By Drake Skleba

 

PARK RIDGE- In a crucial Central Suburban League South Division clash, New Trier was three outs away from an ultra-impressive eighth consecutive victory, leading 20^th-ranked Maine South 18-3 in the host Hawks half of the fifth. Three outs from a statement victory.

 

Maine South scored nine times in the bottom of the fifth to keep the game going and battled the defending Class 4A champions from New Trier to the bitter end before falling 20-15 on Tuesday.

 

With the win, New Trier (13-8; 6-3) pulls to within two games of the first place Hawks with a matchup on Thursday at Duke Childs Field in Winnetka. The Trevians have won the last 7 CSL-South championships. Maine South (15-6; 8-1) won the CSL-South in 2002.

 

Maine South opened the scoring in this marathon, picking up three unearned runs off New Trier starting pitcher John Cook (5-1) in the bottom of the first. Cook allowed five earned runs in his 4 1/3 innings of work.

 

New Trier scored the next 18 runs of the game, as the Trevians handed Maine South’s University of Illinois-bound senior right-hander Ronnie Muck (8-2) his second loss in 10 decisions. Muck allowed 12 runs, 8 of which were earned, and nine hits as New Trier won for the eighth consecutive time.

 

Maine South refused to go down easily, hitting the Trevians with the nine-run fifth to pull to within 18-12. Hawk senior RF Mike O’Connell (2-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI), junior SS John Gobbo (3-for-4,2RBI), junior 3B Joe Fabiano (2-for-5, 2RBI) and Muck drove home runs in the Hawk fifth inning uprising. Muck hammered his sixth home run of the season with a man on in the inning.

 

New Trier added a pair in the sixth only to have the Hawks answer with a three spot. Junior Hawk captain Chris Krug doubled home a pair of Hawk runs in the sixth.

 

In the bottom of the seventh, New Trier head coach Mike Napoleon had seen enough and brought in his hard-throwing junior LHP Charlie Tilson to finish up the game. The University of Illinois recruit blew away all three of the Hawk hitters on strikes to end the game as the sun set in the west.

 

“We have been playing really well and it was good to get this victory,” said Tilson.  “We beat Maine South’s best pitcher today and on Thursday we have to play better defense and continue to hit the ball as we have during this great run.”

 

Trevian heroes were aplenty today. Junior DH Kevin Samuelson had a 4-for-5 day, including a big three-run homer that finished Muck’s day in the eight-run Trevian third. Samuelson had four RBIs and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

 

“I got my pitches and hit the ball well today,” said Samuelson. “We all really hit the ball well and this was a big win for us.”

 

Senior catcher Jeff Dsida was a homer shy of hitting for the cycle in his 4-for-5 game. Dsida drove home a pair of RBI in the Trevian win.

“We beat a great pitcher in Muck,” said Dsida “I looked fastball against Muck and was able to hit get a couple for solid hits.”

 

Senior J.P McCallum added a 3-for-4 day with a pair of doubles and four RBI.

“We were ready for Muck. Yesterday we had batting practice from 45 feet to get used to his heater,” said McCallum. “I was able to get my pitch today I really hit the ball well.”

 

For Maine South, the Hawks look to rebound on Thursday in Winnetka.

 

“Hey we lost the game today but we really battled,” said Maine South coach Bill Milano. “I just told the kids that and we will be ready on Thursday.”

 

For New Trier, things do not get any easier for the Trevians. New Trier will look for their ninth consecutive win against No. 2 Stevenson at Duke Childs at 4:45 on Wednesday.

 

“We were up by fifteen runs and I shut down a lot that we do so as not to show Maine South up,” said New Trier head coach Mike Napoleon. “A missed fly ball here, a grounder missed there and they’re right back in the game. Kevin Samuelson and Jeff Dsida had big games at the plate and Charlie was lights out in the bottom of the seventh. We survived.”