sduncan posted on June 13, 2009 00:28
By Sean Duncan
JOLIET – Judging by the way New Trier ace Bob Cook pitched in the first inning of the Class 4A state semifinals, his tidy 1.54 ERA was sure to be blown to smithereens by the fourth – that is, if he lasted that long.
No. 6 Cary-Grove smacked around the senior right-hander for three consecutive singles in the first inning to take a quick one-run lead.
Cook’s magical year appeared as though it would end unceremoniously with an early hook.
Not quite.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Cook progressively got stronger as the game went on, and diffused Cary-Grove’s seventh-inning rally to pitch No. 5 New Trier to a 3-2 victory Friday night Silver Cross Field.
"I usually don't start as well as I finish," said Cook, who improved to 12-2 this season.
Cook said he shifted his mentality after the first inning to help New Trier (31-7) to its fourth championship game appearance in 10 years.
"I just wanted to have fun," said Cook, who yielded nine hits, struck out nine and walked two in his 114-pitch effort. "If I get all amped up and treat it like it's the end of the world, then I tighten up."
New Trier, which last won a state crown in 2000, now advances to play No. 2 St. Rita for the Class 4A state championship Saturday at 7 p.m. The Trevians appeared in the 2007 state-championship but fell to Neuqua Valley.
Tied 1-1, senior shortstop Tim Duxbury (2-for-3, RBI) delivered a single that scored J.B. McCallum (2-for-3, run, RBI) in the sixth inning to give New Trier its first lead. The Trevians added a much-needed run in the seventh on McCallum's single, making it 3-1.
Cary-Grove, which was making its first state appearance, rallied in the bottom of the seventh to make it interesting. After Cook retired the first two batters, Eric Chandler singled and Luke Mottashed (1-for-2, two walks) walked. Then junior shortstop Chris Waylock delivered his third hit of the game to cut the lead to 3-2 and bring up DH Matt Nelson, who was 3-for-3 at the time.
But Cook induced a groundout to McCallum at third base to end the game.
Both teams played stellar defense behind their pitchers. The Trojans were denied a run-scoring opportunity when Waylock singled and tried to score on Nelson's double to the right-center gap. But New Trier executed a perfect relay, and Duxbury gunned down Waylock at the plate.
"They had to make a perfect play on that to get him," said Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland.
The Trevians finally broke through against Cary-Grove starter Corey Bruns (9-4) in the fourth. Hall led off with a single, then an error on a bunt and a successful bunt single by Charlie Tilson loaded the bases. Hall eventually scored on a wild pitch, but Bruns managed to get out of the jam relatively unscathed thanks to a double play - one of four double plays Cary-Grove turned, including three consecutive that ended innings.
"Three double plays in three innings," said Napoleon. "What we did then was work our bunt game. Then we bunted them to death.”
Cary-Grove’s 2-3-4 hitters of Mottashed, Waylock and Nelson did most of the damage against Cook, combining for seven of the Trojans nine hits, and each player got on base three times each.