By Drake Skleba

 

LOCKPORT- Lockport senior third baseman Jory Koehler had quite an afternoon during the Porters’ 3-2 Southwest Suburban Conference Blue Division win over No. 18 Lincoln-Way Central. With the game tied at 2-2 in the third inning, the Knights had the bases full with no outs against Lockport junior right-hander Mike Grindstaff.

 

Knight senior catcher T.J. Seibt (2-for-3; 2 RBI) hit a sharp grounder to Koehler at third. Koehler fired a strike to Porter catcher Josh Johnson for the force at the plate.

 

Out No. 1.

 

Johnson then fired a strike to Porter junior first baseman Jake Bulthuis to throw out Seibt at first.

 

Out No. 2.

 

Bulthuis, who knows a little about throwing strikes as the Porter ace on the mound this season, fired a laser back to Koehler, who put the tag on Knight centerfielder Chad Podkulski. Podkulski was on second having reached base on a Porter miscue, and broke for third after Johnson’s throw to first. Koehler put the tag on Podkulski.

 

Out No. 3 … and out of the bases-loaded jam with a triple play.

 

“I was thinking home all the way,” said Koehler.  “I just was hoping to get the force at the plate for one out. I saw I had made a good throw to Josh and saw we had a shot at a double play. The Lincoln-Way Central baserunner at second stopped and then broke for third. I heard everyone yelling three and went back to the base and caught the throw from Jake and put the tag on the runner for the triple play. This was the first time I have ever been involved in a triple play. It was very cool.”

 

Lincoln-Way Central (17-6; 6-2) scored a pair of runs against Grindstaff on only one hit in the first inning. With one out, Seibt singled and scored junior right fielder Tyler Gellinger (2-for-3,2B) and Podkulski (1-for-3,2B, HBP) to give the Knights an early 2-0 lead.

 

Lockport (18-9, 6-2) answered with a pair of runs against Lincoln-Way Central starting pitcher Bryan Hennessey to tie things up at 2 after one inning. Lockport sophomore Billy Reed (1-for-3, 2R, 3B) led off the inning with a triple and scored on a groundout. With two outs, Koehler (2-for-3, 2B, RBI) ripped a single, scoring junior second baseman Matt Skrzypiec, who had walked, to tie the game.

 

“I had a big day at the plate,” said Koehler. “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

 

In the triple-play-ending third, Gellinger doubled to leadoff the inning. Podkulski reached on an error and Lewis University-bound Knight first baseman Tom Helwich walked to load the bases. Koehler and his friends snuffed out the potential game-breaking inning.

 

“It was amazing,” said Grindstaff. “I was screaming home to Jory and then I saw we had a shot at the double play and I was screaming first to Josh. I’m running around in circles screaming third.”

 

Lockport picked up the game-winner in the bottom of the fifth. Reed reached on a Knight error to open up the frame. Reed went to second on a ground out and then scored the deciding run when junior Connor Petschke’s fly ball to right field was misplayed and Reed streaked home.

 

Grindstaff (3-1) settled down and blanked the Knights after the two-run first. The hard throwing junior scattered seven hits and struck out 9, including three in the top of the seventh for the victorious Porters.

 

“I came out a little shaky in the first inning,” said Grindstaff. “Coach came out and talked with me and I settled down and then pitched very well. My defense was great and had my back all day. I bore down and stuck out three in the seventh for my defense.”

 

Lincoln-Way Central senior Hennessey fired a complete game, allowing two earned runs and four hits for the Knights. Hennessey (6-3) struck out six.

 

“We struck out nine times and did not execute on offense and defense,” said Lincoln-Way Central head coach Sean Bieterman. “Grindstaff pitched a fine game for Lockport.”

 

With the win Lockport and Lincoln-Way Central are tied for second place in the SWSC-Blue. Defending champion Sandburg (20-8, 8-2) moved into first place with the Eagles 6-0 win over Lincoln-Way East on Monday.

 

“We have been working on that triple play in practice the last few weeks and it worked to perfection,” said Lockport head coach Steve Stanicek jokingly. “Usually a triple play is on a lineout with the runners moving or a hopper to third. It was amazing.

 

 “Jory has really had a fine year offensively for us and has really worked the kinks out at third and is playing well. Mike Grindstaff struggled early but really settled down and pitched well. This was a huge win for us and keeps us in the race with Sandburg and Central.”