Larkin pitcher Gerardo Robles enjoys a tight bond with his family.
The junior right-hander always has several relatives on hand to watch him play, including his mother, Ana, and grandparents Santos and Guadalupe.
“My mom is mostly at all of the games, but sometimes if we play at home or we play away and it’s not that far, she’ll bring my grandparents over,” Robles said after Monday’s playoff opener. “They were here today, and then my aunt and uncle were here today.”
Robles treated his relatives to fine pitching and everyone else to a sweet display of family love.
Larkin coach Niko Morado summoned Robles after Elgin scored three unearned runs against starter Logan Leaver in the top of the second inning of the Class 4A Barrington Regional quarterfinal. The visiting Maroons led 3-0 and had the bases loaded with one out.
Robles escaped the jam with a strikeout and getting a flyout to left field.
The sixth-seeded Royals then rallied for three runs in the second inning and six in the third en route to eliminating the ninth-seeded Maroons 14-4 in five innings.
“That’s not the first jam he’s worked out of,” Morado said. “He comes in looking comfortable because he’s been there before.
“He’s done a good job coming in and being in the zone, throwing strikes. He doesn’t blow past guys but he gets ground balls, he gets fly balls, and as long as we’re making plays, that’s all we can ask for out of him.”
The win came five years to the day after Larkin’s last playoff victory, also against the Maroons.
This time, Larkin (13-16) broke a seven-game losing streak in ousting Elgin (2-23), advancing to play second-seeded Jacobs at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in a regional semifinal at Barrington.
Robles earned the victory by throwing 3 2/3 innings, allowing one unearned run and two hits while walking none and striking out two.
It was an impressive display of relief pitching, but not as memorable as what he did between innings after getting out of the jam in the second.
Robles went into the bleachers to greet his relatives, kissing his aunt and grandmother.
“I had a lot of nerves my first inning because I was working from down,” Robles said. “After I got out of that jam, I wanted to feel better.
“So I went over there to say ‘what’s up?’ to my family so I could let go of all the nerves I had inside of me.”
It’s not the first time Robles has made such a gesture. He usually does it at least once a game.
“I like to see how they’re doing, say thank you for coming to my game,” Robles said.
Family members aren’t the only ones who benefit from Robles’ approach.
Senior first baseman Mikey Hernandez, who went 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI, confirmed that Robles brings good leadership to the Royals.
“He’s never quiet in the dugout,” Hernandez said. “He’s always cheering someone on. He’s very supportive with everyone. When I got hurt the first two games with a hyperextended elbow, he came up to me right away and said, ‘God bless you. I hope you feel better. I hope you heal.’
“He’s been a good friend and a good teammate the past three years.”
Robles said the support is a two-way street.
“It wasn’t just me,” Robles said. “I knew if I had my team’s defense behind me, then I’d be all right.
“My teammates made the plays that needed to be done and gave me the confidence to be able to continue to pitch good. Once we got ahead, I got more comfortable.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
