fast ball and getting ahead of the hitters were working pretty well for me,” Kuntzendorf said. “And my catcher can frame the ball, so he gave me a lot of strike calls.”
After striking out the first two batter he faced in the top of first inning, Kuntzendorf hit Hiawatha starting pitcher Ethan Hoffman in the wrist. The home plate umpire first ruled the pitch a foul ball but awarded the junior right hander first base after an appeal was made to the base umpire.
Hawk first baseman Jacob Edwards sat out the bottom of the first inning after being struck above the left eye during between inning warm ups as a thrown ball glanced off hit mitt and hit him.
Aurora lead off batter Eric Hernandez was also hit by a pitch in the Eagle’s half of the first.
Eagle batters found their groove in the third inning. Aurora sent 11 men to the plate with the first seven reaching base and scoring.
Designated hitter Evan Stoneberg opened the frame with a double to right. Hunter Thompson move him to third with a bunt single. Stoneberg scored the first run on a pass ball during Hernandez’ at bat.
Thompson ended the rally with a strike out during his second plate appearance in the frame and his team ahead, 8-0.
“We were a little bit amped up at the beginning and getting ahead of ourselves,” Aurora coach Andy Zorger said. “I think that Hunter’s big bunt kind of rattled them a little bit and calmed us down a little and then we started squaring some balls up.”
Aurora plated a ninth run in the fourth and scored the winning tally on Stoneberg’s second double of the game in the fifth.
Hoffman was the only Hawk to reach second base. He coaxed the first walk out of Kuntzendorf in the fourth inning and stole second.
Hiawatha junior Mitchell Manka also drew a walk in the fifth inning.
Nathan Hoffman was upbeat after the lopsided loss to 28-2 Aurora, which was seeded first in the Harvest Christian sub sectional.
“This was as great season for us. Last year we were 5-15 and this year we were 11-11,” said the coach. “One of our goals was to reach a regional championship and we accomplished that.”
By the Numbers: Ethan Hoffman, who pitched two and a third innings gave up 8 runs and took the loss. Ty Cullen came on in relieve.
Beyond the stats: Only two Hawk players put the ball in play. Manka popped out to second in the third inning and Austin Sunderlage grounded out to short in the fifth.
They said it: “That was probably a bad sign coming my way,” said Edwards on the ball that hit him between innings.
Up next: Aurora advances to the Harvest Christian Sectional in Elgin where the will play Elgin Academy on Wednesday.