When it comes to high leverage situations in a high school baseball game, it’s usually a good idea to turn to the most confident pitcher in the bullpen with the game on the line.
Zach Bachochin proved Monday that he can be that guy for Evanston.
The senior reliever earned just his second career save and prevented the Wildkits from blowing what was once an 11-0 lead, notching the last five outs of a 12-10 triumph over New Trier Monday at Duke Childs Field in Winnetka.
Bachochin and batterymate Ethan Carpenter combined for a dramatic strike-‘em-out-throw-‘em-out double play to end the game as the Wildkits broke through for their first conference victory of the season.
Monday’s game between the two rivals was originally scheduled for ETHS but was moved because of wet grounds. The last two games of the Central Suburban League South division series will be played Tuesday and Thursday at Evanston.
Evanston, now 9-8 overall and 1-3 in league play, jumped on the Trevians for 10 runs in the first inning but still required a finishing touch from Bachochin, who moved over from third base to the mound and got the last five outs for the Kits.
On a pitching staff where uncertainty still lingers as far as roles for starters or relievers, Bachochin could be emerging as the most reliable candidate for the job of closer. He’s one of the few ETHS hurlers who has thrown strikes on a consistent basis and his pitching Monday bailed out the first three Wildkit pitchers — Elliot Paul, Holden Bellis and Cole Felten — who helped New Trier climb back into what was once a lopsided affair by yielding a combined five walks and three hit batters.
Ironically, the senior righty was the loser in relief in one game against Deerfield last week — mostly due to ETHS errors — and hit a batter with a pitch with the bases loaded to account for the deciding run in another loss to the Warriors.
His confidence, however, has grown substantially after he earned the starting job midway through last season at third for Evanston’s 26-win squad.
And it’s carried over to the mound even though he still considers himself an infielder first — and a pitcher, second.
“Last year I was a defensive specialist (at third) but I’ve always had confidence in my arm as an infielder,” Bachochin said. “And my confidence grew because I played in (state) playoff games and knew I could compete. I have a good fastball, and this past summer I got a lot faster. I pitched for my (Top Tier) club team and usually I pitched one or two innings a weekend as a reliever.
“When New Trier scored some runs against us in the middle of the game, I got a little nervous. The key to our team this year is confidence and we haven’t had much of it at times during the year. But we know we can get it done, and now I know I can just shut people down when I go into a game.”
Bachochin didn’t exactly mow the Trevians, now 12-5-1 overall and 1-3 in the CSL South, down after entering the contest with one out in the sixth inning. But he and Carpenter both came through in the clutch just when the Wildkits needed them most.
New Trier sent the top of its batting order to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, hoping to snatch a victory after falling behind 11-0 in the second. Leadoff hitter Trey Meyers, who hit a grand slam home run in the second inning, started the rally by grounding a single up the middle against Bachochin.
The next batter, Zach Perchik, was credited with a fly ball single to left. Meyers then stole third base and the Trevians had the potential winning run at the plate with no outs.
But Bachochin reached back and retired C.J. Donnelly on a fly to left for the first out. Then, on a 2-2 count, he fired a fastball past cleanup hitter Jake Bentivenga and Carpenter gunned a throw to cut down Perchik attempting to swipe second to end the game.
Carpenter had been replaced midway through the game for defensive purposes and only re-entered the contest (according to high school rules) because his turn at-bat came up again in the top of the seventh for the visitors.
“It was fun to see those two guys come through in the clutch like that,” said ETHS assistant coach Joe Knudsen, who guided the team in place of head coach Frank Consiglio, absent due to a death in his family. “Ethan has a big arm and that move (to insert him back into the lineup) really worked well for us.
“Zach is a guy we trust. He was able to come in today and pound the strike zone. He’s so competitive and we know he will throw strikes and compete. He won’t get caught up in the big moments. He’s worked hard in the off-season — I’ve known him since he was 9 years old — and he’ll do anything it takes for his team to win.
“It’s been trial and error for us (with the pitching staff) to see who can handle the big moments, and Zach doesn’t get too excited, doesn’t speed himself up when he’s on the mound. With more time on the varsity level with these pitchers, we’ll see more success from them.”
New Trier, the defending conference champion, outhit the winners 13-6 but faltered badly on the mound under first year head coach Dusty Napoleon, who has replaced his Hall-of-Fame father Mike leading the program this spring.
The Trevians used six pitchers and none of them could find the strike zone on a consistent basis. Evanston benefited from 13 walks issued by the hosts, and a bases-clearing double by Avan Teuer and back-to-back home runs from Owen Vander Velde and Aaron Shalin highlighted the outburst in the first inning.
The Kits caught a break when center fielder Perchik got a glove on Clay Lemmon’s deep drive to left center with two runners aboard but dropped it with two outs in the first. After a walk to Tate Schroeder, Vander Velde hammered a drive off the scoreboard in left and Shalin followed with an even longer blast to left center off the second New Trier pitcher, Jackie Ryder.
Evanston tacked on an unearned run in the second when Vander Velde walked with the bases loaded, but didn’t score again until the sixth when Cole Vander Velde tripled to right and eventually crossed on a throwing error.
ETHS baseball: Bachochin, Kits hold on for first conference victory is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.