By Drake Skleba

 

JOLIET - For almost three hours, St. Rita and Huntley put forth a titanic struggle in Friday night’s Class 4A state semifinal at Silver Cross Field. St. Rita sophomore shortstop Zach Soria ended the battle when he ripped a two-out single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh. Soria’s clutch hit plated Mustang pinch-runner senior Dan Petrbok with the game-winner for a thrilling 7-6 Mustang victory.

 

With the win, St. Rita (32-9) advances to Saturday night’s Class 4A state championship game with No.1 Naperville Central (37-4). Naperville Central defeated Stevenson in the first Class 4A semifinal Friday 6-4.

 

“We had battled so very hard to win this game,” said Soria. “I had to pick up my teammates who had played so well and I was happy to come up with the big hit. I think we are a team of destiny and we will win the state championship. I made some adjustments and really hit the ball well my last three times at the plate.”

 

In this one, Huntley (29-10) shocked the Mustangs by putting up a four- spot in the first inning off Mustang junior lefty Joe Filomeno. Chris Klein (2-for-3; 2 RBI) singled home the first Red Raider run. Freshman third baseman Bryce Only walked with the bases loaded for the second Huntley run. Fellow classmate freshman Colin Lyman singled home a run and Filomeno plunked Red Raider DH Zach Staab with the sacks full for the final Red Raider run.

 

Filomeno hammered a clutch two-out RBI double for the first Mustang run in the first. On the mound, Filomeno settled down and blanked the Red Raiders over the next three innings.

 

In the bottom of the fourth, St. Rita evened things at 4-4, scoring on a wild pitch, a booming RBI triple by senior right fielder Austin Bilotto and an RBI single by Soria.

 

Filomeno blanked the Red Raiders again in the fifth, and St. Rita took their first lead of the game, adding a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth.

 

Mustang senior centerfielder Mark Payton led off the inning with a single, ending the day for Red Raider senior left hander Jeremy Ahillan. Red Raider head coach Andy Jakubowski went to his pen and brought in senior right-hander Matt Morin.

 

Morin walked Filomeno. Mustang sophomore third baseman Stefano Belmonte flew out with Payton tagging and advancing to third. NIU-bound Mustang left fielder Anthony Andres hit a sac-fly that plated Payton and gave the Mustangs their first lead at 5-4.

 

Huntley’s defense imploded for consecutive errors, allowing Mustang courtesy runner Petrbok to cross the plate for a 6-4 Mustang lead.

 

The Red Raiders answered with a pair in the top of the sixth. Andres robbed Lyman of a probable triple with a great catch in left to leadoff the Huntley sixth. Filomeno plunked his fourth batter of the game, hitting Red Raider center fielder Nick Kostalek and then walked shortstop Matt Szytz to end his evening.

 

Payton relieved Filomeno with two on and one out. The 31^st round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins gave up a single to Red Raider leadoff man Andre Sopena to load the bases. A ground out bought home the fifth Raider run of the game and once again Klein came up big with a game-tying single to knot things up at 6.

 

Payton (2-0) closed out the Red Raider sixth and seventh with clutch strikeouts with runners on base.

 

In the fateful Mustang seventh, Belmonte and Andres led off the inning with a pair of singles off of  Klein (6-4). Mustang DH Anthony Zawaski laid down a beautiful sac-bunt advancing Petrbok, who ran for Belmonte and Andres to third and second. Mustang pinch-hitter senior John Starcevich was intentionally walked to load the bases. Klein came up with a huge strikeout of Bilotto, but Soria picked up his teammate when he ripped the game-winner down the right field line.

 

“We were really pumped in the seventh to win the game when I hit the single,” said Andres. “I had to have Joe’s back when I made the catch. We really wanted to win tonight and we are ready for the championship game tomorrow. I vowed never to feel that terrible feeling that we felt after losing in the state championship game here last year. We will be ready.”

 

Huntley will meet Stevenson (34-4) in the battle for third place tomorrow at 3.

 

“My kids left their hearts and soul on the field out there tonight,” said Jakubowski. “They gave me everything a coach could ask for.”

 

So, the dream matchup is here. Back in February we picked Naperville Central and St. Rita as the top two high school baseball teams in Illinois. Four months later the two powerhouses will meet for the Class 4A State Championship.