Feeding off each other

Aurora Christian third baseman Andru Ubert misses a throw as Somonauk's Brock Kartheiser slides safely into the bag.

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GENEVA -- Somonauk ace pitcher Scott Powers sacrificed an extra day of rest for the chance to take the hill at Elfstrom Stadium for the Bobcats Monday against Aurora Christian.

Powers admitted that he wasn't at his sharpest, but he still managed to go five innings and help the Bobcats to a 14-5 non-conference win. He struck out five, walked five and allowed three runs on three hits.

"Being out here, I was a little nervous," said Powers, who improved to 6-1 on the season. "I didn't have command very well. It was a totally different feeling. I felt like I was pitching in the World Series. It was great. This motivates me more to try to get to a place like this."

With the way the Bobcats (13-3 overall) were hitting the ball, Powers could concentrate on throwing strikes. They plated four runs in the first inning to set the tone.

Shayne Peterson led off with a single and scored on Brock Kartheiser's double off the warning track in left. Josh Rivera singled him in and scored on Sal Peritore's double.

"We stress scoring runs early to take the pressure off the pitcher and hitters," Somonauk coach Bob Honkala said. "That four-spot in the first inning got us into a cruise control mode."

But Aurora Christian (4-6) did not fold. Each team scored a run in the second, but the Eagles scored two in the top of the third to cut the lead to 5-3. A Michael Friend fielder's choice plated Tony Romero with the first run and Matt Morse got credit for stealing home after Friend was caught up in a rundown.

The Bobcats did what they did the entire game in the bottom of the inning, however. Every time the Eagles managed to score runs, Somonauk answered in the bottom half.

The two that pushed the lead to 7-3 were especially maddening for Aurora Christian coach Andy Zorger as David Baumann and Powers scored from first and second, respectively, on a wild pitch that Friend had trouble locating behind the plate.

"We had some mental errors and physical errors that hurt us," Zorger said. "It was 5-3 at one point. We needed to put a zero up on D and we just couldn't get it done. You've got to give credit to them. They played well. They're a pretty good team."

The win continued the roll that the Bobcats have been on the past couple of weeks. It was their sixth win in a row, a streak that has seen the team allow only six total runs, including the five allowed Monday.

"We were hoping as the weather started to warm that we would start stringing things together, and that's what has happened," Honkala said. "It's just one of those things where when you're hot, you just want to keep playing ballgames. It's really a group of guys that feed off each other."

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Somonauk 14, Aurora Christian 5