By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
NAPERVILLE –On Thursday May 24, the rampaging Indians of Minooka (23-10) squared off with the Mustangs of Downers Grove South, in a Class 4A Neuqua Valley Regional semifinal game. For the winner, a Saturday regional championship game matchup, at 10, with the 32-1 host Wildcats, from Neuqua Valley.
Minooka senior centerfielder, Jon Butler, with one out, in the top of the first inning, launched his second home run, over the right field fence, to ignite the 14-hit Indian onslaught. Senior third baseman Cherokee LeBeau’s, clutch two-out RBI double, scored Logan O’Brien ( 2-for-4, 2B, RBI) and Minooka would go on to rout the Mustangs 12-1, in five innings.
Minooka’ senior southpaw, Tyler Talbot, would retire the first 10 Mustang hitters he would face and would go on to throw a two-hitter. With the win, the Indian hurler improves to 6-2, on the campaign.
Minooka’s Logan O’Brien connects in the Indians’ 12-1 win over Downers Grove South at the Neuqua Valley regional semifinal Thursday, May 25. (Al Benson photo)
“This was an important game for us and I pitched well for us today,” Talbot said. “My defense made all the plays behind me.”
In the second inning, Indian catcher Nick Airola doubled and scored on a balk, while Indian ace right-hander Jackson Shepherd (8-0), singled and scored on a wild pitch, to give the Indians a 4-0 lead after two innings.
With the bases full of Indians, the slick-fielding second baseman, Antonio Milazzo (2-for-3, 2B 3RBI), came through with the bat, in the top of the third. Malazzo’s ringing double, cleared the bases, for a 7-0 Indian lead.
“I have really been struggling at the plate all season,” Milazzo said. “It felt really great to get the two big hits today.”
The Mustangs scored their lone run of the game on a clutch two-out, RBI single, from first baseman Mike Greco, driving home, Mike Hoes, who had walked.
The Indians put the game away with a big five-run fifth. Shepherd (2-for-2 BB, RBI) singled home a run while Butler, drove home his second and third runs of the game, with a single. Luke Faifeer (2 for-4, RBI) joined the party with an RBI single while O’Brien drove home the 12th Indian run, with a single.
Shepherd looks to get the ball Saturday in the regional championship game, with the 32-1 Wildcats. In a rap-style verse, Shepherd said. A condensed version follows.
“I just do what I have to do, and know what we have to do, Saturday, to get it done against Neuqua Valley.” Butler echoed all the Indians in saying “We’re doing this for our manager Drew Turek.”
For the Mustangs (23-12), another successful season concludes under the tutelage of legendary Mustang head coach Darren Orel. The Mustangs finished in third place in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division, with a 13-5 record.
“We are very young and we have had a very successful season in 2017,” Orel said. “We went 9-4 in one run games which I think is a great accomplishment, for such a young team. We went down to the final day, still in the hunt, for the WSC Gold championship,”
On Wednesday May 17 and Thursday May 18, the Indians defeated Plainfield South, for an outright Southwest Prairie Conference championship, defeating the Cougars 12-9 and 6-5. The SPC is considered by many, to be second-best baseball conference in the state, behind the Chicago Catholic League Blue Division.
“In the postseason one needs great pitching, good defense and the clutch hit,” Minooka head coach Jeff Petrovic said. “We had all of that today. The quick start relaxed us and Tyler pitched fantastic for us, as expected. We are playing great baseball over the last three weeks. We have worked very hard and are right where we want to be.
“We have a great challenge on Saturday against a great Neuqua Valley team. I just hope we play well and I am very excited about our team.”
CLASS 4A CALUMET CITY (TF NORTH) REGIONAL SEMIFINAL
Lockport 6, Marist 2
Kevin Davis, Tommy Louch and Ryan Gabriel, combined to fire a five-hitter at Marist on Thursday. Davis struck out five in his 3 1/3 innings of work, while Louch (3-3) picked up the win, allowing an unearned run in his two innings, in relief of Davis. Gabriel struck out three of the five RedHawk hitters he faced, to nail down the save.
Nick Strysik had two hits, including a homer and drove home two Porter runs, while Connor Fitzgerald also singled home a Porter run. The Porters (19-16-1) will take on the Southwest Suburban Blue co-champion Eagles of Sandburg (20-7), for the regional championship Saturday, at noon, at TF North High School, in Calumet City
CLASS 3A LEMONT REGIONAL SEMIFINAL
JCA 10, Kankakee 0 (5 Innings)
Brendon Wills (7-2) won for the seventh consecutive time on the mound, for the Hilltoppers, firing a one-hit shutout at the Kays, on Thursday. Wills had seven punch-outs as JCA (23-11-1) advanced to a “High Noon” regional championship game showdown, with the host Indians (29-5), at 131st and Bell in Lemont, on Saturday.
Simon Grashoff, had three hits and drove home three Hilltopper runs, to lead JCA. St. Francis-bound Jack Surin also plated three Hilltopper runs while Michael O’Brien and Matt Bebar, each chipped in with two hits.