Connor Nelson has power to all fields. The Oak Park and River Forest High School senior first baseman hit a grand slam in the Huskies’ 12-6 win over Lyons Township on Monday.
With OPRF leading 2-0 courtesy of squeeze bunts from Hank Christie and Jeremy Gaines, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Nelson deposited a pitch from LTHS junior Matt Phillipp over the right field wall extending the Huskies’ advantage to 6-0.
“I was anxious my first at bat (strikeout) and it didn’t work out for me,” Nelson said. “I just put the bat on the ball when I hit the grand slam and let it travel.
He already has four home runs (mostly of the titanic shot variety) in 10 games this spring.
“Two of Connor’s four home runs he didn’t even square up,” OPRF coach Chris Ledbetter said. “He’s so strong. He also hit the furthest home run I’ve seen in 10 years at Willowbrook.
“I just love seeing this kid, who nobody knows about, hitting home runs to right field, center field and left field. It’s fun to watch.”
While Nelson is formidable enough in the batter’s box, the Huskies’ overall talent and depth was on full display against rival LTHS.
Evan Bell (3-for-3, 3 RBIs), Jeremy Gaines (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) Andrew Hennings (2-for-4, RBI) also caused problems for the Lions, who didn’t help their cause with multiple errors.
“Early in the year, we were a little bit inconsistent,” Bell said. “With the weather getting a little bit better now, I think the length of our lineup is really starting to show. The past couple of games we’ve been starting to hit the ball well.”
OPRF senior pitcher Jack McMullen earned the victory with solid relief work from Roy Iversen.
“I was a little too amped up at the start of the game,” McMullen said. “I left the ball up to the first two hitters and I can’t do that. Once I was able to get out of that first inning, I felt great in the second and third inning.
“I got a little bit out of my element at times, but I’m happy overall because I kept the ball down and had good command.”
Trailing 7-0 entering the top of the fourth inning, the Lions made things more interesting with a four-run, four-hit frame to draw within 7-4. Jon Miranda and Griffin Schultz each drove in a run with a double and Mike Courtney added a two-run single.
Bell hit a single scoring Nelson, extending the Huskies’ lead to 8-4 in the bottom of the fourth. LTHS responded with two runs in the fifth to make the score 8-6.
OPRF put the game away with four runs in the sixth as Gaines and Hennings each slapped an RBI single and Bell drove in two runs with a double.
Coupled with a doubleheader split at LTHS over the weekend, Monday’s win gave the Huskies (7-3, 3-1 West Suburban Silver) the series win.
“It’s so much fun playing this series against LT,” Hennings said. “Every game is a dogfight.”