By Drake Skleba

 

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS - In Monday’s Mid-Suburban League Eastern Division showdown, Hersey defeated Prospect 5-2 to move into sole possession of first place with one game to be played. Hersey’s 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior right-hander Steve Danielak was impressive on the mound for the Huskies, firing a six-hitter to improve to 8-3 on the season.

 

The Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne University-bound Danilelak allowed only one earned run and struck out nine Prospect (17-11; 10-5) hitters. Danielak finished strong by striking out three in the seventh.

 

“I tried to stay calm tonight and treat the game like any other game,” said Danielak. “I pitched well tonight and my cutter was certainly my best pitch. I felt really loose at the plate tonight and had a good game.”

 

“This was a great team win,” Danielak added. “We had some timely hitting and defense and must just focus on winning again on Wednesday. If we do, it will be fantastic to play for the MSL Championship on Saturday.”

 

Prospect scored its only earned run off Danielak in the top of the first. Knight starting pitcher John Coen (1-for-4) singled to leadoff the ball game. Coen went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a one-out RBI single by junior centerfielder Peter Bonahoom.

 

Hersey (23-8; 11-4) answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the first. Huskies’ senior shortstop Alex Lee (2-for-3,HR, 2RBI) hit his fifth home run of the season to quickly tie things up at 1. Hersey senior third baseman Jake Knauss was hit by a pitch and went to third on an errant pickoff throw. Junior catcher Sean Thompson came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to plate Knauss and give the Huskies a 2-1 lead.

 

In the Hersey second, again with two outs, the Huskies scored on an RBI single by Lee for a 3-1 lead.

 

Prospect picked up an unearned run in the fifth to pull within 3-2. In the bottom half of the fifth, the Knights returned the favor two-fold by giving the Huskies a pair of unearned runs to increase their lead to 5-2.

 

Thompson hit a slow roller down the third baseline and beat the wild throw to first, scoring Lee, who had reached on an error, which plated senior left fielder Domenic Biagini, who had walked with the second gift run of the inning.

 

“We just cannot make the routine play,’ said Prospect head coach Ross Guisti.  “That is the reason we are 10-5 instead of 13-2 in conference. John Coen is a competitor. He pitched well for us tonight.”

 

In the bottom of the seventh Danielak struck out the first Knight hitter before giving up a one-out double to Knight first baseman Brain Bauer. Danielak bore down and proceeded to strike out the final two Knight hitters to finish off his eighth win of 2010.

 

“Steve pitched a great game for us tonight,” said Thompson. “Steve’s cutter was really something.”

 

Danielak had a single and a double at the plate to add to his great day.

 

“Prospect is a great offensive team and that is a credit to Steve for the tremendous job he did for us tonight,” said Hersey head coach Bob Huber. “Alex Lee’s home run in the first was big for us and although I wish we would have played better defensively, this was a good win.”

 

The MSL East looks like this after tonight’s action. Hersey leads the division with an 11-4 mark. Buffalo Grove (17-11; 10-5), who scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat last place Wheeling 7-6, is tied with Prospect for second.

 

Hersey will host Elk Grove on Wednesday. A Hersey win gives the Huskies the East crown and a date at Western Division champ Fremd on Saturday. Buffalo Grove will travel to Rolling Meadows on Wednesday and Prospect will host Wheeling. If Hersey loses and Buffalo Grove and Prospect win the East will end up in a three way tie. Hersey will go the championship game, having a 3-1 mark against Prospect and B-G; Prospect is 2-2 and B-G 1-3.

 

If Hersey and Prospect lose and B-G wins, Hersey and B-G would end up tied and would have a playoff game on Thursday, to determine the East representative versus Fremd on Saturday.