Six-Run Third Inning Powers Richards Past Crete-Monee in 13-7 Victory

The Richards varsity baseball team took full advantage of free passes and defensive miscues on Saturday afternoon, turning a tight game into a 13-7 non-conference victory over visiting Crete-Monee.

Despite both teams finishing the afternoon with exactly nine hits, Richards capitalized on a barrage of unearned runs to secure the home win. Crete-Monee pitching struggled with command, issuing seven walks and hitting five batters, while the defense behind them committed five fielding errors. As a result, six of Richards’ 13 runs were unearned.

Richards opened the contest with a 1-0 lead after the first inning before the game broke wide open in the bottom of the third. The hosts erupted for a massive six-run inning, aggressively moving runners and taking advantage of Crete-Monee’s fielding struggles to build a 7-0 advantage.

Despite the early deficit, Crete-Monee refused to go quietly. The visitors responded with a four-run rally in the top of the fourth to trim the lead to 7-4. Crete-Monee was an absolute menace on the basepaths, racking up an impressive 10 stolen bases as a team. Senior AJ Monegan led the offensive charge, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and swiping four bags. Senior Keyshon James wreaked havoc without registering an official at-bat, reaching base three times via two hit-by-pitches and a walk while stealing three bases.

However, the Richards offense could not be contained. The hosts tacked on a run in the bottom of the fourth and plated four more in the fifth to re-establish a comfortable margin at 12-4. Sophomore Wyatt Love and sophomore Tyler Burnett bore the brunt of the pitching workload for Crete-Monee, combining to allow 12 runs, though only six were earned.

Crete-Monee manufactured three final runs in the top of the seventh inning—highlighted by RBI efforts from junior Garrett Jemilo and junior Carlos Aguilar—but Richards successfully closed the door to preserve the 13-7 win.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

(Note: Scored by Innings)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— |
| Crete-Monee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 5 |
| Richards | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | 13 | 9 | 1 |

Scoring Drives

(Note: Scoring by Innings)

• 1st Inning

  • Richards: Scored 1 run to take an early lead.

• 3rd Inning

  • Richards: Erupted for a 6-run rally to extend the advantage to 7-0.

• 4th Inning

  • Crete-Monee: Responded with a 4-run frame to cut the deficit to 7-4.

  • Richards: Added 1 run to make it 8-4.

• 5th Inning

  • Richards: Pushed across 4 runs to pull away 12-4.

• 6th Inning

  • Richards: Tacked on 1 insurance run.

• 7th Inning

  • Crete-Monee: Rallied for 3 runs before Richards closed out the 13-7 victory.

Individual Statistics

BATTING:

• Crete-Monee: AJ Monegan 2-3 (2 RBI, 1 R, 4 SB); Garrett Jemilo 2-4 (1 RBI, 1 R); Carlos Aguilar 1-2 (1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB); Keegan Quaderer 1-4 (1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB); Wyatt Love 1-4 (1 RBI, 1 R); Bryce Milburn 1-3 (1 R, 1 SB); Tyler Burnett 1-3; Keyshon James 0-1 (3 SB, 2 HBP, 1 BB). Team LOB: 7.

• Richards: Stats not provided. (Team Totals: 9 Hits).

PITCHING:

• Crete-Monee: Wyatt Love (L) – 2.2 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K; Tyler Burnett – 2.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; Garrett Jemilo – 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.

• Richards: Stats not provided. (Team Totals: 7.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 4 BB, 4 K).

FIELDING:

• Crete-Monee: 5 Errors (Keegan Quaderer 2, Bryce Milburn 1, Tyler Burnett 1, Isaiah Clemons 1).

• Richards: 1 Error.