Romeoville Batters Solve Minooka Ace

Members of the Romeoville baseball team were under no illusions when facing Minooka southpaw Josh Jimenez. The artful ace for the Indians had not dropped a decision in over two years, and his twin breaking balls — a curve and slider —have bedeviled more than their fair share of  batters.

“He struck me out on a slider last year that hit me in the foot,” said Romeoville senior Jordan Pemble, who repaid Jimenez with a two-run double in the Spartans’ three-run first-inning on Tuesday.

Minooka, though, would take a 5-3 lead in its second at-bat against the Spartans, and Jimenez would find his stride after a shaky start. Twelve Romeoville batters would return to their dugout after striking out against Jimenez.

“His slider is probably the best pitch we have seen from anyone this year,” said Romeoville senior Matt Gillis.

But with Romeoville first-time starter Anthony Gladstone firing nothing but blanks after the first two innings, the Spartans were still in the Southwest Prairie game. The RHS offense was well aware that Jimenez had found his stride during the second through fourth innings.

“(Jimenez) started to find his groove,” Romeoville coach Tony Smith said. “(Jimenez) struck out four in a row at one point.” Romeoville would solve Jimenez in its fifth inning, however, ending his 18-game winning streak over two years.

“(Jimenez) was 12-0 last year and 6-0 this year,” said Smith.

Vidal Gonzalez and Justin Hurdle are the Spartans’ table-setters at the top of the order. With one out in the fateful fifth inning that enabled Romeoville to take the lead for good and end the Jimenez two-year winning streak, the duo had back-to-back hits.

The Spartans’ leadoff and second-hole hitters would both score to tie the game at 5-5,  and Gillis’ two-run double proved to be the difference in the Spartans’ 7-5 victory.

“(Jimenez) started to get tired,” Smith said.  The pinpoint control that Jimenez has fashioned over the last two seasons suddenly disappeared, enabling Romeoville to mount its four-run rally in the fifth.

Gladstone fashioned five scoreless innings to earn the win. The junior did not realize he was starting until “we were warming up.”

“(My) fastball was (the difference),” Gladstone said.