Bucs beat Marengo in regional opener

By Bob Kopp

BDR Sports Correspondent

BELVIDERE – Solid pitching and timely hitting carried Belvidere to a 7-4 victory over Marengo in the Class 3A Regional Opener.

Junior Austin Revolinski went 6 1/3 innings to pick up the win while yielding only three hits.

Senior Ryan Snyder relieved Revolinski and picked up the save by shutting down the hosts in the bottom of the 7th.

Belvidere took the lead in the top of the first as Revolinski led off with a long double to left, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Snyder, and scored on a ground-out by junior Anthony Cottichio.

Assisted by an error and walk, junior Austin Brockmann drove home junior Nico Reza with a double to left-center to extend the Bucs lead 2-0 in the top of the second.

Marengo scored an unearned run in the bottom of the third on a walk, sacrifice bunt, error, and fly-out.

Ahead 2-1 going into the top of the fourth, three consecutive walks to senior Kyle Kozlowski, Brockmann, and sophomore Brady Hauser accentuated by a wild pitch and error on a hard chopper by Snyder staked the Bucs to a 4-1 lead as Kozlowski and Brockmann scored.

A quiet fifth was followed by a frenetic 6th as both teams knew hopes for a regional title would end with a loss.

The Bucs opened with a walk to Kozlowski who moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hauser and then slid into third on a throwing error.

He scored on another double by Revolinski.  Senior Andrew Wesley went in as a courtesy runner and was joined on the bases by Snyder who singled.  Both were knocked in by a long single by Cottichio as Belvidere took a commanding 7-1 lead into the bottom of the 6th.

The hosts scored three runs on walks and an error with one hit to draw to within 7-4 before Snyder closed the door in the bottom of the 7th.