By Drake Skleba

 

PALOS HILLS - An unwelcomed guest showed up at Thursday’s Southwest Suburban Conference Red Division showdown between Bradley-Bourbonnais and Stagg. From the first pitch to the final out, a steady light rain fell on the proceedings.

 

Stagg survived the elements and hung on to defeat a gritty Bradley-Bourbonnais squad, 8-6, to win a share of the SSC-Red Division championship with Andrew (21-9; 11-3). Andrew defeated Thornwood 10-4 on Thursday to give the T-Bolts the 2010 co-championship. Bradley-Bourbonnais (19-9; 10-4) finished in third place, one game in back of the co-champions.

 

Bradley-Bourbonnais struck for two runs in the top of the second to grab the early lead. The Boilermakers’ No. 8 and No. 9 hitters picked up the clutch two-out RBI. Senior third baseman Blayne Dayhoff (2-for-3; 2B; RBI) doubled home junior DH Joe Gordon (2-for-2, RBI, 2BB), who had singled, and then scored on a single by senior left fielder Tim Smith.

 

Stagg (21-11; 11-3) answered with RBI singles by No. 8 hitter senior Kevin Reinke (1-for-2, 2BB, 3R) and No.9 hitter shortstop Brian Valcarcel. Charger leadoff man Jared Jannasch drove home the third Charger run of the inning on an infield single.

 

Bradley-Bourbonnais scored twice in the top of the fourth off junior starting pitcher Brad Clark to retake the lead 4-3. A sac-fly by senior Zach Wadley tied the game at 3 and the Boilermakers scored the lead run on a wild pitch from Clark, scoring pinch-runner Logan Larocque, who was running for starting and losing pitcher John Fightmaster, who had doubled.

 

Clark tied the game at 4 with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the fifth the Chargers scored three times to open up a 7-4 lead. Stagg scored the first run on a wild pitch. Clark struck again with an RBI single to increase the lead to 6-4. Stagg perfectly executed the old walk-off play to perfection, with Jannasch stealing home for the seventh Charger run of the game.

 

Clark walked the first man he faced in the sixth and Stagg head coach Matt O’Neil went to his bullpen and brought in senior right-handed pitcher Jake Hahn. After a flyout and a single Hahn induced a 6-4-3 rally-killing double play. The twin killing was the third of the day by the Charger infield.

 

Kudos go out to Charger junior third baseman Dan Ahern, sophomore shortstop Valcarcel, senior second baseman Tim Blaha and senior first baseman Desmond Cato.The Charger defense made numerous fine plays in the conference championship clinching victory.

 

In the top of the seventh, after two outs, the never-say-die Boilermakers went to work on Hahn. Four consecutive hits plated a pair and ended the day for Hahn. Boilermaker RBIs in the inning came from senior shortstop Sam Bumpers (2-for-3; RBI, BB) and Gordon.

 

O’Neil once again went to his pen and summoned his ace, senior RHP Matt Conrad. With the tying runs on first and second, Conrad induced Fightmaster to hit a soft roller in front of the plate. Conrad pounced on the roller in the soaked grass, picked it up, slipped and fired a strike to Cato and the Chargers were the 2010 Southwest Conference Red Division  co-champions.

 

“It is simply awesome to be conference champs,” said Clark. “It’s one of the best feelings I have ever had in my entire life. I didn’t pitch as well as I should but my great defense kept bailing me out with great plays. It felt good to help get us back in the game with my big double in the fourth and the RBI single in the fifth to give us a 6-4 lead.”

 

Clark, in only his second start of the season, improved to 2-0 with the win.

 

“Brad Clark got some big hits for us in the game,” said O’Neil. “Our infielders are little guys but they all have great hands and made some outstanding plays today. Brad battled and did a good job for us on the mound in only his second start of the year.”