PBR DAILY ROUNDUP AND SCHEDULES

June 1

By Drake Skleba

Class 4A/3A Sectional Semifinals

McHenry Sectional

Grant (23-11) used a triple-play to break the hearts of No. 17 Crystal Lake South 5-2 and send the Bulldogs to an 11 am date this morning with South Elgin for the McHenry Sectional title.

Crystal Lake South (28-10) had rallied from a 5-0 deficit as the Gators trailed 5-2 as the game went to the bottom of the seventh. The Gators loaded the bases against Bulldog ace, senior Jared Helmich. Gator Jake Byron ripped a shot off of the foot of Helmich (10-1), who made the catch, fired to Bulldog junior first baseman Brent Spohr, to double up the bewildered Gator base-runner. Spohr fired a strike to Bulldog junior SS Jordan Villarreal, who completed the triple play by getting the out at second and ending the game.

McHenry Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 11:00       South Elgin (21-12) vs. Grant (23-11)

Schaumburg Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 11:00       Schaumburg (25-12) vs. Willowbrook (23-14)

Evanston Sectional

Oak Park (27-9-1) rallied from a 7-1 deficit to stun New Trier 8-7 on Friday. Huskie junior 1B Nick Kowalczuk made the long ride back to Oak Park a pleasant one with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh. Winning pitcher Joe McKune started the three-run Huskie seventh with an RBI single. No. 9 hitter senior Jack Belcaster tied things up at 7-7 with another clutch RBI single.

Evanston Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 11:00     No. 5 Maine South (32-5) vs. Oak Park (27-10-1)

Glenbrook South Sectional

Cinderella Highland Park (19-19) defeated Stevenson 5-1 behind a four-hitter from Giant senior Max Mordini. University of Illinois-bound C Jason Goldstein had a big two-out two RBI single for the Giants. 

Glenbrook South Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 10:00    No. 4 Mundelein (34-4) vs. Highland Park (19-19)

Mount Carmel Sectional

No. 6 Mount Carmel (32-5) defeated St. Rita 8-5. (See Drake Skleba’s story).

Mount Carmel Sectional Championship Game-Guru

Saturday 11:00     No. 6 Mount Carmel (32-5) vs. Lyons Twp. (24-12-1)

Andrew Sectional

No. 2 Lincoln-Way North (33-5) was one out away from joining the growing list of top-ranked Illinois school baseball squads in the 2012 state tournament to be eliminated. After two out, the Phoenix once again arose from the ashes to amazingly score six runs and stun Homewood-Flossmoor 6-5 in Tinley Park on Friday night.

Reminiscent of the Phoenix amazing 13 -12 victory over Joliet Catholic in a Phil Lawler/IHSBCA state tournament regional final in July 2011, they overcame a little smaller deficit to stun the Vikings. Down 12-0 to JCA the Phoenix arose to rally back against the Hilltoppers and go on to win the Phil Lawler Classic state title. 

Against the Vikings, junior SS Josh Handzik singled home senior Jack Troike with the game-winner and sent the Phoenix fans flying back to Frankfort from Tinley Park.

Junior C Ryan Pellack got the Phoenix arising with a two-run single to make the score 5-2. A Viking miscue made it 5-3 and red-hot Dom Hartman singled home another run to cut the deficit to 5-4. Lawler Classic MVP junior 1B Reed Hero lived up to his name once again, coming up with a clutch RBI single to tie the game at 5.

H-F’s Heartland Community College-bound LHP Danny Lietz (9-5) went the distance and suffered the loss for H-F.

Andrew Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 11:00   No. 2 L-W North (33-5) vs. No. 22 Marist (27-11)

Romeoville Sectional

Metea Valley (19-18) stunned No. 13 Neuqua Valley 2-1, behind a two-hitter from senior LHP Tom Bolle (5-3). The Mustangs won the game with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth. Mike Moony tied the game with a sac-fly and then the Wildcats scored the eventual game winner on a passed ball.

As we have been writing all season, the epidemic that has swept the entire state this year bit the Wildcats. Five Wildcat errors made University of Illinois-bound RHP Nick Blackburn (7-4) the hard-luck loser as Nequa Valley bows out at 30-8.

Romeoville Sectional Championship Game

No. 25 Naperville Central (26-12) vs. Metea Valley (19-18)

Illinois Wesleyan University Sectional Final

Saturday 11 No. 10 O’Fallon (31-7) vs. Minooka (25-13)

Class 3A Regional Finals

Mahomet-Seymour Sectional

Springfield SHG (27-11) rallied past Morton behind the bat and arm of Cyclone RHP David Jacob (9-0). Jacob’s two-run bomb off of Illinois State-bound Morton ace Will Headean (9-3), gave the Cyclones and himself a 3-2 as the game went to the bottom of the seventh. 

Morton (30-8) put the tying and winning runs on base with two outs as Jacob ended the game in style by striking out the final Potter hitter and sending the Cyclones to the sectional championship game.

Mahomet-Seymour Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 11:00    Springfield SHG (27-11) vs.  Danville (21-14)     

Mattoon Sectional

La Salle-Peru (Veterans Park) Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 11:00    No. 16 La Salle-Peru (31-6) vs. Galesburg (28-10)

Sycamore Sectional Semifinal

Saturday 10:00   Prairie Ridge (27-9) vs. Burlington Central (26-10)

Sycamore Sectional Championship Game

Saturday   1:00      Freeport (17-20) vs. PR/BC winner

Glenbard South Sectional

St. Joseph (26-14) blanked Clemente 2-0 behind a one-hit shutout from Charger junior RHP Trayvon Johnson (7-3). Charger senior Eric LeCoure plated the first Charger run with an RBI single. Junior Sean Halas’ perfectly executed suicide squeeze bunt gave Johnson a big insurance run.

The Chargers will take their eight-game winning streak into the sectional championship versus No. 23 Nazareth. Back on April 18 & April 20 the Chargers lost a pair of heart-breaking defeats to the Roadrunners. On April 18 Nazareth beat St. Joe 2-0 and in the Fourth Annual Southside Conference Challenge in Crestwood two days later the Roadrunners shutout the Chargers again 2-0.

Glenbard South Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 1:00    No. 23 Nazareth (28-9) vs. St. Joseph (25-13)

Grayslake Central Sectional

Vernon Hills’ junior LHP Tyler Feece (12-2) fired a three-hitter at St. Viator and led the Cougars to a 3-0 victory on Friday. The win was the 30^th of the season for Vernon Hills (30-8) and set a school-record for most wins in a season.

Feece helped himself by driving in the first Cougar run and Austin Hagen went deep with a man on to give Feece some insurance.

Grayslake Central Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 11:00   Grayslake Central (28-8) vs. Vernon Hills (30-8)

Chicago Washington Sectional

Harlan (27-11) blanked Kenwood 2-0 behind a one-hit shutout from Falcon sophomore RHP Semaj Patterson. Falcon Tyler Johnson doubled home the first Falcon run and red-hot Falcon Andre Hogan Jr. who has carried the Falcons throughout the tournament, plated the second Falcon tally with an RBI single. 

Chicago Washington Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 12:00   No. 18 Simeon (30-7) vs. Harlan (27-11)

Lincoln-Way West Sectional Championship Game

Saturday 11:00   Lincoln-Way West (24-13) vs. Marian Catholic (21-17)