Brett Weaver’s homer leads Sycamore over Kaneland

There was legitimate debate whether Sycamore pitcher Colan Treml threw a one-hitter or no-hitter, but teammate Brett Weaver left no doubt about the ball he hit over the left field fence.

The juniors combined Wednesday to lift the Spartans to a 1-0 win over Northern Illinois Big 12 East Conference rival Kaneland in a Class 3A Rochelle Baseball Sectional.

It evens the season series between them at 2-2 and sends Sycamore to Saturday’s 11 a.m. title game against the winner of Thursday’s semifinal between Rockford Boylan and Rochelle.

“We’ve played four times this year and here have been 10 total runs scored,” Sycamore coach Jason Cavanaugh said. “We won twice 1-0 and lost 2-1 and 3-2. They’re right there with us. We just happened to get this one.”

His club is 25-12 while Kaneland closes 18-16.

Kaneland sophomore Anthony Holubecki and Treml were locked in a scoreless duel when Weaver, the Spartans’ No. 7 hitter, stepped to the plate to lead off the fifth.

The wind was blowing straight in from center field when he lined a drive over the fence in left field.

“I got up in the count 1-0 and got a good fastball to hit and hit it out,” the center-fielder said of his fourth home run of the season.

“With that wind blowing straight in it was the only place it was gonna get out if you got a hold of it. Left field was the spot.”

Holubecki, who is committed to Notre Dame, also gave up a double to Cooper Vinz before leaving with one out in the sixth but Nick Henne came on to end the threat with a strikeout and a popup.

Holubecki (6-3) finished with nine strikeouts. Two of his three walks and the one batter he hit came in the third when he worked out of the two-out bases-loaded jam by fanning No. 3 hitter Nate Haacker.

“He had a no-hitter until that one swing,” Kaneland coach Brian Aversa said. “He pitched a great game. You can’t ask for more from your pitcher. Give Weaver credit for turning it around.

“We’re 2-2 now. Sycamore just picked the right day to win.”

Treml (6-2) was even more effective, striking out 10 batters and walking none to win his third straight postseason game and extend his postseason scoreless streak to 18 innings.

He stranded runners at second in each of the first three innings.

Knight leadoff hitter Curtis Thorson reached on errors by Sycamore shortstop Michael Swanberg in the first and third.

The official scorer also credited the SS with a miscue in the second on a debatable call on a bouncer off the bat of the Knights’ Joe Panico. Sycamore third baseman Mark Skelley made a dive for it in front of a distracted Swanberg, who then had the ball get by him.

“They said error up there,” Cavanaugh said, pointing to the official scorer in the press box. “I don’t care. It’s all the same to me. As long as he didn’t score, it doesn’t matter.”