By Drake Skleba

NAPERVILLE – Despite five errors, four in a dreadful fifth inning, St. Laurence outlasted Crystal Lake South 5-4 in nine exhausting innings during the 2012 Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association/Phil Lawler Summer State Tournament Elite 8 first round game on Monday at North Central College.
Viking junior first baseman Roger Wilson’s clutch two out-RBI single in the top of the ninth won it for St. Laurence (18-2). Viking junior RHP Brad Wood allowed a two-out double in the bottom of the ninth, but retired the final Gator hitter on a fly ball to RF Ryan Rybakowski to give the Vikings a 10 o’clock Tuesday morning date with Cinderella Montini, at Benedictine University. The game will determine the top seed in the North Central College bracket and a spot in Wednesday’s semifinal 1.   

Wilson flashed his glove, stopping a smash off the bat of CL South’s senior third baseman Tyler Hall, to record the unassisted first out of the ninth.

“Early on we really weren’t playing well,” said Wilson. “I was really pumped to come through in the ninth and get the game-winner.” 

Wood fired three scoreless innings in relief of fellow Viking junior RHP Mike Kornacker to pick up the win. Kornacker allowed one earned run in his six solid innings of work on the mound.

“We didn’t play very well today,” said Wood. “We stepped up late and pulled out this victory. Big hit for Roger Wilson and a great play to lead-off the ninth. I just went out and threw strikes tonight.”

Wood opened up the game with a booming triple for the Vikings. Junior Chris Stearns singled home Wood for the first run of the game. Stearns would later score the second run of the inning for a quick 2-0 Viking lead.

Crystal Lake South (20-4) picked up a run off Kornacker on an RBI groundout by senior Max Meitzler. The Gators grabbed the lead with three unearned runs in the Viking’s dreadful fifth inning. Four Viking miscues in the field gave the Gators a 4-2 lead after five innings. Gator senior CF Jake Bigos picked up an RBI on a sac-fly. Bigos put on a defensive clinic in center all-day for CLS.

Kornacker and the red-hot Viking third baseman Zach Lewis hit back-to-back doubles to bring the Vikings within 4-3 in the top of the sixth. The Vikings would tie the game at 4-4 on a Gator miscue.

“We hung with them and got the win,” said Lewis. “I’m competing hard to give my team a chance to win and really hitting the ball well.”

The game went to extra-innings as Gator relief pitcher senior Eric Schiller repeatedly turned away Viking scoring opportunities.

In the top of the ninth, Viking No. 9 hitter junior C TJ Marik laced his second single of the game to lead-off the inning. Schiller retired the next two Viking hitters and was about to pitch out of another jam. A walk to Kornacker and intentional walk to Lewis, loaded the bases for Wilson. Wilson smashed a Schiller fastball into right field scoring junior courtesy runner Bob Kelly with the game-winner. On the play Wood was gunned out at the plate for the final out of the inning.

“We didn’t play well today but I’m proud of the way we battled back against the adversity to get this win,” said St. Laurence head coach Pete Lotus. “Mike Kornacker really battled out there for us and obviously Roger’s hit was huge. Brad Wood did a great job in relief to pick up the win.”

Benedictine University Bracket

Lyons Township 6 Joliet Catholic Academy 2

Lyons Township (29-4-1) defeated Joliet Catholic Academy 6-2, behind a complete-game gem from PBR first-team All-State RHP Keith Lehmann. Lehmann’ worked his 87-89 fastball, that topped at 90 on occasion, in addition to a 73-74 curvebvall. Lion junior C Sam Heilenbach’s big two-run double in the fourth broke up a 2-2 tie and led the Lions to victory.

LT will meet Maine South in a winner’s-bracket contest at 10:00 am at North Central College in Naperville on Tuesday, with the winner moving on to the Final 4 at Benedictine on Wednesday.

Maine South 5, Wauconda 4

Maine South scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to stun Wauconda 5-4 and advance to the winner’s bracket on Tuesday. Trailing 4-3, Hawks senior Adam Depkon singled to lead-off the inning. A triple by Hawk junior Gerhig Parker plated Depkon with the tying run. Hawk senior Eric Sons’ perfectly executed suicide-squeeze bunt plated Parker with the game-winner.

Joliet Catholic Academy 7, Wauconda 1

Joliet Catholic (18-3) rolled past Wauconda 7-1 in the elimination game at 3 at Benedictine. Hilltopper sophomore Nick Delsandro, ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2015, drove home three Hilltopper runs with a single and a double. Senior Brock Pluth chipped in with a clutch two-RBI single for JCA.

Hilltopper senior LHP Matt Testa picked up the win on the mound with a quality performance for JCA. JCA will meet the loser of the Lyons Township-Maine South game, at 12:30 at North Central on Tuesday, for the No.2 seed in the Benedictine Bracket and a spot in Wednesday night’s semifinals.