By Adam Feiner afeiner@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5550 @AdamFeinerSVM

STERLING Nonconference baseball games early in the season are good indicators of what teams need to improve on or continue to do.

What Newman will continue to do is ride the arm of ace Luke Olson, whose strong performance on the bump paced the Comets to a 9-2 win over River Ridge-Scales Mound Friday afternoon.

Olson didnt give up a hit in 5 1/3 innings of work. However, after 74 pitches, Newman coach Tom Wilson made the move to KC Knack to save Olson for next Wednesdays matchup against the team that knocked the Comets out of the postseason last year, Milledgeville.

When asked about coming off the mound, Olsons response was atypical of any pitcher working on a no-hitter.

I wanted to stay in there, Olson said. But they want to save me so I can throw next week. I was trying to keep my pitch count down, but I threw too many balls and walked too many people.

He was a bit overpowering for us, River Ridge-Scales Mound coach Jeremy Knauer said. We had seen pitchers like him before, but not this past week. We didnt make the adjustment back. Hes got good stuff.

The sophomore set the tone from the start by striking out the side in the first inning. His rhythm continued, as his curveball and slider confused Wildcat hitters as much as his fastball overpowered them. After a walk with one out in the sixth, Wilson made the switch to Knack with a 3-0 count on pinch-hitter Andrew Brown. Brown walked on Knacks second pitch.

That set the table for the Wildcats first hit. Nick Parr doubled down the third-base line to score pinch-runner Jaxon Westbrook and make it 5-1 Newman. A fielders choice brought home another run for RRSM, but Knack escaped any further damage by inducing a groundout from Austin Kutz to end the inning.

It was the first time in the game that River Ridge/Scales Mound (2-7) had any momentum.

Newman pounced on the Wildcats with two runs in the second. A double by Knack led off the inning, followed by a Travis Williams single. Ethan Behrens squeeze bunted Knack home. Zach Rice singled up the middle to bring in Williams and make it 2-0 Comets.

Behrens manufactured Newmans third run. He beat out an infield single to start the inning, then stole second. Zach Rice laid down a successful sacrifice bunt, but Behrens never stopped running from second, as he rounded third and beat the catcher Stadel to the plate. Four batters later, Nate Olson beat out an infield single to bring his brother home and make it 4-0.

In the fifth, it was Williams manufacturing a run for Newman. The junior reached on a fielders choice, stole second and third, and came home on a wild pitch to pad the Comet lead.

The Wildcats faced an uphill climb all game on the mound. RRSM was one of just a few teams in all of Northwest Illinois to play all of their scheduled games this week, which resulted in limited pitching options Friday. Ben Crist, Ben Francke, Bennett Reese and Alex Nesbit all made their varsity pitching debuts against Newman.

We were ecstatic to be in the game, Knauer said. You never want moral victories, but when you have four kids that have never pitched [at the varsity level] before, you almost take this as a moral victory for the kids. I was proud of how we played, for the most part.

Newman (3-3) tacked on four runs in the bottom of the sixth off three Wildcat errors and an RBI single from Chase Graham. No Comet had more than one hit, but eight players had at least one hit.

A week off from games had Newman anxious to get out and play, which was all they were looking for Friday.

We were looking for the sun, and we actually got it for a change, Wilson said, somewhat jokingly. We worked on our pitching. Luke did a great job starting, and KC did a good job finishing.

Baseball

Newman 9, River Ridge/Scales Mound 2

Star of the game: Luke Olson, Newman, 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 0 H, 9 K, 74 pitches

Key performers: KC Knack, Newman, 1-for-4, 2B, 1 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H; Travis Williams, Newman, 1-for-4, 2 SB, 2 runs; Zach Rice, Newman, 1 for-1, 2 RBI; Nick Parr, RRSM, 1-for-3, 2B, RBI

Up next: Newman at Bureau Valley, doubleheader, 1 p.m. Saturday

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Olson, Comets overpower Wildcats in nonconference game at home - SaukValley.com