Failure isn’t something Neuqua Valley has had to deal with much the last two seasons in baseball, evidenced by a pair of long unbeaten streaks.
But when times have appeared to be tough, senior shortstop Ryan Wheeler hasn’t been afraid to offer a spark.
Once again the catalyst from the leadoff spot, Wheeler had three hits Tuesday to pace the Wildcats to a 3-2 DuPage Valley victory over Waubonsie Valley.
“I try to get the energy up when we’re down, and I just think we have to keep that going,” he said. “Keep the energy up and hopefully get a run going into the playoffs.”
After leading off the game last Wednesday with a triple before weather intervened, Wheeler added a solo homer and a RBI double for the Wildcats (23-1, 17-1).
And coming off the team’s first loss of the season — a 4-3 decision Monday against Wheaton North — it couldn’t have come at a better time.
“It was important to come out and just get a win,” said Wheeler, who’s hitting .459 and has scored 37 runs. “Get back on track. Going on from here, we have to keep up the good work.”
Junior left-hander Kyle Pettingill (2-0) went five-plus innings for visiting Neuqua. Outside of a trouble spot in the third, he was solid.
Behind his curveball and change-up, Pettingill scattered three hits while striking out four and walking three.
The Warriors (5-20, 4-14) scored both of their runs in the third inning, courtesy of a walk and hit batsman with the bases loaded.
But Pettingill knew what his job was for a team that has won 58 of 62 games dating back to 2017.
“We had to switch around this losing streak of one, which isn’t that big of a deal,” he said. “But just because we’re a (top seed) in the (Class 4A Hinsdale South Sectional), I want to keep it that way.
“The (top) seed doesn’t lose, and I wanted to stop that losing streak as soon as possible.”
Matt Bauer kept Waubonsie in the game by limiting the damage quickly.
The senior lefty followed Wheeler’s homer in the third and double in the fifth by retiring the next three batters both times.
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In his first start of the season, Bauer (0-1) gave up three runs on six hits and struck out three in six innings.
“It’s probably the best performance we’ve seen out of him this year,” Waubonsie Valley assistant coach Ryne Gill said of Bauer. “We know what he’s capable of.
“So it was nice to see him go out there and execute his game plan and everything.”
Blake Baumgartner is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.