THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2008
Elk Grove Still Eyeing Title
The winning streak is over for Elk Grove's summer high school baseball team, but the main goal is still in sight.
The stingy pitching, timely hitting, and tight defense wasn't there enough times for the Grens on Wednesday, and they absorbed a 10-5 defeat to Prairie Ridge in the second day of pool play in the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) state tournament.
The Grens actually led twice early in the game, 1-0 and 5-4. But 5 errors and 9 walks and 3 hit batters were too much to overcome, and the Wolves took full advantage of the opportunities.
Down 4-1 in the fifth inning, the Grens produced the kind of rally that has characterized their recent run of victories. Carl Sugihara singled, Kyle Pfister was hit by a pitch, and Tony Logli walked to load the bases. Dan Duschinsky then launched a base-clearing triple over the center fielder's head to tie the score, and Matt Martinski brought Duschinsky in with an RBI single for a 5-4 lead.
But the Wolves roared back with a 4-run sixth and never looked back. Martinski was the losing pitcher.
The Grens, (1-1), were scheduled to complete pool competition today (Thursday) against Brother Rice (2-0) which defeated Warren, 7-0, on Wednesday. The top two teams in each of two pools will play in the single-elimination semifinals on Friday at North Central College. The championship game is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday a t Benedictine College in Lisle.
That championship game is still in the Grens' sights and they have certainly been on a roll as it approaches.
The lowest seeded team in the baseball coaches association summer high school state tournament has been playing the best baseball.
Elk Grove, which was at .500 10 days ago, won its seventh straight game with a solid 7-1 win over Warren on the first day of pool play at Benedictine University in Lisle.
The Grens (17-11) were seeded 13th in the Prospect regional, and had won six straight games
Leading the way on the mound was junior Kyle Pfister, who scattered 5 hits, fanned 2 hitters, and walked only 1. He has allowed 3 runs in 20 innings of post-season pitching.
In the field, Donny Duschinsky and Danny Lopez turned 2 double plays, and Carl Sugihara made a couple of nice catches in outfield gaps.
At the plate against Warren, Colin Semler tripled and was driven home when Duschinsky reached on an error. Lopez drove home 2 more runs in the second with a bases loaded single, and an error on his sacrifice in the fourth led to a run. Duschinsky and Matt Martinski slammed run-scoring singles later.
In another game in the same pool Tuesday, Brother Rice defeated Prairie Ridge, 8-3.