By Ryan Quigley
Scouting Director-Illinois

GLENVIEW, IL – A three-run third inning and a four-run seventh off No. 9 Glenbrook South’s dual aces gave the No. 7 Mundelein Mustangs a hard fought 9-3 victory on Thursday night in the Glenbrook South Sectional Semi-final. 

Mundelein’s top three hitters in the order, seniors Mike Metz, Derek Parola, and Logan Reckert wreaked havoc all day on the Titans’ pitchers going a combined 8-for-13 at that plate with five runs scored and four RBI. 

Metz led off the third with a walk, and moved to second on Parola’s single between short and third.  Reckert singled sharply to right scoring Metz.  Senior designated hitter Luke Adams loaded the bases with a perfectly placed bunt single down the third base line.  Junior third basemen Luke Peterson drove home Parola with an RBI sac-fly to left.  After a walk, Reese Dolan grounded out to second, scoring Reckert to give Mundelein a 3-1 lead after three innings. 

Glenbrook South’s 6-foot-8 junior right-hander Fitz Stadler relieved senior righty Conor McCarthy in the third and kept the Titans in the ball game until the seventh.  Stadler wasn’t helped by three infield errors, leading to three of the five runs he allowed over 3.2 innings being unearned. 

In the bottom half of the sixth, Glenbrook South’s offense finally came alive.  Back-to-back walks chased Mundelein’s Dillon O’Donooghue from the game, and senior third basemen Tommy O’Hara greeted relief pitcher Austin Blackmer with a two-run RBI double off the wall in left field.  Blackmer struck out Cody Carrol to end the threat and hold on to the 5-3 Mundelein lead.

The Mustang offense broke out once again in the top of the seventh as leftfielder J.T. Michalski started off the rally with an RBI single between short and third.  Metz added an RBI single to left to push the lead to 7-3, and Parola put the finishing touches on a great day at the plate with a 2-run RBI double to deep center to make the final 9-3. 

Blackmer earned the save with a scoreless seventh, giving O’Donoghue the win in relief of senior ace Adam Turner, who threw three innings of one-run ball.

O’Hara had all three of the Titans’ RBI’s, and senior shortstop Mario Tursi finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and a walk.

Mundelein improves to 35-2 and meets conference rival No.8 Libertyville at 10 am on Saturday morning for the Glenbrook South Sectional Championship.  Glenbrook South ends a successful 2014 campaign at 29-6.