4A Chicago Regional: Kenwood Upsets Riverside-Brookfield

CHICAGO, IL - The Kenwood Broncos upset the Riverside-Brookfield Bulldogs 8-5 in a Regional Semifinal showdown Thursday afternoon at Mount Carmel High School. All twelve runs were scored from the 5th inning on, which set the stage for a raucous environment late in the game at Haggerty Field.

In the first inning, both teams received a double from the leadoff hitter in their respective lineup. Kenwood’s D’Eric Shenault (Kirkwood CC commit) and Riverside-Brookfield’s Jarod Turina each drove an inside fastball deep to left field one hopping the wall. Both starting pitchers worked out of the early jam and continued the trend until the Broncos struck first in the 5th frame. Shenault and Turina both finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.

Kenwood’s senior spark plug Malik Blair (Frontier CC commit) led off the fifth with a walk and was driven in two hitters later by freshman Cameron Hill. Then sophomore Robert Walker collected an RBI infield single that deflected off the pitcher. Walker and Hill both finished with one hit and RBI a piece.

Riverside-Brookfield would respond with a four-run fifth taking advantage of three walks in the bottom of the frame. Three-hole hitter Ryan Cermak (Illinois State commit) highlighted the inning roping a two-run double to left scoring Turina and senior John Kosner. Fellow senior Howard Hatton (Concordia Chicago commit) grounded an RBI single up the middle plating Cermak.

Kenwood tacked on three more runs in the sixth off of newly entered reliever Cermak, all of which would be unearned. Cermak did strike out the side allowing one hit and one free pass. Riverside-Brookfield scratched one back in the bottom of the inning. Senior Luis Galvez picked up an RBI walk scoring Griffin Jordan, who lead off the inning with an infield single.

The Broncos put up their final two runs in the seventh courtesy of a leadoff triple by starting pitcher Jaylen Patterson (Carl Albert State JC commit), an RBI single by Zamaurion Hatcher and a sac fly by Blair. On the mound, Patterson went five innings allowing three hits, four runs/earned runs, six strikeouts and six walks. Junior Jonathon Butts earned the victory in relief throwing two innings of no-hit ball.

Kenwood’s Hatcher led the team in hits going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Patterson had a productive day with the triple, two runs, one RBI and one walk.

Bulldog starter Turina finished with a line: 5IP, 4H, 3R/ER, 4K, 2BB.

With the victory, Kenwood advances to the Regional Final against Mount Carmel on Saturday (5.26). First pitch 11:00 am @ Mount Carmel.

For more in-depth notes from the game - and all other games that we cover - visit the Illinois Scout Blog later.

RELATED CONTENT