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No. 18 Homewood-Flossmoor Knocks Off No. 2 Lincoln-Way East

June 9, 2021
By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

No. 2 Lincoln-Way East hosted No. 18 Homewood-Flossmoor on Wednesday afternoon in a 4A Sectional semifinal matchup. A huge seven run top of the fourth inning for Homewood-Flossmoor was the difference in the game and they went on to win 9-6, advancing to the Sectional Final.

Gallien Coupet got things going for Homewood-Flossmoor (21-8) in the seven-run top of the fourth with a check swing, infield single. Coupet, a right-handed hitting Creighton commit, ran a 3.93 down-the-line, a plus run time to beat out the play at first. Coupet proceeded to steal second base and later scored on a Shane Jones double down the right-field line. In total 13 batters came to the plate in the frame. The Vikings collected six hits and were helped out by three errors (two with two outs) and two walks. That was all the scoring Homewood-Flossmoor would need as they headed to the bottom of the fourth with a 9-1 lead.

The Vikings took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning when sophomore Michigan commit, Dillon Head grounded a single up the middle to plate Will Goldberg and Preston Lund. 

Lincoln-Way East (27-3) battled the entire game and had runners on base with chances for a big inning in almost every home half of the game. The Griffins battled back from the 9-1 deficit with a run in the fourth inning, two in the fifth and two more in the sixth to cut the lead to 9-6 entering the seventh inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Alex Stanwich, a junior Tennessee commit, left the yard to deep left-center field for a two-run home run. Stanwich was also called on out of the bullpen for Lincoln-Way East and kept them in the game, allowing them to chip away and get within striking distance. Stanwich ran his fastball up to 89 mph, sitting mostly 86-88 throughout his outing while gaining feel for a sharp curveball at 73-75 mph with depth at times. Stanwich went 3.1 innings pitched, scattering one hit, no earned runs, struck out three and walked two.

Homewood-Flossmoor got a competitive start from junior LHP Will Goldberg on the mound. The left-hander battled throughout working with mostly a fastball/changeup combination throughout, occasionally mixing in a sweeping breaking ball. Goldberg, who sat in the low-80’s with his fastball, ended up going 5.2 innings to get the win; five hits, three earned runs, struck out one and walked five. 

Northwestern commit, senior Chad Readey, came in and nailed down a four-out save out of the bullpen for the Vikings. Readey, an imposing figure at 6-foot-8, 207-pounds, showed a long, loose, easy arm and fastball that sat mostly at 85 mph with late arm-side-run. Readey, mixed in an 11/5 breaking ball with feel for the zone to earn early strikes and keep the Lincoln-Way East lineup off balance. Ready went 1.1 innings pitched without giving up a hit, striking out two and walking one. 

With the win, No. 18 Homewood-Flossmoor moves on to play Providence Catholic at home on Friday in a 4A Sectional Finals matchup.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

+ Will Goldberg (Homewood-Flossmoor): 2-for-2, RBI
+ Dillon Head (Homewood-Flossmoor): 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R
+ Shane Jones (Homewood-Flossmoor): 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, R
+ Alex Stanwich (Lincoln-Way East): 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
+ Maxton Polad (Lincoln-Way East): 1-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
+ Jake Petak (Lincoln-Way East): 1-for-4, HR, RBI, R

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