No. 14 Maine South, Mother Nature down New Trier
May 3, 2012
By Drake Skleba
PARK RIDGE – No. 14 Maine South defeated No. 18 New Trier 3-2 in five innings on Wednesday in a crucial Central Suburban League South battle. Trailing 3-2 as the game went to the top of the sixth, New Trier exploded for three runs to grab a 5-3 lead. With one out in the Maine South sixth, Hawk head coach Bill Milano made a call to his pen.
Milano went to the most powerful force on earth: top-ranked Mother Nature. Mother Nature showered the field with torrential rains and hail. She struck with her lightning velocity and, after 35 minutes, with the field totally drenched, the umpires called the game and Maine South had won the game.
The IHSA rule states that if rain causes a cancellation of the proceedings in the middle of an inning, the final score will revert back to the score at the end of the last completed inning. Having not completed the sixth inning, the score at the end of five completed innings would be the final score.
Maine South had a 3-2 lead after five, thus the Hawks were declared the winners.
“The rule is what it is and I'm happy to pick up this big victory,” said Milano. “I feel bad for New Trier. They really battled us today. I want to tip my hat to Head Coach Mike Napoleon. The New Trier program, under him, has been a measuring stick for our program here at Maine South.”
New Trier (14-7; 6-4) scored single runs in the first and third innings to grab a 2-0 lead after three. Both Trevian runs were driven in by senior shortstop Sean Visconti. In the bottom of the fourth with two on and two out, Maine South's (20-3; 10-0)
junior right-fielder Frank Perrone stepped to the plate. Perrone hit a fastball from
New Trier's Bucknell-bound right-hander Austin Zimmerman (4-1) over the left-field fence, for what ended up being the game-winning hit and a 3-2 Hawk lead.
“He fooled me the first time up and stuck me out,” said Perrone. “I got my pitch this time and it felt great to see it go out.”
The winning pitcher for Maine South was M. Nature, who continues to be unbeaten.
Actually, Maine South senior lefty John Forsythe (4-1) picks up a complete-game victory.
With the win, Maine South opens up a four-game lead over New Trier in the CSL-South standings. Glenbrook South (17-8; 7-3) fell 9-4 to Niles West (20-6; 6-4) on Thursday, so the Hawks have a three-game CSL-South lead with six to play.
See the game for yourself on the High School Cube:
