The stage wasn’t too big Wednesday for St. Charles East pitcher Joey Arend.

The slender left-hander was tasked with taking the ball for the Saints against York’s Ryan Sloan, a Wake Forest recruit. That would be enough to intimidate most sophomores.

Arend, however, is not most sophomores. His veteran teammates tried to emphasize that.

“They were just trying to calm me down,” Arend said of the pregame words of wisdom that he received. “Telling me to be me and that would lead us to success.”

Arend did all he could to keep St. Charles East in the game during a 2-0 loss to the Dukes in the Class 4A South Elgin Sectional semifinals at Judson’s Hoffer Field in Elgin.

Arend went toe-to-toe with Sloan, striking out seven and allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits and four walks in five-plus innings for the Saints (26-5). He also walked and singled, stealing second base, but was stranded both times.

Seth Winkler and Jake Zitella had the other two hits for St. Charles East. Sloan pitched six innings for York (14-13-1), striking out 10 and giving up three hits and a walk but no runs.

St. Charles East coach Len Asquini’s message to Arend was simple leading up to the game.

“Be the Joe that’s been Joe all year, and he was,” Asquini said. “We didn’t ask him to throw any harder or better — just be Joe. We know that Joe is good enough to keep us in the ballgame, and he did.

“He did exactly what he needed to do. He pitched great. He did everything he could do for us, and that’s all we asked.”

Arend allowed a leadoff single to Ryan Turner in the second inning. Turner advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Eli Maurer’s single with two outs.

York nearly scored another run in the third, but the runner was called out for missing third base on his way home. The Dukes tacked on an unearned run in the fifth, and Arend was lifted after giving up a leadoff single in the sixth.

“I just wanted to go in there and throw strikes,” Arend said. “I had to compete. Obviously, I just couldn’t get the job done. We all did the best we could. We had our opportunities.”

Despite Sloan’s pedigree as a potential 2024 MLB draft pick, the Saints created traffic on the bases against him. The leadoff hitter reached in each of the first three innings, but was stranded in scoring position each time.

Then in the bottom of the seventh, Clay Jensen singled with two outs, bringing up the Saints’ bona fide Division I recruit in Zitella.

The Illinois recruit flew out to right against Noah Hughes to end the game.

“New guy, we were ready to go,” Zitella said. “I got my opportunity, but I messed it up. Part of it is on me. I didn’t really come through at all (Wednesday).

“I’m really upset at myself. I had to be better, and I didn’t have it.”

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Asquini was quick to absolve Zitella of blame.

“The game doesn’t rest on his shoulders,” Asquini said. “This is not on Jake or Joey or anybody on our team. It’s all of us. We just couldn’t get it done.”

Zitella was sad to see his run at St. Charles East come to an end.

“We had a solid year, but we’re going home,” Zitella said. “I love my guys. I’m really upset that it’s over. I love these dudes and I hate to see it be over, but it happens.”

He knows with Arend, however, the program’s future is in good hands.

“Joe has a lot of talent,” Zitella said. “He’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen. I’m lucky enough to have been his teammate this year. He has a bright future in front of him.”

Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.