Muscling Up: Watkins’ homer ignites fuse for eight-run inning as Illini West baseball team thumps QND

CARTHAGE, Ill. — Illini West senior catcher Shawn Watkins Jr.’s home plate collision with Quincy Notre Dame’s Oliver Triplett did not faze him.

Watkins, a two-time state qualifying wrestler, welcomed the physicality.

“It’s not the first one of the year, and it probably won’t be the last one,” Watkins said. “I feel like wrestling toughens me up a little bit. I find myself on the tougher end of things.”

About 20 minutes after Triplett and Watkins collided as Triplett scored on Kaden Marth’s base hit that trimmed the Chargers’ lead to 2-1, Watkins launched a two-run home run to left-center field as part of an eight-run inning in a 10-2 Chargers victory Friday at Jake Burling Field.

“I thought it was a double in the gap, not going to lie, but I guess I don’t really watch it when it’s off the bat,” Watkins said. “I’m just running.”

When Watkins realized the ball had cleared the fence, he turned mid-stride toward the Chargers dugout and flexed his biceps.

“Muscled it out,” Watkins said.

Chargers coach Zack Burling enjoyed the celebration.

“He was pretty stoked, and I was, too,” Burling said. “I was very happy for him.”

Wesley Robertson was on second base when Watkins hit his second home run of the year. He congratulated Watkins as he crossed home plate, but he was not too fond of Watkins’ flexing.

“I don’t think he should have,” said Robertson, who has four home runs this season. “I have more (homers) than him.”

Robertson did his part to ignite Illini West’s offense. He drove in the Chargers’ first run on a base hit to left in the first. He singled again to drive in two runs and kickstart the Chargers’ fifth inning, then drew a bases-loaded walk later that inning to give him his second four-RBI game of the season.

“I just forget about the pitch before and just keep focusing on the next pitch and what’s in the future,” Robertson said. “You can’t do anything about the last one, so I just keep trying to find a ball I can drive, and I ended up doing that.”

Before the fifth inning, Burling gave a simple yet poignant reminder to his team.

“We always talk about having quality at-bats, and six of our first seven at-bats were quality at-bats in the first inning, then we kind of hit a lull in the second through the fourth inning,” Burling said. “I just kind of reminded them, ‘Fellas, we have to have some Q-ABs like the first inning.’ It was just about reframing the mindset going into that fifth inning.”

QND coach Rich Polak reminded his players after the game to keep things in perspective and move forward when things go sideways.

“I told the guys, ‘We did some good things today.’ We had about an inning and a half where it was really ugly but we have to be able to eliminate that part from snowballing,’” Polak said. “Once we do that, we’ll be right where we want to be.”

While the Chargers hit that lull before exploding for a crooked number, Chargers starting pitcher Ethan Carlisle was humming along. He carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and had given up just one baserunner before Bradi Lahr’s single leading off the fifth. Carlisle exited after five innings after striking out six and walking just one on 73 pitches.

“Right at the get-go, he had good command of his fastball, and he was locating his changeup really well,” Burling said. “I think that’s what was upsetting their hitters’ timing.

“We’re kind of slowly ramping him up. Hopefully we can keep doing that. He’s a hard guy to take out of the game because he had such great command of his pitches today. It’s very fun to watch him pitch. We thought there was no reason to put Ethan back out there when the game’s in control like that.”

Tre Neiderman worked the final two innings in relief. Chargers right fielder Stephen Sparks joined Robertson with two hits, and Nick Johnson reached base three times out of the leadoff spot.

Lahr had two of the Raiders’ four hits. He also started the game on the mound and gave up one earned run before the fifth.

The Chargers (15-6) snapped a three-game losing streak, while the Raiders (10-6) lost back-to-back games for the first time since March 26. They had won eight of nine games before a 7-4 loss to Beardstown on Thursday.