By Drake Skleba
Senior Writer

Friday May 22

POWER 25

FOX VALLEY CROSSOVER

Fox Valley Valley  champ No. 17 Cary-Grove (23-7-2, 15-2 Fox Valley Valley)  slipped past  Crystal Lake 3-2 behind John Cerone. Cerone had two doubles and two RBI to lead the Trojans past the Tigers. 

UPSTATE 8 VALLEY CROSSOVER

Upstate 8 Valley champ No. 23 Waubonsie Valley (27-5, 22-3 Upstate 8 Valley) defeated Elgin 4-2 behind Jake Hennessey and Quinton Zielke. Hennessey allowed one earned run and three hits in his stellar six innings, to pick up the win on the mound. Zielke doubled and drove home two runs for U8C-Valley champion Warriors.

NONCONFERENCE

Steven Bajenski Memorial Tournament

SEMIFINALS

No. 25 St, Laurence (21-10) hammered No. 19 Providence (23-11) behind Frank Greco and Anthony Rios 10-1. Greco retired the first 17 Celtic batters he faced. Leading 10-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Greco lost his perfect game, on a very questionable call on a 3-2 pitch to Providence’s Tom  Kelley, who walked. Mike Madej tripled home Kelley, extending the game to seven innings and Greco (5-4) had to settle for a two-hitter.
Rios had two singles and had five RBI to lead Viking into Saturday night’s Steven M. Bajenski championship game against Stevie’s team, No. 2 Mount Carmel (29-4). The Caravan slipped No. 3 St. Rita 3-1 in the second semifinal at Standard Bank Stadium Saturday night.

(see Ryan Quigley’s game story and scouting notes)  

CONSOLATION

No. 14 Oak Park (24-6) slipped past No. 8 Brother Rice 2-1.

Marist (21-13) put on a defensive display and went on to blank Lemont (18-11) behind a combined one-hit shutout from Marty Meyer, Tommy O’Mara and Collin Pfotenhauer. Ryan Kairis had two hits including a double and drove home a Redhawk run.  

METAMORA CLASSIC

No. 9 Lincoln-Way West (26-5) pounded No. 14 Metamora 10-4 behind Matt Monahan, Bailey Magruder and AJ Ashley.  Magruder and Monahan both had two hits including a double and drove home two Warrior runs. Ashley had a pair of singles and also had two RBI.

ON THE BUBBLE

CPS SEMIFINAL

Simeon (24-3) outlasted Morgan Park 7-6 to advance to Monday’s CPS Final. Darius Hill went deep for the Wolverines and had three RBI. Thalame also went deep for Simeon and Michael Hawthorne chipped in with a single and drove home two Wolverine runs.

CLASS 2A REGIONALS

COAL CITY

Interstate 8 South champion Herscher (24-13) defeated Bishop McNamara 9-4 behind TJ Fuller and Tyler Fisher. Fuller went the distance allowing one earned run and six hits in picking up the win on the mound. Fisher singled and drove home two Tiger runs. Herscher will meet Interstate 8 North champion Coal City (25-5) in Saturday's Coal City Regional final at 10

OREGON

Stillman Valley won in walk-off fashion 2-1 over Byron on Andrew Wilhite’s walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh.