4A Super-Sectional: Edwardsville Knocks Off Sandburg 11-3

June 5, 2017

By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

No. 8 Edwardsville 11, No. 17 Sandburg 3

CHAMPAIGN, IL – The Tigers of Edwardsville used an eight-run fifth inning to defeat Sandburg 11-3 in the Class 4A Super-Sectional held at the University of Illinois.

Edwardsville (32-7) trailed Sandburg 3-2 entering the top of the fifth inning. Kade Burns, started the frame off by lining a ball into the left-center field gap. Troy Jones, the Sandburg centerfielder laid out and snagged the liner for an out. That was about the only good that happened for Sandburg (23-8) in the frame. The very next batter, Dylan Burris, a Wabash Valley commit, barreled a single into right and eight of the next nine batters reached safely. Freshman Drake Westcott, a Louisville commit, doubled in Burris to tie the game at three. Will Messer followed up a few batters later with an RBI single, scoring Westcott and gave Edwardsville the lead for good. Burris came to the plate once again later in the frame and drove a two-run triple into the right-center gap.

Kade Burns, a Central Missouri commit, started on the mound and picked up the complete-game victory for Edwardsville. The right-hander threw a total of 103 pitches in the seven innings, scattered four hits, three runs, struck out four and walked five. Burns didn’t have his patented stuff on this day but battled throughout.

Sandburg rallied to take a 3-2 lead, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third inning and one in the fourth. In the third, Ryan Hampe drove a ball to deep center field that hit off the center fielders glove. The deep drive by Hampe scored Illinois commit, Branden Comia. Hampe, an Illinois-Chicago commit, later scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch. The Eagles of Sandburg took the short-lived lead in when Hampe hit a two-out RBI double that one-hopped the right-field wall.

Westcott finished the day 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs, an RBI and was intentionally walked twice to lead the way for the Tigers offense. Burris, Messer and Cole Hampton all added two hits and RBI’s as well for the Tigers.

With the win, Edwardsville advances to the Class 4A state finals in Joliet. They will play St. Laurence on Friday night at 5 pm in the state semifinal.

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