Wednesday May 26

 

By Drake Skleba

 

Class 2A Sectionals:

 

Johnson City

No.1 Harrisburg (37-0) routed Murphysboro 10-2 behind senior RHP Reid Roper (11-0). Roper gave up a two-run homer to Murphysboro (24-13) starting pitcher junior Dylan Craig in the first inning, and settled down and shut down the Red Devils. Roper struck out 12 in his six-inning stint. Freshman Ryne Roper pitched the seventh and struck out the side.

 

The Bulldogs hammered their 58^th, 59th and 60^th homers of the season. Ryne Roper hit a three-run bomb and drove in four Bulldog runs. Senior catcher Noah King and SIU-bound Kollin Dowdy joined in with long-ones as the top-ranked Bulldogs rolled.

 

CLASS 4A Regional Semifinals

 

Marist

Catholic League White champion No. 9 St. Laurence (29-7) is one and done, falling to the hosts from Marist 4-3, in a shocker in Mt. Greenwood. Marist’s (17-20) sophomore Mike Hearne (5-5) totally baffled the hard-hitting Viking attack and fired a complete-game gem. The Lewis brothers, senior Aaron and freshman Zach each had clutch RBI singles to lead the RedHawks to victory…

 

Lincoln-Way North (20-11) defeated Shepard 5-0 behind Phoenix ace Jake Harper, who fired a four-hitter at the Astros and struck out 10 to set up a regional title matchup on Saturday with Marist.

 

Minooka

Minooka (29-7), behind a 15-K performance from senior RHP Mike Foltynewicz (9-1), blanked Normal Community 6-0. Foltynewicz allowed three hits to the Big 12 Conference visitors. Indian junior 3B Dakota Brown had a pair of hits and two RBI to pace the red-hot Indians.

 

Belleville West

No. 16 O’Fallon (22-12) picked up a regional semifinal victory without a hit or throwing a pitch as East St. Louis (0-19) decided not to show up and the No.16-ranked Panthers move on to the regional championship game on Saturday versus the winner of today’s “Battle of Belleville” between No.19 East (23-5) and West (19-11).

 

Plainfield North

No.7 Plainfield North (28-6) crushed Plainfield Central 10-0 in five innings behind a three-hit masterpiece from St. Xavier-bound RHP Scott Vachon. Vachon improved to 8-0 with the win and stuck out four Wildcat hitters. Tiger senior Jeff Paulson blasted a three-run homer and had two hits.

 

Lockport

No.2 Naperville Central’s (32-4) senior LHP Shane Conlon pitched and senior catcher Ryan Walsh had a clutch two-run double to lead the Redhawks past Benet Academy 4-3. Conlon struck out 8 and allowed one earned run to improve to 9-0 on the seaon. Conlon now has 100 strikeouts on the season.

 

Naperville North

No.12 Naperville North (29-7) survived a scare from Oswego East 4-2 as Oakton Community College-bound RHP Kyle Klosak entered the game in the top of the seventh with the bases loaded and nobody out. Klosak saved the Huskies by striking out the side and saving the win for North senior RHP Andrew Arenson (3-0).

 

Libertyville Regional

No.20 Carmel (26-8) rolled past Buffalo Grove 7-4 behind senior RHP Jon Huisel (5-1) and Corsair senior closer Nick Battalini. Huisel pitched the first 5 1/3 innings for the Corsairs  and Battalini finished up to pick up his fifth save of the season. Senior 1B Chris Divarco hit a three-run bomb for the Corsairs, his 11^th of the season, and senior catcher Alex May homered and drove home three runs.

 

Stevenson

No.4 Stevenson (30-3) blasted Deerfield 10-0 behind a three-hitter from Northwestern-bound RHP Kyle Ruchim. Ruchim fanned a dozen Warrior hitters as the Patriots won for the 30^th time this season.

 

Reavis

Sandburg’s (26-9) Evansville-bound senior RHP Ryan Billo (6-4) fired a two-hitter and junior 2B Nick Bates and senior Nick DeWolf, drove in the Eagle runs as Sandburg slipped past TF South 2-1.

 

Homewood-Flossmoor

Andrew (24-10) defeated Marian Catholic 15-8 behind a two-homer day for T-Bolt Eric Scott…Eisenhower (20-16) stunned the hosts H-F 4-2, behind a complete-game gem by Cardinal ace Brett Bennick (7-2). The Cardinals will meet Andrew for the regional crown at 11 on Saturday.

 

Clemente

St. Rita (27-9) blasted Juarez 15-0 in five innings, led by sophomore third baseman Stefano Belmonte and senior Mark Payton. Belmonte had a pair of hits and drove in three Mustang runs. Payton chipped in with a pair of RBI as the Mustangs rolled past the over-matched Chicago Public League squad.

 

Machesney Park

No. 14 Rockford Boylan (25-7) avenged a late-season loss to Rockford Guilford (26-9) in fine fashion, routing the Vikings 12-0 behind a one-hitter from SIU-bound Tyler Dray (8-2). Dray picked up all 12 of his strikeouts in amazing fashion, fanning 12 of the last 13 Viking hitters, the future Saluki faced in the game. Titan 3B Mark Garton homered and drove in three runs as Boylan moves on to the Saturday at 4:30 regional finale with the winner of today’s battle between No.13 Rockton Hononegah (25-6)  and the hosts Machesney Park Harlem (22-8)

 

Class 3A Regional Semifinals

 

Joliet Catholic Academy Sectional

Crete-Monee

Illiana Christian 4, Crete-Monee 1: Seth Wiltjer (2-for-2) singled in two runs and Spencer Allen (2-for-3) singled in a run in Illiana's four-run third inning, and Vince Van Schouwen (7-2) allowed four hits while striking out seven in five innings for fourth-seeded Illiana (26-10) in the Crete-Monee Regional.

 

Lemont

Lemont (24-8) cruised past Rich East 9-2 behind junior Josh Ferry and red-hot senior catcher Pat Driscoll. Ferry had a perfect 3-for-3 day with two RBI and Driscoll chipped in, driving home a pair of Indian runs.

 

Richards

Richards (27-9) was led by senior Benjamin Dafgard as the Bulldogs trounced Rich South 12-2. Dafgard homered and drove in five for the South Suburban Red champs.

 

Bremen

Oak Forest (23-7) blanked Hillcrest 10-0 behind a one-hitter from Joe Mroczek (5-0). Mroczek helped himself with a three-run homer. Junior Tim Barry also went deep for the Bengals.