Friday, April 1 recap

Daily Roundup     
April 1
By Drake Skleba

In WJOL Area Invite action on Friday at Lockport, the host 27th-ranked Porters (4-0) rolled past Joliet Central 8-5. St. Joseph College-bound Matt Skrzypiec had two hits, including a double and drove in two Porter runs. Porter Ted Snidanko tripled among his two hits and drove in a pair of runs. RHP Bob Wilmson (1-0) fired four shutout innings as the Porter starting pitcher to pick up the win. Lockport will take on Joliet Catholic Academy (2-1) in a WJOL semifinal at Lockport today at 11:30.

Drake Skleba will be in Lockport for the PBR Game of the Day.

No. 43 Joliet Catholic Academy (2-1) stunned Plainfield South 4-3, in a WJOL Area Invite quarterfinal at Lockport. Hilltopper senior RHP/3B Kyle Cunningham launched a 3-2 pitch over the right-centerfield fence with winning junior RHP Nate Searing (1-0) aboard and sent the large contingent from Joliet back to Larkin Avenue in a frenzy.

No. 3 Nazareth (7-0)  went down to the metro-east section of St. Louis and beat up on Belleville East 9-1. Miami of Ohio-bound RHP Ryan Powers had quite a  day. The future Redhawk hit two solo homers and fired a complete-game masterpiece at the Lancers.

No. 31 Normal West (5-3) defeated East Peoria 7-4 in 12 thrilling innings. Wildcat senior RHP Adam Seifert (2-0) picked up the win with four-innings of solid relief. Junior Ryan Speller doubled home the game-winner in the top of the 12th and sophomore Alex Jefferson had three hits, including a two-run triple in the top of the 12th.

No. 46 Benet Academy (3-2) whipped Hinsdale South 6-4 behind Adam Butler and Chris Stout. Butler had two hits, including a double and drove home three Redwing runs. Stout was 2-for-2 and had an RBI. Senior RHP Jim O?Mally (1-0) picked up the win with two shutout innings of relief

Later in the day, in Burbank, Benet and No. 5  St. Laurence battled through seven wild innings and ended up in a 6-6 game, suspended by darkness. Zac Lewinski had two hits and two RBI to lead the Redwings.

No. 5 St. Laurence (6-1) was led by Purdue-bound LHP/RF Kyle Wood, who had a pair of doubles for the Vikings and worked the first two innings of the game on the mound. Viking freshman Mike Kornacker drove in two runs in the suspended contest.

Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin (5-1) outlasted Highland Park 16-14. Cyclone University of Illinois-bound SS Michael Hurwitz had three hits and two RBI. Sophomore 1B David Jacob had a huge day for the Cyclones. Jacob homered and doubled, among his four hits and drove in four Cyclone runs.

Highland Park (3-3) senior OF Frank Maione had a bases-clearing triple to highlight an 11-run Giant fifth inning. Earlier in the day, the Giants fell to No. 10 Chatham Glenwood 11-8 at South Park in Chatham. Glenwood improves to 5-0 with the slugfest win.

No. 16 O?Fallon (7-1; 2-0) pounded out 20 hits and destroyed Missouri?s Webster Groves High School 17-4 in five innings. Sam Summerlin and Justin Busekrus homered for the second consecutive game. Busekrus drove home three. University of Pennsylvania-bound C Austin Bossart had three hits, including two doubles and drove in three Panther runs. Senior 1B Cody Seeburger went deep for O?Fallon as well.