By Drake Skleba

OAK PARK - With one swing of the powerful bat of Oak Park’s Purdue-bound catcher Jack Picchiotti, an instant classic was created. On a cold, crisp afternoon, Picchiotti led off the bottom of the eighth inning in a 3-3 tie with West Suburban Conference Silver Division rival Glenbard West. The future Boilermaker hammered a soaring drive that cleared the rightfield fence. Picchiotti’s walk-off bomb gave No. 4 Oak Park an amazing 4-3 come-from-behind victory.

“I just went up to the plate trying to get the inning started for us,” said Picchiotti. “He threw me a curveball on the first pitch and I knew he wasn’t go to throw me another one. I just crushed the fastball and it was a great feeling to hit the walk-off homer.”  

Glenbard West (7-3-1; 1-2) jumped out quickly with a pair of runs in the top of the second off of Oak Park starting pitcher senior LHP Max Guzzetta. Guzzetta, in his three previous appearances for the Huskies (7-1; 2-1), had nailed down three saves.

The Hilltopers picked up their first run on a groundout and then senior leadoffman Miles Purdom came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to increase the Hilltopper lead to 2-0.

Purdom struck again in the fifth with a booming RBI double to increase the lead to 3-0.

Meanwhile on the mound, Glenbard West’s senior LHP Ryan Kavanaugh handcuffed the Huskie hitters through five. Kavanugh left after five innings, allowing three hits and struck out five.

With two out in the top of the sixth, Guzzetta was relieved by Huskie sophomore reliever Sam Cottingham-Beard (2-0). Cottingham-Beard retired the final Hilltoper hitter in the sixth and went on to slam the door on Glenbard West in the seventh and eighth and was made the winning pitcher by Picchiotti’s bomb.

“I went out there trying to keep the ball down and get outs,” said Cottingham-Beard. “Our bats struggled early but it was great to come back and get this win.”

Oak Park picked up an unearned run against Hilltopper sophomore reliever Grant Greeno in the sixth.

In the bottom of the seventh, Oak Park struck for two runs to send the game into extra-innings. Huskie senior RF Mike Brennan reached on a Hilltopper miscue. Senior Matt McCormack and Cottingham-Beard each singled to load the bases.

Sophomore pinch-hitter Alex Rice laced an RBI single to left to bring the Huskies to within 3-2.

“It’s really hard coming in cold off the bench in the seventh inning,” said Rice. “Coach wanted me to come in and get the run in. He threw me eight straight fastballs so I waited for the curveball and was able to get the big hit.”

Senior 2B Jack Belcaster executed a perfect suicide-squeeze to bring home McCormack with the tying run.

“We got down early and we tried to make all the plays to comeback and win this game,” said Belcaster. “On the suicide squeeze, I had a 1-1 count and I noticed that the first baseman was back. Coach wanted me to lay the bunt down and I knew if I could get the bunt past the pitcher I would get the tying run home.”

Cottingham-Beard gave up a single with one out in the top of the eighth to Kavanaugh, who tried to stretch the single into a double and was gunned out in a run-down on a great throw from McCormack. Cottingham-Beard fanned the last Hilltopper hitter and then Picchiotti sent all of us home.

“Sam (Cottingham-Beard) is just a sophomore and did a tremendous job for us in relief,” said Oak Park head coach Chris Ledbetter. “Alex Rice had a tremendous 12-pitch at bat for us and drove home a big run. Jack Belcaster executed the suicide-squeeze bunt to perfection and Jack (Picchiotti) had been struggling, but picked a good time to pick up his first two hits of the year. Once Jack connected, I knew the game was over.”