By Sean Duncan

CARY, IL – After watching its two-run lead evaporate, Cary-Grove rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Huntley 4-3 in a Fox Valley Conference, Valley Division contest Wednesday.

Junior left fielder Daniel Vilardo delivered the game-winning single with the bases loaded to lift the Trojans (19-9, 12-4) and split the two-game series with Huntley (16-14).

Cary-Grove carried a seemingly comfortable 2-0 into the sixth inning before Huntley’s offense came alive with three hits. Cary-Grove’s solid defense also fell apart in the sixth, committing four errors. All of which added up to three Huntley runs and the momentum neatly stacked in the Red Raiders’ corner.

Cary-Grove, which didn’t produce a hit during the previous two innings, sprung to life in the bottom of the seventh, kick-started by senior second baseman Dylan McDonough’s leadoff double. The next batter was hit by a pitch. Senior shortstop Matt Byrne then coaxed a walk after he first failed to lay down two bunts, then proceeded to foul three pitches off before ultimately receiving a pass to load the bases.

Huntley went to the pen, bringing in senior right-hander Justin Gundlach, who promptly induced a run-scoring groundout to Jeremy Vasquez to tie the game at 3-3. Huntley opted to intentionally walk junior right-handed pitcher Zach Marszal to load the bases.

Up stepped Vilardo, who ripped the first offering to centerfield for the game-winner. Vilardo, the younger brother of former PBR All-State shortstop Michael Vilardo, finished 2-for-4. Vilardo’s heroics made a winner out of Marszal (7-1), who bent but never broke in his complete-game effort. Using an 80-83 mph fastball and a 74-75 mph slider, the 5-foot-11 Marszal struck out five, walked one and yielded eight hits.

Three of those hits came in the first inning when Huntley reeled off three straight one-out singles, but he got out of the inning unscathed thanks to an inning-ending double play. Marszal also helped himself with a run-scoring single during Cary-Grove’s two-run third inning.

Junior third baseman Bryce Only went 3-for-3 with a run-scoring double to lead Huntley’s offense, and sophomore right fielder Mark Skoniezny added two hits.