By Drake Skleba

LISLE – Back at the end of March, the Panthers of Lena-Winslow were struggling with a 3-6 record and didn't appear that the 2012 season would end up in O'Brien Field in Peoria.

Well, after junior right-hander Evan Herr fired a three-hit shutout at Ottawa Marquette, the Panthers turned their rough start into a dream season. With the 6-0 Class 1A Benedictine University Supersectional win, the Panthers advance to the Class 1A Semifinals at Peoria's O'Brien Field on Friday.

The Panthers will meet the Warriors of Tuscola at approximately noon in the second Class 1A semifinal.

Lena-Winslow (27-11-1) scored three gift runs in the top of the second.  An Ottawa Marquette throwing error allowed a pair of Panther runs to score. Senior catcher Casey Schroeder’s RBI single made it 3-0 as Marquette made three big miscues. Hard-luck Crusader starting pitcher J.T. Yocum (10-2) deserved a better fate.

The Panthers added a run in the fourth and scored a pair in the sixth to open up a 6-0 lead. In the two-run fifth, Panther Seth Dasher had an RBI single and Schroeder drove home his second run of the game with a sac-fly.

“One of the best feelings in the world,” said Schroeder. “We would like to top this and get two more victories and win a state championship. People doubted us early but we came together as a team and are heading to Peoria.
“Evan Herr has been outstanding all season for us. I just am happy to have done my part to get us this great victory.”

Herr (7-1) was dealing on the mound for L-W. Herr allowed just three singles and struck out eight Crusader hitters. The junior had one misfortune in his route-going performance against Marquette. Herr hit four Crusader batsmen, one more than his hits allowed total.

“We have been talking about this since February,” said Herr. “We knew it was just a matter of time before we all got it together on the field. I was thinking before the game that I wanted to just throw strikes. I really was able to do that and my defense was outstanding behind me.”

Panther senior third-baseman Cole Logeman kept his .498 batting average with a 2-for-4 afternoon. Logeman has driven in 61 Panther runs this season. Herr had a fine day the plate as well, with two hits for L-W.

Ottawa Marquette, which returns seven position players in 2013, bows out at 30-8.

The Lena Winslow win was the 300th for Panther head coach Tom Smargiassi. Back at the end of March, when he was sitting at 276, little did he know that No. 300 would send his kids on a week-end trip to Peoria the first week-end in June.

 “This is a dream come true,” said Smargiassi. “I just got through telling the kids that we are a long way from 3-6. We have nine seniors that have guts and played on a state championship football team (vs. Tuscola in 2010) and are just winners.

“My only junior Evan Herr, just pounded the strike zone tonight,” added Smargiassi. “I am so proud of Evan for the job he and all my kids did today.”