Thursday May 28

 

By Drake Skleba

 

Class 4A Regional Semifinals:

Belleville West

No. 19 Belleville East (24-5) won the “Battle of Belleville,” outslugging West 12-9. East senior Charlie Harris just missed hitting for the cycle. Harris doubled, tripled and launched his first home run of the season and drove in five Lancer runs in leading East to victory. Lancer senior RHP Kenny May improved to 9-2 on the season. Senior Chris Broadway nailed down the save as Belleville West (19-12) scored four times in the seventh to knock out May. Belleville East will meet No.16 O’Fallon (22-12) in the regional championship on Saturday at 11.

 

Plainfield South Sectional (In bracket order)

Waubonsie Valley (25-9) defeated Downers Grove North 1-0, even though the Warriors were no-hit by DGN ace left-hander Joe Claver (7-1). Warrior ace lefty Kris Singh (5-2) scattered five hits and struck out seven in leading Waubonsie Valley to a 9 a.m. regional championship date with No. 7 Plainfield North (28-6).

 

Claver, who will be heading to Illinois State this fall, struck out nine and allowed no hits in his six-inning masterpiece, but was victimized by three Trojan errors in the third inning, as the Warriors score their lone run on a groundout.

 

Lockport

Lockport (24-12) blasted Neuqua Valley 11-1 in five innings behind junior ace RHP Jake Bulthuis (8-1). Bulthuis allowed four hits and struck out four Wildcat hitters as the Porters will brace for an invasion from No.2 Naperville Central (32-4) in the regional championship game at 10 a.m. Saturday.

 

Naperville North

No.11 Providence (25-11) destroyed Romeoville 13-1 in five innings, as junior RHP Brandon Magallones (6-2) fired a two-hitter, striking out six in leading the Celtics to a

10 a.m. showdown with the hosts, No.12 Naperville North (29-7). Celtic senior John Ciolkosz hammered a three-run homer for the Catholic Blue champs.

 

Downers Grove South

No.18 Lincoln-Way Central (24-9) advanced past Joliet Township 6-3 behind Lewis University-bound LHP Tom Helwich. The future Flyer lefty fired a complete game victory and added a pair of doubles at the plate to lead the Knights to the regional championship game at 10 on Saturday. No.3 Downers Grove South (31-5) will meet dangerous Hinsdale Central (18-13) today at 4:30 with the winner meeting Lincoln-Way

Central on Saturday.

 

Machesney Park Harlem

No. 13 Rockton Hononegah (27-6) vs. No.14 Rockford Boylan (25-7) III. The blockbuster NIC-10 sequel will take place Saturday at 4:30, for the regional championship. Hononegah punched its ticket to the regional championship game, with a 6-0 victory over the host Huskies (22-9). Hononegah’s Valparaiso-bound RHP Ryan Scarpetta fired a four-hitter striking out 10 to improve to 8-2 on the season.

 

On April 29, Boylan’s SIU-Bound LHP Tyler Dray outdueled Scarpetta and the Titans won 2-0. On May 19, payback was sweet, as Scarpetta outdueled Dray in a 7-2 Indian win and the NIC-10 championship.

 

Elk Grove

No. 5 St. Charles North (32-4) was able to get out of Elk Grove alive as the North Stars had to rally past the hosts 6-5 in nine innings. Trailing the 10-24 Grenadiers 5-1, after four and a half innings, it appeared that the top-seeded North Stars were done.

 

The North Stars picked up a pair of runs in the fifth, added another run in the sixth, but still trailed 5-4 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Elimination stared senior first baseman Mike Budka in the face as the last hope for the ‘Stars. Budka came through with his second RBI single of the game to knot things up at 5 and the game went to extra innings.

 

In the bottom of the ninth, the North Stars’ Central Michigan-bound senior catcher

Matt Stevens singled home University of Nebraska-bound North Star SS Ryan Richardson with the game-winner. Senior RHP Kevin Borst (5-3) fired 5 2/3 innings of two-run relief to pick up the win.

 

St. Charles North will meet the winner of today’s regional semifinal between York and Glenbard North. The PBR’s Sean Duncan will be in on the Banks of Salt Creek for all the action in Elk G ove today.

 

Geneva

St. Charles East (25-11) defeated Glenbard West 4-3 in nine innings to advance to the regional championship game with the hosts Geneva on Saturday. Saints senior catcher T.J.Travis drove in the game-winner making a winner of junior lefty Wes Benjamin (11-2). Benjamin fired 4 1/3 hitless inning of relief.

 

Stevenson

Mid-Suburban League champion Fremd (21-13) was led by senior LHP Clint Terry in a 4-1 win over MSL East rival Prospect. Terry (9-4) fired a three-hitter, striking out six and helped his own cause with a monster two-run homer. With the win the Vikings will play the No.4 hosts from Stevenson (30-3) on Saturday for the regional championship.

 

3A Regional Semifinals

Hampshire

Burlington Central (31-2) rolled past the hosts 8-2 behind Rocket junior RHP Nick Hahn and battery mate senior catcher Austin Jarvis. Hahn fired an eight-hitter to improve to 11-1 and added two hits and two RBI. Jarvis singled and tripled in a pair of runs and now has 73 RBI for the season. Senior Nolan Anderson chipped in with a home run for the Rockets who will play the winner of today’s semifinal matchup between Prairie Ridge (25-10) and Crystal Lake Central (21-13) on Saturday. The PBR’s Drake Skleba will be in Hampshire for all the action.

 

Class 2A Sectional Semifinals

 

Pleasant Plains

Rochester (28-10) and Pleasant Plains (24-7) advanced to the sectional championship game on Saturday at 11 with semifinal wins on Thursday. Rochester rolled past Litchfield 8-0 behind a two-hitter by senior RHP Seth Warren (7-1)… Pleasant Plains defeated Carthage (Illini West) behind a five-hitter by Cardinal Kyle Weller, who improved to 10-0 on the season. Weller fanned 8 as the Sangamo Conference arch rivals will meet for the right to advance to the Class 2A Lincoln Land Community College Super-Sectional on Monday.

 

Watseka

Interstate-8 South champ Herscher (27-10) blanked Peotone 9-0 behind junior right-hander Justin Walter. Walter fired a three-hitter, striking out seven to improve to 9-1 on the season. The Tigers will meet Prairie Central at noon tomorrow for the sectional final and trip to the Class 2A Benedictine University Super-Sectional on Monday.

 

Illinois Valley Central

No.10 IVC (30-5) rolled past Peru St. Bede 10-1 and will meet Brimfield (31-5) on Saturday at 11 for the sectional championship

 

Class 1A Sectional Semifinals

Gardner South Wilmington

Ottawa Marquette (30-7) held on to defeat Rockford Lutheran 10-8. Ottawa Marquette’s  Louisville recruit junior LHP Joey Ceja fired three hitless innings of relief to save the win for Crusader starting and winning pitcher senior Tanner Barra (7-1).

 

Westminster Christian

Westminster Christian (25-9) defeated Lanark-Eastland 6-4 to advance its own sectional final versus Lena-Winslow on Saturday morning at 11a.m.Warrior sophomore pitcher Kevin Elder picked up the win in relief to improve to 9-4 on the campaign. Elder struck out 5 in his 3 2/3 innings of work to break the Warrior single-season strikeout mark with 130,eclipsing the previous mark of 127 by Warrior ace Ben Palmer. Palmer led the Warriors to a quarterfinal appearance in Class A in 2007.