Neuqua loses leadoff hitter to injury in league win
Neuqua Valley's second straight five-inning win over Elgin on Tuesday came with a price.
After beating the Maroons 11-1 in Naperville, Neuqua junior center fielder Jordan Williamson planned on getting an X-ray.
Elgin pitcher Isaac Serna hit the Wildcats leadoff hitter in the hand during the second inning, eventually forcing him out of the game.
Williamson walked and stole a base in his first at-bat after the injury but then gave way to pinch-hitter Chris Shonkwiler as the swelling increased.
"We may have lost Jordan for the year," Neuqua coach Robin Renner said. "It's huge, yeah."
A broken bone could take about a month to heal. Even if Williamson did return by that time, he may not be game ready for the playoffs.
In that case, Renner plans on moving hot-hitting junior Ian Krol to center field in place of Williamson and senior reserve Bryan Berryman to first where Krol plays when he's not starting on the mound.
Offensively, senior Chris Kruppe would move from the second spot in the order to leadoff. Krol would move from seventh to second, and Berryman's left-handed bat would fall into Krol's old spot.
"You saw what he did today," Renner said of Krol's hitting. "He's been doing that since he's been back."
Krol drove in Neuqua's only run in the third with a fly ball off the right-center field wall. But it was seniors Travis Weldon and Geoff Rowan who had bigger days for the Wildcats (12-3, 8-1 Upstate Eight Conference).
Weldon singled, doubled and homered home a career-high six RBIs. Rowan gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead with a homer to straightaway center field in the first.
"I'm basically trying to stay opposite field," Weldon said. "I'm not trying to put any out or nothing like that. I'm trying to stay down on the ball and hit the ball hard."
Brian McNabb and Kruppe also had two hits off Serna, while junior Craig Provow limited the Maroons (3-8, 3-7) to only two hits.
Dan Schmerber doubled and scored off Provow in the second, and Ben Hamblen singled in the fourth.
"We hit some balls hard," Elgin coach Dave Foerster said, "but their defense didn't give us any extra outs."
