By Drake Skleba

 

LISLE - The Final Four of the 2011 Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association/Phil Lawler Classic is set. Prairie Ridge and Maine South claimed No. 1 seeds with winner?s bracket victories on Tuesday.

 

Prairie Ridge (37-20) won for the 37^th time this summer with a thrilling 2-1 win over Neuqua Valley at North Central College in Naperville.

 

At Benedictine University in Lisle, Maine South (18-10), led by the solid pitching of senior Pat Aloisio and junior Jesus Saavedra, nipped Marian Catholic 3-1 in the other winner?s bracket battle.

 

Lincoln-Way North (19-4) won twice in the loser?s bracket at North Central to punch its ticket as a No. 2 seed in Wednesday?s semis. The Phoenix rose up to defeat St. Joseph?s 6-4 and Neuqua Valley 10-5. Lincoln-Way North will meet Maine South at 5 o?clock on Wednesday at Benedictine in Semifinal One.

 

In Semifinal Two at 7:30 at Benedictine, Marian Catholic (17-10) will meet Prairie Ridge. The Spartans bounced back from their loss to Maine South in stunning fashion. Trailing Machesney Park Harlem 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh, the Spartans erupted for three runs to pull out a 6-5 win and move on to the Final Four.

 

Maine South 3, Marian Catholic 1

Led by a stellar pitching performance from senior Pat Aloisio and a big day at the plate from senior DH Keenan Kelly, Maine South slipped past Marian Catholic 3-1 on Tuesday. Aloisio scattered seven hits through six innings, allowing one lone run. Aloisio struck out three and walked not a single batsman.

 

?A complete team effort,? said Aloisio. ?We played great team defense, had clutch hits and I pitched well today. I thrive on big-game situations."

 

Kelly (2-for-2, 2B, SF, 2 RBI) doubled home the first Hawk run in their two-run first inning. Hawk LF Brett Slager plated the second run of the inning with a sac-fly. Kelly?s sac-fly in the fifth gave Aloisio an insurance run to conclude the game?s scoring.

 

?It was a big win for us,? said Kelly. ?We worked all summer to be in this position. I had a good day at the plate and it felt good to double in the run in the first inning.?

 

Maine South head coach Bill Milano went to his savior of yesterday?s win over St. Viator, junior closer Jesus Saavedra, in the top of the seventh.

 

Saavedra, who fired two hitless innings against Viator on Monday, knocked down the Spartans in order in the seventh to nail down his second Hawk save in as many days.

 

As in yesterday?s game, Saavedra made it interesting. Marian Catholic junior catcher Kyle Fitzgerald greeted Saavedra with a screaming liner to right. Hawk RF Laurence Darlak raced over and made a diving catch of Fitzgerald?s liner. At least that?s what the man in blue ruled.

 

Many in the crowd and in the press box felt Darlak had trapped the ball. Disagreeing most of all was Marian Catholic head coach Phil Wail. After a lengthy discussion, Wail was ejected.

 

Saavedra retired Spartan senior RF Brett Lilek (Arizona State) on a fly to center.

Lilek is currently the No.1 player in the Class of 2012. As in yesterday?s saving appearance, Saavedra finished the game with a flourish, fanning the final Spartan hitter to send the Hawks soaring into the Final Four.

 

?We played well. Pat pitched a great game,? said Saavedra. ?I wanted to come in and get a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh. I didn?t want to make it interesting like yesterday. I was really proud of the curve ball I dropped in for the third strike to end the game.? 

 

Maine South senior C Jimmy Frankos again was huge at the plate for the Hawks.

Frankos had two more hits, including a double.

 

Lilek had a single and a double for the Spartans. Senior DH Jake Lorenz drove home the lone Spartan run with a single in the fourth.

 

?What a great game. Both teams played like it was a sectional final,? said Milano. ?Not one walk in the game by either team. Pat and Jesus pitched great for us on the mound and Keenan did a great job at the plate for us.?

 

Prairie Ridge 2, Neuqua Valley 1

Prairie Ridge defeated Neuqua Valley 2-1 in a winner?s bracket semifinal at North

Central 2-1. The Wolves (37-20) will meet Marian Catholic (17-10) at 7:30 pm

at Benedictine. Wolves senior RHP Ryan Harris fired a four-hitter at Neuqua Valley (24-9). Prairie Ridge picked up a couple of unearned runs in the first inning and Harris made the 2-0 lead hold up.

 

Marian Catholic 6, Machesney Park Harlem 5

It appeared as if the amazing summer run was about to end for Marian Catholic on Tuesday. Trailing Machesney Park Harlem 5-3 as the game went to the bottom of the seventh, the Spartans, playing without head coach Phil Wail, erupted for three runs to keep the dream alive for the Chicago Heights school.

 

Spartan senior CF Rob Cifelli?s drive over Harlem Huskie LF Cody Dietz ignited a monster celebration, as Spartan hero back-up catcher Brent Feldner scored the Spartan game-winner. For Cifelli, his walk-off single was his first hit of the tournament, in ten at-bats.

 

?I was struggling all day long,? said Cifelli. ?He threw two fastballs by me and I was able to get enough on the third one to hit it over the kid?s head for the game winner. We?re going to come out and play hard tomorrow. Hopefully the magic will continue for us.? 

 

Spartan junior 3B Brad Bohlen (3-for-4, R, RBI) led off the monster seventh with a single. Bohlen would score on a sac-fly from Iowa-bound Spartan 2B Devin Pickett to bring the Spartans within one. Lilek lined a single to keep the inning alive ending the day for Huskie reliever Parker Anderson.

 

Machesney Park Harlem (19-3) brought in Huskie ace Drake Robison. Robison fired a complete game earlier in the day at St. Viator as the Huskies won 7-4 to stay alive in the tournament.

 

Feldner (3-for-4,2B, HR, RBI), who stepped to the plate, a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, hit a sky-high pop up. Robison and three other members of his infield emerged for the ball. Robison dropped the ball for an error and the Spartans were still alive.

 

Junior SS Eric Callaghan drove home sophomore Dave Calderone, who ran for Lilek, with a game-tying double, setting the stage for Cifelli?s heroics.

 

?It was a great win for us,? said Callaghan. ?I played well today.?

 

Feldner, singled in the second inning, doubled in the fourth, and then ripped a bomb over the left field wall to bring the Spartans to within 4-3 in the sixth. The home run is the only bomb hit in the tournament.

 

?It was a team win,? said Feldner. ?I had a good day at the plate today but it?s all about the team. It was great hitting my first home run of the summer. I really hit the ball well.?

 

Machesney Park Harlem scored three times in the first inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead after a half-inning of play. Huskie staring pitcher Derrick Mason doubled home a run and Anderson (2-for-2, 2B, RBI, HBP) singled home another run. Senior C Cory Starnes plated the third run with a sac-fly.

 

Wail, who was ejected in the game with Maine South, served his one-game suspension, and the Spartans were handled admirably by associate coach George Shimko.

 

?Outstanding win for our program,? said Shimko. ?We have a great junior class and this achievement will give us some confidence. It was great for Rob to come through from an 0-2 count and drive home the game winner. Brent had a great day for us at the plate and what a job Eric Callaghan did at shortstop today for us. Can?t wait for tomorrow?s semifinal with Prairie Ridge.?

 

Lincoln-Way North 10, Neuqua Valley 5

The Phoenix claimed the last spot in the semifinals, defeating Neuqua Valley 10-5 at North Central on Tuesday. The Phoenix jumped out to a 10-0 lead after four innings and coasted into the Final Four. Offensive stars were aplenty for the rising Phoenix.

 

Junior Reed Hero had a pair of hits and drove in two runs to lead L-W North. Hero certainly was, as he concluded a 5-for-7 day, after getting three hits and three RBI in the Phoenix 6-4 win over St. Joseph on Tuesday morning at North Central. Senior Jack Troike had three hits and scored two runs. Junior Ryan Pellack had two hits, including a triple and plated a pair. Phoenix senior closer Kevin Wilson finished up the game for winning pitcher senior Alex Lesiak.

 

Lincoln-Way North 6 St. Joseph 4

The Phoenix rallied from a 4-1 deficit to overcome St. Joseph 6-4 and stay alive

in the tourney. Hero collected three hits and three RBI to lead the Phoenix attack. Wilson nailed down a save for winning Phoenix pitcher Mike Miller.

 

Machesney Park Harlem 7 St. Viator 4

Senior Drake Robison fired a six-hitter and the Huskies scored four times in the bottom of the sixth to roll past St. Viator 7-4, in a loser?s bracket game at Benedictine on Tuesday morning.