If James Kulak felt any pressure, he certainly didn’t show it.
Mindful of the fact both Connor Rektorski and Danny Wagner could be out for the rest of the year with injuries, the responsibility placed on the sophomore’s shoulders just went up 10-fold.
But as Naperville North found out Monday, the left-handed Kulak seems to be growing with each start.
Behind an offense that gave him ample support, Kulak tossed a complete game in the Huskies’ direction as the Wildcats earned a 7-1 DuPage Valley Conference victory.
In winning his third straight start, Kulak (4-1) struck out nine, marking a career high, as Neuqua Valley (13-6, 8-5) won its seventh consecutive game.
“Mindset was just getting ahead in the counts and making sure I was throwing my secondary pitches for strikes,” he said.
Scattering three hits while issuing two walks, he felt like he had more control over his secondary pitches than he did when he beat Joliet Catholic last week.
Kulak fanned the first four hitters he saw for the Huskies (8-10, 6-7), which served as a harbinger of things to come amidst his 104-pitch outing.
Whereas he contributed to the Wildcats’ offense, evidenced by three hits and three RBI, catcher Tyler Cristofano had an up close look at Kulak’s handiwork.
“Everything was really working,” Cristofaro said. “(Kukak’s) curveball was working especially well. He threw that probably about every other at-bat and he didn’t throw his changeup much. But when he did throw it, it came across the plate very well.
“At the beginning of the season, he was a little wild with the fastball. I think he was a little nervous coming in pitching at the varsity level. But as he’s got a couple starts under his belt, he’s very confident and he’s throwing that fastball for strikes, guys swinging and missing at it.”
A James Gargano double to start the game got Neuqua Valley off and running during a two-run opening inning that saw Will Drake and Cristofaro each record RBI singles.
Single runs came home to score for the Wildcats in both the third and fourth, by virtue of RBI singles from Cristofaro and Kevin Ringlein, while a three-run sixth helped break things open.
“It’s awesome to have two good hitters like that, especially in your one and four spot as they come up,” Cristofaro said of Gargano and Drake. “Most of the time, James gets on and then Will gets him in somehow – wherever he is, in the two-spot or the four-spot.”
Seven Wildcats got at least one hit as part of a 10-hit attack while Gargano and Drake scored two runs apiece.
“Same guys are getting it done and it’s fun because no matter who we put in the lineup – (Monday), it was Drew O’Toole (who) got a single and came around to score,” Neuqua Valley coach Robin Renner said. “We’ve had (Frank) Esposito there, we’ve had (Jake) Anderson there. They’ve all contributed as well. Gargano starting the game off again (with a hit), Ringlein driving in a run again, Will Drake on base.”
The only run Naperville North got came on a RBI groundout from Jack Whitley in the bottom of the sixth to cut its deficit to 7-1.
Whitley started and went four innings for the Huskies, giving up four runs – three earned – on seven bits while striking out three and walking three.
“It’s just one game,” said Naperville North coach Carl Hunckler, whose team saw a three-game winning streak get snapped. “We still have one-and-a-half games to complete. You just got to put this in the bank. It’s over with and the kids have got to come out – we got to play better.
“We certainly have to pitch better. Six walks, two hit by pitches – that’s not very good. Most teams don’t have success when they do that. And a great credit to (Kulak). He pitched a great game for them.”
