The Huntley High School baseball team began its season with a little uncertainty.  Losses to Brother Rice and Carmel raised questions about Huntley’s ability to win.  However, the Red Raiders put those questions to rest in a 7-0 win over Hampshire on Saturday.

One of the best pieces of news for Huntley is that its offense looked stellar.  Although the first six Huntley batters were kept off base, the Red Raider offense exploded in the third inning.  From the third inning onward, Huntley had nine hits and only one strikeout.

The Red Raiders have struggled to produce runs in the beginning of the season, but this game could turn that around.  Catcher Mark Skonieczny led Huntley’s offense with a single, two doubles, and two RBIs.

“We made a nice adjustment to the soft lefty,” said Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski.  “It’s nice to see some guys producing offensively and getting out of their slumps.”

In addition to racking up seven runs, Huntley looked dominant on the mound.  Eric Luecht pitched six shutout innings struck out eight batters, and only walked one.  Adam Kalish finished the job in the seventh inning to secure the shutout.

“Eric Luecht did a great job.  He put six zeros on the board for us,” said Jakubowski.  “He’s our number one.”

Huntley will face some adversity this week.  Going against Boylan, Grayslake North, and Wheaton Warrenville South will prove a great challenge for the Red Raiders.  Huntley will have to maintain the offensive production it showed on Saturday to continue to have success.

“We have a tough week ahead of us,” said Jakubowski.  “We just need to take it one week at a time.”

Huntley’s next game is Monday against Boylan.