By Drake Skleba

 

HAMPSHIRE  – There is an old sports adage that it’s difficult to defeat a high-quality team three times in one season. On May 5, Prairie Ridge crushed its cross-town rival Crystal Lake Central 11-1 in five innings. On May 6, the Wolves did it again, defeating CLC 4-1, on their way to a Fox Valley Conference-Fox Division co-championship with Grayslake Central.

 

On Friday, in a Class 3A Hampshire Regional semifinal, Prairie Ridge (26-10) needed an extra inning to slip Crystal Lake Central 4-3 in eight innings and advance to Saturday’s regional championship game against Burlington Central (31-2).

 

With one out in the bottom of the eighth of a 3-3 tie, Prairie Ridge sophomore DH Corey Peterson stepped to the plate. On first base stood the winning run, in the person of the lightning-quick Wolves left fielder Justin Henderson (2-for-3, 2 R, BB), who had walked. Peterson decided to send the huge crowd home when he ripped the game-winning double to right, scoring Henderson. Both players were mobbed by their teammates in a raucous post-game celebration.

 

“I tried to see as many pitches as I could,” said Peterson. “It felt awesome to get the game-winner and the mob scene after the game. I thought we played really hard today. We will have to come out and play hard again against Burlington Central.

 

The game began as a battle between Prairie Ridge talented junior lefty Zach Coel and Crystal Lake Central’s University of Oklahoma-bound right-hander Connor Sadzeck

 

Crystal Lake Central (21-14) struck for a run in the top of the first. Tiger senior left fielder Tyler Johnson (3-for-4; 2 2B; 2RBI) singled in a run and the Tigers led 1-0.

 

The 6-foot-4,190 pound Sadzeck fired two shutout innings, allowing only a single to his nemesis Henderson. A bevy of MLB scouts were present to watch the future Sooners’ performance. Sadzeck was a consistent 91 mph in the early innings.

 

In the bottom of the third, Sadzeck lost his control, walking three Wolves in the inning,  which led to Prairie Ridge scoring twice to take the lead 2-1. Sadzeck (6 IP; 3R; 5H; 3ER, 7K; 6BB) struggled with his control all day as he walked six in his six-inning stint.

 

Wolves RBIs in the inning went to senior first baseman Jon Williams, who walked with the bases loaded, and a sac-fly from senior catcher Zach Siedlecki.

 

Crystal Lake Central grabbed the lead 3-2 in the top of the fifth. Tyler Johnson’s two-out RBI double would give the Tigers the lead.

 

In the bottom of the sixth, with one out, Henderson singled. The speedy left fielder had been in the head of Sadzeck all game. For the second time, Henderson, with a stop-and-go move to second, forced Sadzeck to balk him to second.

 

Sadzeck bore down and picked up a big strikeout for the second out of the inning. Up to the plate stepped junior centerfielder Alex Martini. Martini was playing in place of injured University of Evansville-bound senior centerfielder Kevin Kaczmarski. Martini came through with a clutch two-out flare to right to score Henderson and this battle was tied again at 3.

 

“It felt good to come through for my team after I had bunted into a double play the previous time at the plate,” said Martini. “I am sure Burlington Central will give us their best and we have to come out and play our best baseball tomorrow.”

 

In the top of the seventh, Crystal Lake Central loaded the bases against Coel with two outs. The Tigers loaded the bases on a Wolves miscue, another double from Johnson and a walk. Prairie Ridge head coach Glen Pecoraro summoned to the mound junior right-handed pitcher Andy Kovarik (8-2).

 

With Tigers on every base, Kovarik induced a pop up that shortstop Chad Ljunggren put away and Kovarik was out of the jam. Prairie Ridge did not score in the seventh and the game moved to the eighth.

 

“I pitched really well,” said Kovarik. “I pounded the strike zone and got the job done. I was under a lot of pressure and just bore down and got the win.”

 

Crystal Lake Central senior Dominick Minogue opened up the eight with a booming double and the Tigers were in business. Tiger senior first baseman Jake Kinstler sacrificed Minogue to third. Once again the unflappable Kovarik bore down and induced a pair of pop ups to Wolve first baseman Jon Williams. On the first pop up, Williams made a nifty over-the shoulder basket catch for the second out.

 

“It could have been my last game as a senior so I had to do anything I could to help us win,” said Henderson. “I have a lot of speed and kind of made Sadzeck a little nervous. Again, I just do whatever I can do to help us win. A lot of people consider us the underdog tomorrow against Burlington. I am confident that we can play with anyone and am looking forward to the game.”

 

In the bottom of the eighth, the Henderson-Peterson show did their thing to help Prairie Ridge play at 3 p.m. on Saturday for the regional championship. Earlier on Saturday morning the Wolves seniors and their families have a pretty large affair to attend - the 2010 Prairie Ridge High School graduation ceremony.

 

“Holy Cow, when I saw Central in the first game of the regionals, I knew we would have close game,” said Prairie Ridge coach Glenn Pecoraro. “Corey Peterson is one of our top pitchers so he doesn’t get a lot of at bats for us. Corey really came though for us with the game-winner.

 

“Zach Coel didn’t have his best stuff but battled on the mound and Andy Kovarik did a great job in a pressure-packed situation. What can you say about Alex Martini? Alex fills in for Kevin and comes through for us with the game-tying hit in the sixth.”

 

On a sad note, we at the PBR wish for a full recovery to Crystal Lake Central head coach Dan Badgley, who suffered a mild heart attack on Thursday night. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Dan and his family.

 

“We battled in a game between two great teams,” said Crystal Lake Central assistant coach Justin Lehr. “Connor Sadzeck pitched outstanding for us tonight. He wanted the ball back if we had scored in the top of the inning. Connor is a tremendous competitor.”