Lincoln-Way Central pitcher Ryan Kraft gutted out four innings without his best stuff and wiggled out of a few jams.
The Indiana-bound senior left-hander also reached base four times. He had three hits, scored a run and drove in a run.
But what had the crowd in New Lenox cheering the loudest Wednesday — and made his teammates hoot and holler as well — were a pair of catches in right field to twice rob Lockport’s Ryan Moerman of potential extra-base hits.
That helped make a difference for the Knights in an 8-4 SouthWest Suburban Conference crossover victory over the Porters.
Kraft, who normally plays first base when he’s not pitching, was tested right away when Moerman hit a pitch to deep right to open the fifth inning.
But Kraft worked hard to make a diving catch as Lincoln-Way Central (6-2-1) maintained the momentum.
“I didn’t get a good read on it because of the sun,” Kraft said. “With the wind blowing right in, I went back first and the wind carried toward the line. I ran as fast as I could, went to the ball and made a play on it.”
In the seventh inning, Moerman tested Kraft again.
“The ball was hit pretty high and the wind kept carrying toward the line, and I ran as fast as I could,” Kraft said. “Whatever helps the team is what’s best.”
“That was pretty impressive,” Lincoln-Way Central coach Mitch Nowicki said. “He made a diving play and a play over the top. It’s impressive to see him come out all tired, and all of a sudden, be put in the game and get right back into things.”
Lockport coach Andy Satunas had high hopes for both drives while watching from the third base box.
“We’re always hoping they drop,” he said. “We also know that guy is a two-way player going to Indiana and he’s talented. You have to tip your cap to Ryan Kraft.
“That’s the player of the game between his pitching, hitting and making those two outstanding plays out there. What a player.”
Two days before, Kraft finished a triple shy of the cycle in a 12-1 victory over Bolingbrook.
Joe Barrett, the Knights’ No. 8 hitter, had a two-run single in a six-run first inning Wednesday as the Knights sent 11 batters to the plate.
“We’re trouble,” Barrett said of the offense. “You have to pitch to the whole lineup. You can’t take it easy. Every single batter will give you a good at-bat.”
Liam Rossi added two hits and freshman catcher Collin Mowry was hitless but had two RBIs with a sacrifice fly and a groundout. Turner Doran scored three times and Matt Maloney gave up one run in three innings of relief.
Lockport (7-4) suffered a setback when starting pitcher Joe Seiber faced just four batters before leaving the game with an injury.
The Porters’ future military men combined for five of the team’s eight hits.
Junior Victor Izquierdo, who plans on playing for Navy, was 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs. Connor Christian, a senior who is waiting to hear if he has been accepted into the Air Force, added two hits and an RBI for Lockport.
“Connor knows how to fly a plane — he’s got hours up there,” Satunas said. “And I’ve given Victor a hard time saying, ‘They’re going to stick you on a submarine.’ He said, ‘Absolutely not, coach.’
“He said he wants to be a Navy SEAL. I told him, ‘I want to you have my back.”’
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.