By Drake Skleba

 

MINOOKA  – No.15 Normal West’s Tyler Emmerson had quite a day in Thursday’s Class 4A Minooka Regional semifinal. Emmerson picked up a save on the mound, had a pair of hits, including an RBI double and added a steal of home in the Wildcats’ 8-4 win over Bradley-Bourbonnais.

 

 With the win, the Big 12 champions from Normal West (28-8) will meet the hosts No.8 Minooka (29-7) on Saturday at 10 a.m. for what should be one of the best regional championship games in the state.

 

The Wildcats scored in a variety of ways in their semifinal win. The aforementioned steal of home occurred in the second inning, with the game tied 1-1. With one out, Emmerson legged out a single. Emmerson went to third on a misplayed ball off the bat of Wildcat senior second baseman Michael Collins. Collins stopped at second. Junior centerfielder Adam Seifert stuck out. Bradley-Bourbonnais catcher Ryan Keener dropped the third strike and fired to first for the 2-3 putout.

 

Normal West head coach Chris Hawkins rolled the dice and sent the fleet-footed Emmerson breaking for home. Emmerson easily beat the return throw from Boilermaker first baseman Austin Chinn to Keener. Normal West starting pitcher junior Kyle Vaughn (9-1) walked and sophomore left fielder A.J.Jefferson ripped a clutch two-out RBI single to give the ‘Cats a 3-1 lead.

 

“There was no doubt in my mind I could beat the return throw to the plate,” said Emmerson. “It felt good to steal the run.”

 

Bradley-Bourbonnais (20-12) scored their first run of the game on the first home run of the season in the top of the second by starting pitcher John Fightmaster (7-3). The long blast to left knotted things up 1-1.

 

With the Boilermakers down 3-1, senior centerfielder Zach Wadley (2-for-3, RBI) singled in Chinn, who had singled and the Boilers trailed 3-2 as the game went to the bottom of the fourth.

 

Normal West answered with a two unearned runs to open up a 5-2 lead after 4. Normal West’s Illinois State-bound shortstop Brock Stewart (2-for-3; 2B; RBI; BB) had a clutch two-out RBI double to highlight the inning.

 

“I needed to wait back on the ball,” said Stewart. “I was out in front too much today. I hit the way I am supposed to on the RBI double in the fourth.”

 

Emmerson picked up his RBI double in the fifth to increase the Wildcat lead to 6-2.

 

In the Boilermaker sixth, Chinn walked and went to second on a single from junior DH Joe Gordon (2-for-4). Fightmaster (2-for-3, HR, 2B, 2RBI) doubled in a run to make the score 6-3 and end the day for Vaughn.

 

Emmerson was summoned from right field and wild-pitched a run home to make the score 6-4. Emmerson made some big pitches to get out of the inning without further damage.

 

As the Wildcats had done all day, the offense answered Bradley-Bourbonnais with a pair of sixth-inning runs to increase their lead to 8-4. Senior catcher Jake Birlingmair (1-for-3, 2B, RBI) picked up an RBI the hard way after being hit with the bases juiced. Junior third baseman Wes Sery singled in the final run of the game for West. It was Sery’s second hit of the contest.

 

“We hit very well today,” said Sery. “It was a good win for us and we are looking forward to playing Minooka on Saturday. It should be a good game.”

 

In the top of the seventh, after an error opened the inning for Bradley-Bourbonnais, Emmerson bore down and retired the next three Boilermaker hitters to send the Wildcats to the regional championship game on Saturday.

 

“I haven’t pitched that much as of late,” said Emmerson. “It felt good to be back on the mound again. I am very happy I was able to pitch well and help us get the win.”

 

Normal West had 11 hits on the day. Vaughn and Seifert each had a hit in three trips. Junior Trey Rogers, running for Vaughn, had a pair of steals and scored two runs.

 

“Gutsy,” said Hawkins. “Tyler has only pitched one inning for us since the Harrisburg game on May 8. He came in and did a gutsy job for us tonight. Tyler had quite a day. Kyle Vaughn doesn’t overpower anyone, but he just gets people out for us. We really hit the ball well today and are happy to be playing in the championship game Saturday.”

 

Bradley-Bourbonnais closes out a fine season at 20-12.

 

“I am proud of the way we battled tonight against a good team,” said Bradley-Bourbonnais head coach Kevin Arthur.” We didn’t make some plays that really hurt us. We had a good season and I am optimistic about 2011.”