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4A Super-Sectional: St. Charles North Out-Hits Plainfield Central, Advances To State

June 3, 2019
By: Adam Panayotovich
Area Scout

CRESTWOOD, IL - In the nightcap at Ozinga Field, the St. Charles North Stars faced off with the Plainfield Central Wildcats with 4A State playoff implications on the line. With Johnny Lambert shining out of the Stars pen paired with a team effort at the plate, St. Charles North coasted to an 8-1 victory over the Wildcats sending Coach Genke and Co. to the State Semis in Joliet.

Lambert, a left-handed side armer, was the story for most of the game as the uncommitted junior avoided barrels for 3.2 innings on the bump. The southpaw entered in the middle of the 3rd ending any threat leaving the bases juiced with Wildcats. Lambert departed after the 5th inning allowing no-hits on four walks with eight strikeouts earning the victory for the Stars.

The St. Charles North offense did most of their damage in the 3rd inning seeing five runs cross home plate. Egon Hein (Wisconsin-Whitewater football commit), Patrick Bellock and Ryan Thiesse (Fordham commit) all picked up extra-base hits in the frame as Thiesse drove in a pair with a triple down the third base line (below). Leadoff hitter Michael Gattuso (Augustana commit) started the Stars one-out rally with an infield single eventually coming in to score.

The Stars offense was active early as they scrapped the games’ first run. Hein sent a one-out single up the middle, Bellock walked, Hein advanced to third on a pass ball and Nick Demarco (Notre Dame commit) sent an RBI groundout to third.

The Wildcats answered in the very next frame as Jac Lindish lead off the 2nd with a double down the right-field line. Charlie Bischoff (Illinois Wesleyan commit) singled to center and next man up Daniel Guiliano (Joliet JC commit) sent an RBI groundout of his own to second base.

St. Charles North tacked on their final two runs in the 5th inning. Demarco walked and Thiesse doubled to the left side setting up sophomore Kevin White for an RBI flare to left/centerfield scoring Demarco. Thiesse, an aggressive baserunner, scored the final run of the inning and the game as he came in on a wild pitch.

Sophomore RHP Zach Kempe earned the start for St. Charles North tossing two and a third innings of three hit ball allowing one earned run and striking out one before handing the ball off to Lambert. John Hamer threw a scoreless 7th allowing only one hit and inducing the final out at second sending the Stars to the victorious mosh pit (below).

Zach Rana (Indianapolis commit) took the loss for the Wildcats with a line: 3.2IP, 6H, 6ER, 3K, 4BB. Ryan Daly threw two and a third innings out of the pen stranding two runners in the 4th with a flyout and the bases loaded in the 5th with a punch out. Daly finished with a line: 2.1IP, 4H, 2ER, 3K, 2BB.

TOP PERFORMERS

+ OF Ryan Thiesse (St. Charles North): 2-for-4, 3B, 2B, 2R, 2RBI
+ INF Egon Hein (St. Charles North): 2-for-3, 3B, 2R, RBI, BB
+ OF Michael Gattuso (St. Charles North): 2-for-4, R, SB
+ INF Nick Demarco (St. Charles North): 1-for-2, 2B, 2R, RBI, 2BB
+ LHP Johnny Lambert (St. Charles North): W, 3.2IP, 0H, 0R, 8K, 4BB

With the win, St. Charles North advances to the 4A State Semifinal on Friday (6/7) at 3:00 p.m. at Joliet’s newly named DuPage Medical Group Field against the St. Rita Mustangs.

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

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