sduncan posted on June 14, 2009 00:16
By Sean Duncan
Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen will be the first to tell you that his offense, though potentially dangerous, hasn’t been as efficient as he’d like. Sometimes even downright anemic.
The Rams' offensive woes, however, certainly wasn't evident Saturday, as Grayslake Central hammered No. 8 LaSalle-Peru 9-1 to capture the Class 3A third-place trophy at Silver Cross Field.
"I think the kids will tell you that they were a lot more loose today," said Whalen. "Today we came out with nothing to lose. We're a lot better hitters than what we showed this season."
Although the Rams (26-16) were ranked in the preseason, their appearance at the state semifinals was somewhat surprising given they were at one point 14-13 in the season. But Grayslake showed LaSalle-Peru exactly why it was making its first state appearance: pitching and defense.
And let’s not forget about the offense, which erupted for four runs in the second inning, added two more in the third and made it 9-0 in the fourth. Five different players delivered RBIs. Junior Andrew Hosford (1-for-2, two runs, RBI) had an RBI triple in the fourth, and senior Kurt Schmidt (2-for-4, RBI), Chris Brown (two RBI), Stefan Falbo (two hits) and Sean Seiler (two RBI) all contributed.
“When we scored four runs in the second it was a breath of fresh air,” said Whalen. “When we get a lead like that, we’re tough to beat.
Senior Kevin O'Rourke (4-5) shut down the high-scoring LaSalle-Peru offense, throwing 6.1 innings of four-hit ball. The right-hander struck out four and walked one.
"How much time and effort we put into this is all worth it," said O'Rourke. "There's no better feeling than this; to win the last game of the season is amazing."
LaSalle-Peru, which committed four errors, finished the season at 33-5.