Homewood-Flossmoor senior Charlie Faoro says he felt ready for baseball season in part because he got in extra workouts by returning to soccer in the fall.
Faoro had not played soccer in two years but came back and led the Vikings in scoring.
“Soccer keeps me in shape,” he said. “I don’t like running, but when you play soccer, it’s manageable. It’s more fun when you’re running around kicking a ball than when you’re just running sprints or on a treadmill or anything.”
Baseball is Faoro’s main sport, though, and the infielder/pitcher showed what he can do with his bat and his arm Tuesday.
Faoro, a Christian Brothers recruit, hit a two-run triple and threw three scoreless innings in relief to earn the save as the Vikings edged Lincoln-Way Central 7-6 in a SouthWest Suburban crossover at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet.
On the mound, Faoro allowed just one hit and struck out three.
“I just trust my stuff,” he said. “I know I can beat them with the pitches I have, and if I execute well enough, I know my stuff is good enough to get them out.”
Jaden Jackson hit a three-run home run for the Vikings (6-3), while Shane Jones was 2-for-4 with an RBI single.
Collin Mowry, Jack Novak and Nicholas Signorelli each had two RBIs for Lincoln-Way Central (2-1).
Both offenses had their way in the first half of the game, but Faoro was able to shut the Knights down.
“Charlie is a senior, a leader of our team,” H-F coach John McCarthy said. “He’s been in that situation before, and he’s got a lot confidence in those situations. He did a good job attacking the zone.”
The Knights’ Landon Mensik, meanwhile, was stellar in relief, too, throwing three perfect innings and striking out five. He also reached base four times and scored twice.
Lincoln-Way Central held a 3-0 lead after two innings behind a two-run double by Signorelli and an RBI single by Mowry.
The Vikings, though, responded with five runs in the third, all coming after there were two outs with nobody on base.
Faoro ripped a two-run triple off the left field wall.
“I didn’t start off too well at the beginning of the season, and then I kind of just started thinking more simply at the plate,” he said. “I was not overthinking, just think fastball, and if I get it, hammer it. That’s exactly what I did.”
Jackson then one-upped Faoro by clearing the left field wall with his home run. Jones had been intentionally walked before Jackson came to the plate.
“They walked the guy in front of me to get me, so I took that as disrespect, of course,” Jackson said. “The first fastball I got, I hopped on it and took it over the fence.”
It was the second homer of the season for Jackson, who said it was his first in a minor league park.
“That’s a feeling that I’ll never forget,” he said. “My brother was able to get the ball for me. I just wanted to cherish the moment running around the bases and embracing my teammates. I love those guys.”
Jones produced the game-winning single in the fifth to break a 6-6 tie.
Lincoln-Way Central coach Mitch Nowicki was pleased with the Knights’ fight.
“I liked our bounce-back,” Nowicki said. “We hopped on them early, and then they hit us with that big inning, and we fought back.
“We’re really young. We’re inexperienced. So to be in this situation in our third game of the year was an awesome opportunity to learn. It was a lot of fun.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.