Ferry's perfection leads No. 8 Lemont past Minooka

By Drake Skleba

MINOOKA - Eighteen Minooka batters faced Lemont?s Josh Ferry in a WJOL Area Invite quarterfinal on Friday. The University of Illinois-bound senior right-hander retired all 18 to fire a perfect game, as Lemont rolled to a 10-0 victory in six innings.

The 6-foot-4 Ferry struck out nine and received outstanding defensive and offensive support from his teammates in the field. The future Fighting Illini was a consistently 88-89 mph for the game. A half-dozen MLB scouts were on hand to witness Ferry?s perfection.

?My defense was great all day,? said Ferry. ?I couldn?t have done it without Kevin (Goergen), Gio (Schmidt) Mike (Hall) and Jason (Stapleton). Jeff?s (Worsech) slam was great. My fastball was moving really well.?

In a battle  of Indians, both Minooka and Lemont are known as the Indians, and also a battle of Joshs, Ferry and Minooka?s junior ace starting LHP Josh Jimenez - there was an electricity in the air at windy and cold Minooka.

Jiminez (2-1) walked the first three Lemont hitters he faced in the bottom of the first. Lemont was designated as the home team. On a 3-2 pitch, Ferry singled to left, scoring one run and on a Minooka throwing error a second Lemont run came home for a 2-0 Lemont lead.

Minooka was charitable and gave Lemont gift-wrapped runs in the second and third to increase the Lemont lead to 4-0. Ferry meanwhile had retired the first nine Minooka hitters through three.

In the Lemont half of the fourth, junior DH Jeff Worsech hammered the last pitch Jiminez would throw. With a teammate on every base, Worsech sent the ball soaring over the left field fence for a grand-slam and an 8-0 Lemont lead.

?I got my pitch and really drove it,? said Worsech. ?Josh Ferry is an amazing pitcher.?

In the Lemont fifth, junior 2B Gio Schmidt singled home the ninth Indian run.

In the Minooka fifth, the Lemont defense was absolutely outstanding. On back-to-back plays, Indian junior 2B Gio Schmidt and senior 1B Jason Stapleton teamed up to rob Minooka hitters from reaching safely. Michigan State-bound SS Kevin Goergen saved the best for last. Minooka?s Carson Neushwander hit a shot deep in the hole at short. The future Spartan snared the shot and fired a laser to Stapleton, nipping Neushwander by an eyelash.

In the Minooka sixth, Goergen was at it again, making another fine play for the first out of the inning. On the next two batters, Ferry did it himself, picking up his eight and ninth strikeouts of the game.

?It wasn?t just me,? said Goergen. ?Our whole defense played absolutely outstanding. Jeff?s grand slam really helped and Josh was amazing in throwing the first perfect game in Lemont  baseball history.?

In the Lemont sixth, Ferry?s battery-mate senior C Jake Broztowski sent everyone home when he hit a two-out single, driving in the 10th and final run of this example of pure perfection.

?Josh was just amazing on the mound for us,? said Brzotowski. ?Josh was in complete control from the start to the finish of this game. Josh threw hard and his breaking ball was biting. Felt good to hit the first pitch of my at bat in the sixth for the game-winner.?

No. 8 Lemont (3-2) will get a rematch in Saturday?s WJOL Invite semifinal with No. 1 Providence (4-0) on Saturday at 11:30. Providence defeated Lemont 6-1 on March 23. Providence advanced with a 4-2 quarterfinal win over Plainfield Central (0-4).

?I just wish we could play like this when someone other than Josh (Ferry) is pitching,? said Lemont head coach Joe Rodeghero. ?The kids really focus when Josh is on the mound.

?Josh was outstanding and we played our best game of the season thus far.?