By Drake Skleba

 

ROCKFORD - No. 2 Lyons Township received a two-run homer from its Illinois State-bound 1B Brian Rodemoyer in the bottom of the first and right-hander Connor Cuff fired a three-hitter to lead the Lions past Streamwood 6-1 in the Class 4A Rockford RiverHawks Stadium Supersectional on Monday night.

 

The 6-foot-3 Penn-bound Cuff improved to 10-0 on the season and 18-0 in his illustrious LT career. Cuff knocked down the first 13 Sabres he faced and settled for a three-hitter with eight strikeouts. The lone Streamwood (30-7) tally came in the top of the seventh.

 

?Brian?s home run in the first really helped me out,? said Connor Cuff. ?I had to throw strikes and I did a good job at that tonight. This is just awesome going to the semifinals on Friday.?

 

In the third inning, the Lions tacked on a third run on the first of three LT sac-flies, this time by junior 2B Steve Heilenbach. Heilenbach?s sac plated Valparaiso-bound SS Spencer Mahoney, who had tripled. Mahoney led off the Lion first inning and trotted around the bases on Rodemoyer?s first-inning bomb.

 

?Biggest stage I have ever played on,? said Rodemoyer, who has 10 homers on the year. ?It?s just great we were able to come out with a win. On my homer, I was way out in front of it and was able to muscle it out. My double was a much better at bat. I have really been struggling at the plate and to have a performance like this tonight is really gratifying.?

 

The Lions 7-8-9 hitters were prominent in the Lion single tally fourth and two-run sixth. In the fourth inning Lion No. 7 hitter Mike Pett, singled and went to third on a double from No. 8 hitter Brian Kelley. No. 9 hitter senior Dan Zehe drove home Pett with a sac-fly.

 

In the sixth, sophomore Keith Lehmann led off the inning with a double. Pett singled again, Lehmann stopping at third. Kelly plated Lehmann with a single and would score on another sac-fly by Zehe.

 

?It?s amazing,? said Kelly as the he held Class 4A Rockford Supersectional plaque in hand. ?We have great chemistry on this team and it is great that we will be heading to Joliet on Friday. It felt good to have a good day at the plate. The bottom of our lineup really came through for us tonight.?

 

In the top of the seventh, Streamwood put the first two Sabres on against Cuff on singles from Sabre senior CF Patrick Manning and junior 3B Richie Gorski. Gorski would be forced at second. Manning would score on a smash off Lehmann?s glove at third off the bat of Sabre senior RF Tim Cohen. The ball was picked up by Mahoney, who fired a laser to Lion first baseman Rodemoyer to get Cohen for the second out of the inning. Cuff ended the game with a flourish with his eighth and final strikeout of the game.

 

?We had our ace (Cuff) on the mound and it was a great victory,? said Mahoney. ?It was a great overall team win tonight. I was fortunate to get a couple of pitches I had good swings on. Sometimes they fall in, sometimes they don?t.?

 

With the win the Lions will meet No. 6 Mt. Carmel (32-7) at approximately 5 o?clock in the second Class 4A semifinal at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Mt. Carmel defeated Lincoln-Way East 9-7 to win the Class 4A Standard Bank Stadium Supersectional in Crestwood Monday night.

 

?Connor Cuff is tough,? said Lyons Township head coach George Ushela. ?He?s 18-0 for us over the last two years and he is a bull dog on the mound. He?s special in that way. It?s fun watching these kids play and it has been a real pleasure coaching them. Brian Kelley has had a great year for us this year.?

 

For Streamwood, the Sabres had a record-setting season for head coach Steve Diversey. The Sabres set a school record for wins (30). They won their first ever Upstate 8 Conference Championship (River Division co-championship). They won their first regional and sectional crowns.

 

?They are a great team,? said Diversey. ?Their pitcher Cuff is one of the best in the state. I really hope they go on and win the state. I?d rather lose to the state champs?I told the kids that it was a great season...they accomplished more than any team in 32 years of Streamwood baseball.?