Saturday May 22

 

By Drake Skleba

 

No. 6 Providence (24-11) continued their late-season slide, falling to Lockport 5-4 in eight innings in a nonconference game on Saturday.  Lockport (23-12) won the game in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch. Porter junior catcher Brenden Dunleavy drove home a pair of runs for Lockport. Senior Kyle Billig chipped in with a three-hit day for the Porters. Celtic junior catcher Dan Potempa homered for Providence.

 

No. 7 Normal West (25-8) fell for the second time this week. Lyons Township (23-10) junior Connor Cuff hammered a game-winning three-run bomb in the bottom of the seventh to lead the West Suburban Conference Silver champion Lions past the Big 12 champion Wildcats, 5-3.

 

Cuffs’ blast made a winner of Lion LHP Mark Koziel. L.T junior shortstop Spencer Mahoney had two hits for the Lions. In the fateful seventh, Mahoney, who was on second, screened the Normal West shortstop from fielding Lion junior Brian Rodemoyer’s ground ball. Rodemoyer reached base, Mahoney stopped at third and both danced home as Cuff was next and ended the proceedings.

 

In Southwestern Conference action: Belleville East (23-5; 11-3), behind a four-hit shutout from senior Steven Sotiropoulos (6-0), blanked No. 10 Granite City 6-0 to finish in second place behind SWC champ O’Fallon (21-12; 12-2). Sotiropoulos struck out 8 and received offensive support from junior Aaron Krummrich, who had two hits and two RBI for the Lancers.  Granite City (24-8; 10-4) concluded a 1-3 week.

 

No.11 Plainfield North (27-5; 18-3) wrapped up its second consecutive Southwest Prairie Conference championships with a 5-2 win over Oswego. Junior Brian Evak doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Tigers.

 

No.12 Naperville North (27-7) was shutout by Plainfield Central 4-0. Plainfield Central (15-18) senior Mark Lubawski fired a one-hitter with four strikeouts at the highly-ranked Huskies. Wildcat senior Derek DeYoung launched his 11^th homer of the season.

 

Libertyville (21-11) defeated No.16 Burlington Central 5-3 behind Wildcat sophomore right-hander Dar Townsend. Townsend outdueled Burlington Central ace RHP Nick Hahn (10-1) as the Wildcats picked up a big nonconference victory on Saturday. Burlington Central falls to 31-2

 

In the Fox Valley Valley Division: Huntley (24-9; 17-7) and Cary-Grove (22-12; 17-7) shared the 2010 Valley Division title. Freshman Bryce Only hammered a game-winning blast to lead the Red Raiders past Jacobs in game one 4-2 and senior RHP Chris Klein improved to 5-4 on the season with a complete-game gem in game two for the sweep 4-2. Ben Albano went 4-for-7 and hit his 16^th homer of the year for Jacobs. …

 

Cary-Grove defeated Dundee-Crown 5-3 in game one but was stunned by the Chargers 4-2 in game two, costing the Trojans their third consecutive out-right FVC Valley title. C-G has to settle for a co-championship with Huntley.

 

Centralia (19-11) whitewashed Effingham 2-0 behind a combined shutout from senior Andres Gimeno and junior Daniel Ells. Gimeno allowed five hits in five innings striking out seven and Ells fired two hitless innings of relief to pick up the save. Ells had a 3-for-3 day at the plate with a triple. Senior Fory Albert had the only RBI for the Orphans. Effingham falls to 24-6 on the season.

 

Streator (26-6; 10-0), behind a five-hitter from junior LHP Gunther Libby, blanked Ottawa 4-0 to complete an undeated NCIC-Reagan championship season. Libby struck out 10 for the champion Bulldogs.

 

Defending Class 4A champion New Trier (22-11) defeated Mount Carmel 7-2 behind senior RHP Connor Murphy (7-0). Murphy allowed a pair of runs in his six-inning stint against Mount Carmel (26-10).

 

In Class 2A Regional Final action:

 

No.1 Harrisburg (36-0) avenged a 2009 regional loss to Anna-Jonesboro (25-10) in top-ranked fashion, crushing the Wildcats 13-2. Senior catcher Noah King and junior Nick Borders hit grand slams to lead the Bulldogs to the 2010 Class 2A Harrisburg Regional title. University of Illinois-bound senior RHP Reid Roper fired a complete game allowing two unearned runs and striking out eight to improve to 10-0 on the season.

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Two-time defending Class 2A champion Olympia had its three-peat bid spoiled on Saturday when Decatur St. Teresa upended the Spartans 4-3 in the regional semifinal. Nick Sanford hit a three-run homer in the first inning to get St. Teresa off to a strong start. The Bulldogs improve to 30-5.Decatur St. Teresa will meet Bloomington Central Catholic for the Class 2A Stanford Olympia Regional crown on Monday.

Murphysboro blanked ZRC 10-0 in five innings. Junior left-handed ace Dylan Craig recorded 10 strikeouts  and yielded two hits and a walk, setting up a showdown with No. 1 Harrisburg.  

 

Harvard (23-7) won the Class 2A Harvard Regional championship with a 10-0 whitewashing of Elgin St. Edward in five innings. Hornet ace RHP Chase Blazier (7-3) fired a two-hitter and struck out eight. Hornet sophomore catcher Cody Melson homered and doubled to help his battery mate Blazier in the regional championship victory.

 

Pleasant Plains (23-7) defeated Pittsfield 5-0 behind a two-hit shutout from Cardinal  Dan Reiser (6-2) to win the Class 2A Pittsfield Regional Championship. Reiser struck out 14 Saukee hitters. Max McElfresh had two hits and two RBI.T.J.Albers homered for the Cardinals. Pittsfield bows out at 31-5.

 

Coal City (23-12) defeated Reed-Custer 4-1 in nine innings to win the Class 2A Seneca Regional Championship. Coaler junior Billy McMillan singled home two runs and then scored on senior Tom Taylor’s double, as the Coalers struck for three runs in the top of the ninth. Senior Colt Smith (7-3) picked up the win in relief with 3 1/3 no-hit innings for the Coalers.