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No. 20 Plainfield South picks up walk off win in opener

April 1, 2014

By Ryan Quigley
Area Scout - Illinois

No. 20 Plainfield South (1-0) 5, Herscher (0-1) 4

PLAINFIELD, IL - 35 mile-per-hour winds coming out of the south led to an early Herscher Tigers onslaught; but the Plainfield South Cougars prevailed thanks to a Marco Malgoza walk-off Texas-league bloop single down the right field line 5-4. 

Plainfield South 6-foot-5 senior righty Ryan McQueen struggled early giving up four runs in the first inning in part due to three base on balls and a catcher throwing error. Herscher unsigned senior 3-hole hitter Henry Sperry (6-foot-3, 225-pounds) doubled off the batters eye 365 feet from home, plating two runs. 

Plainfield South answered in the bottom of the first on a Zach Hamaker solo-shot deep to left field on a first pitch fastball. Hamaker finished 2-for-3 on the day adding an RBI double down the left field line to cut the Herscher lead 4-2. Despite the windy conditions, Herscher starter and Kankakee Community College commit Jeff Klamann was solid on the mound going five innings giving up seven hits, four runs, with four strikeouts and two base-on-balls.

McQueen was relieved in the fourth by a trio of Plainfield South relievers that kept the Tiger offense at bay. Ball State commit and senior left-hander Trevor Henderson impressed in his one inning of work striking out the side to escape a first and second, no-out jam in the sixth.

Trailing  4-3 entering the bottom of the sixth Upper Iowa commit, senior OF Sam Muszynski homered over the left-centerfield wall to chase Klamann and tie the game. High end 2015 RHP prospect and Iowa commit Shane Ritter threw a scoreless 7th with a walk and strikeout to set the stage for Malgoza’s heroics. Hamaker walked to lead off the bottom of the 7th.  With two-outs and Hamaker on second, Malgoza flared the first pitch he saw into no-man’s-land, outside the reach of the Herscher first baseman and right fielder for the game winner.  Herscher’s Devon Alsip was the tough-luck loser in relief.

Hamaker also scored three runs in addition to his two RBI. 

The Plainfield South bullpen, led by Ritter and Henderson, limited Herscher to just two hits over the final four frames. Ritter picked up the win in relief. 

For Herscher, Sperry finished 1-for-2 with two walks, showing impressive plate discipline and barreling up his only out with a liner to second base.  Milliken commit, senior catcher Luke Azzarelli reached base successfully in four plate appearances going 1-for-1 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch.  

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