Reed-Custer Gets By Rockford Lutheran Advancing To The Class 2A Title Game

June 4, 2016

By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

PEORIA, IL – Reed-Custer’s Brent Headrick threw a complete game in the Super-Sectional on Monday with 17 strikeouts, helping advance the Comets to the State Semifinal game last night. The Comets leaned on him once again, bringing him in out of the bullpen, to make sure they secured a spot in the Championship game on Saturday. Headrick delivered and the Comets prevailed over Rockford Lutheran 4-3.

With Reed-Custer leading 4-1, right-handed pitcher, Eddie Wilkins went back out in the top of the seventh inning looking for a complete game victory. Wilkins struck the first batter out but proceeded to give up a walk, single and a walk, loading the bases for Rockford Lutheran with only one out.

That is when Reed-Custer (26-6) turned to their ace and Illinois State commit, Headrick to close it out. Still leading 4-1, Headrick didn’t waste any time, inducing a ground ball right at the shortstop, Neil O’Donnell. O’Donnell flipped the ball to second baseman Dan Fierro for the force out and Fierro turned to fire the ball to first for the game-ending double play. However, Fierro’s throw was wide of first, allowing the runner from second to advance home, making it a 4-3 game. In the midst of the ball getting away from the first baseman, the batter, Justin Mercer, who hesitated around first base, decided to try and advance into scoring position at second base. Jordan Walden, the Reed-Custer first baseman, also one of their better pitchers, threw a strike to second base and Mercer was tagged out to end the game.

Reed-Custer scored two in the second and two in the third inning, accounting for their four runs on the day. The big blow in the second-inning was a two out, two-run double delivered by Fierro, only a sophomore. In the third, the Comets got RBI singles from Hunter Murawski and Headrick which stretched their lead to 4-1 at the time.

Rockford Lutheran got on the board first taking a 1-0 lead thanks to a solo home run to deep left-center field by Nick Brigham in the top of the second inning. From their they were relatively quiet, managing only one more hit off of Wilkins until their seventh inning rally.

Reed-Custer advances to the Class 2A State Championship, where they will meet St. Joseph-Ogden at 5:00 pm. Rockford Lutheran will take on Murphysboro at 3:00 pm in the third place game.