T.F. South senior Caden Podgorski has never received the chance to fully explore what he can do as a pitcher.
Last season, Podgorski started on the mound just once as he focused on playing shortstop and hitting in the middle of the lineup.
“It’s kind of always been the same situation over the years where I’m in the infield and there’s no one else to take my spot,” Podgorski said. “I’ve pitched before, but never really consistently.”
This year, coach Matt Tiffy told Podgorski he would be counted on to pitch regularly. And Podgorski was ready.
“I was excited,” Podgorski said. “I’m happy to get on the mound and help my team out any way I can.”
Podgorski earned his first win of the season Monday, holding host Evergreen Park to two runs over five innings as T.F. South picked up a 7-2 victory in a South Suburban Conference crossover.
“This year, we needed to go to him,” Tiffy said of Podgorski. “We needed to get him back in the rotation. He’s a gamer. He wants to be out there.
“He’s a guy who just wants the ball. You can’t teach that.”
Sophomore outfielder Tyler Earmsmuth led the offense for T.F. South (4-4, 1-0 SSC Blue), going 4-for-4 with a double, three singles and an RBI. Jayden Armstrong went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Jack Hughes was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for Evergreen Park (5-4, 0-2 SSC Red), while Alejandro Munoz drove in the Mustangs’ other run on a single.
Podgorski, a South Suburban College recruit, allowed single runs in the first and second innings but escaped jams both times with multiple runners on base.
He followed that with three scoreless innings.
“After that second inning, I felt great being able to get out of it and limit the damage to one,” Podgorski said. “The key for me is definitely first-pitch strike, getting leads in counts and not falling behind.
“The problem for me in the past has been throwing too many pitches, getting in too many 3-2 counts.”
Podgorski allowed five hits, struck out four and walked four.
“He did a really nice job of getting ahead of hitters, keeping them off balance,” Tiffy said. “He did a nice job of mixing up his pitches and getting outs when we needed them.”
T.F. South’s offense, meanwhile, was led by the bottom of the order, especially No. 8 hitter Earmsmuth.
Earmsmuth, who entered just 3-for-19 on the season, singled in both the second and third innings — driving in a run during the third — and later doubled and scored in the fifth.
Earmsmuth said the beginning of the season has been a challenge, especially during last week’s trip to the Cal Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where T.F. South went 1-2.
“With the older kids on the team and playing against older kids, it was hard at the start,” Earmsmuth said. “In Myrtle Beach, we were going against good pitching and it was rough.
“Coach told me to have confidence and believe in myself, and I feel like I showed that out there (Monday).”
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Grady Elwood was strong in relief for Evergreen Park, allowing just one run on two hits over the final four innings.
Podgorski, Jayden Clark, Ethan Modjeski and Dylan Modjeski each had an RBI for T.F. South.
“We saw some really good pitching in Myrtle Beach and we had a lot of guys who were tight,” Tiffy said. “To come back from that and be like, ‘OK, let’s come back with a plan and hit the baseball,’ was good to see.
“Tyler (Earmsmuth) went after it all day.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.