By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
It was Senior Day at Westmont on a damp Saturday morning as the host Sentinels took on their guests, the Lisle Lions. On Monday, back at Lisle, it was Senior Day and the Sentinels spoiled the Lions’ Senior Day with a marathon 1-0 victory in 12 innings.
In another edition of the Old Plank Road Rivalry, the Lions avenged their Senior Day loss to the Sentinels, by racing past Westmont 6-1.
Westmont senior right hander Shawn Kwasny, was once again on the mound for the Sentinels. On Monday, Kwasny struck out 13 Lion hitters in his seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits.
On the mound for the Lions was right-hander Damian Guerrero. After loading the bases by hitting three consecutive Sentinel batters with no outs and then pitching out of that jam, Guerrero was matching zeros on the scoreboard with Kwasney (5 IP, 0R, 3H, 0ER, 11K, 0BB).
In the bottom of the fifth, the Sentinels broke through against Guerrero. A leadoff single from Sentinel No. 9 hitter Nick Machacek, was followed by a wild pitch from Guerrero, with Sentinel leadoff man Matt O’Leary at the plate. O’Leary flied out to right.
With Kwasny at the plate, Guerrero uncorked another wild pitch, and Machacek moved over to third base. Kwasny drove home Machacek with a sacrifice-fly to center and the Sentinels led 1-0.
Before the game, Westmont head coach DJ Cocks had said that Kwasny was not going to pitch anymore than five innings today.
Westmont’s Caden Anderson entered the game with the Sentinels up 1-0 to start the top of the sixth. On Monday, Anderson picked up the win, firing five shutout innings in relief of Kwasny, allowing just one hit.
It was at this time that Lisle head coach Pete Meyer decided to play a little “small ball” to pick up the Lions’ huge Old Plank Road Rivalry victory.
Lisle senior catcher AJ Casmer greeted Anderson with a booming double. Lion second baseman Connor Nigro, blooped his second hit of the day in center. Casmer had to hold at second. With senior right fielder Jay McGrath at the plate, Casmer and Nigro pulled off two- counts of larceny on the base paths.
Casmer and Nigro pulled off a double-steal of third and second base.
The play of the game was next.
With Casmer breaking from third on the pitch, McGrath perfectly executed the suicide squeeze bunt, plating Casmer with the tying run.
“It was a 2-1 count and I saw AJ coming all the way and I just got the bunt down, to get the tying run home” McGrath said. “This was a great win for us today. On Monday, they spoiled our Senior Day and today, we spoiled there’s
The play of the game No. 2 was next.
With Lisle cleanup hitter Anthony Raineri (2-for-4) at the plate, Nigro broke on the pitch. The pitch from Anderson was in the dirt and the fleet-footed Nigro beat the tag of Sentinel catcher Riley Basit for a steal of home plate and a 2-1 Lion lead.
“it was another suicide squeeze call and the pitcher threw behind our batter,” Nigro said. “I did what I could to get my foot on the left side of the plate, to steal the run. I’ve been struggling at the plate lately but I have really started getting good contact, the last two games. My success from the two games, will boost my confidence, heading into regionals.”
Raineri singled, followed by a booming double from Guerrero that ended the day for Anderson. O’Leary entered the game and was greeted by an RBI single from Dylan Laue for a 3-1 Lion lead. It was then the Sentinel defense imploded, committing four errors in the inning leading to three unearned runs for the Lions.
Lion left fielder Zach Webber punished the Sentinels for their sins with a booming two-run double for a 6-1 Lion lead.
Guerrero, now with a 6-1 lead, went on cruise-control striking out four of the final six Sentinel hitters he would face. For Gurrero, a complete-game three hitter with 10 punchouts.
“I’ve got a couple of complete games for us this season,” Guerrero said. “I think with the three-hitter and 10 strikeouts, this was the best game I have ever pitched in my Lisle High School career. After getting beat by them on Monday, which was very tough, I had to do my job and throw strikes, to help us get this great win.”
For the 20-10 Sentinels, they will host the Immaculate Conception College Prep Knights in a IHSA Class 2A Westmont Regional Semifinal at 4:30 on Thursday
“I told Shawn (Kwasny) before the game, that he would only pitch five innings, today,” Westmont head coach DJ Cocks said. “With the tournament coming up next week, there was no reason to over extend him.’
“We are having a great season and I am very confident, that with our pitching, we can make a deep run, in the state tournament.”
For the larcenous Lions, they will travel to Westchester to take on the regional hosts from St. Joseph in a IHSA Class 2A St. Joseph Regional Semfinal on Thursday at 4:30
“What a performance by Damien Guerrero!,” Meyer said. “Hits three batters in a row to start the second inning and then amazingly, he gets the next three guys out. That really lifted his spirts and he went on to pitch a great game!’
“In 19 innings our pitchers only gave up two runs, against our archrivals, who are a darn good team. Pretty special.”
“I knew we could execute little things and that is why we went to the bunts,” Meyer added. “Jay is such a competitor and executed the suicide squeeze to perfection. Connor was coming all the way from third and ended up stealing home, for the eventual game-winning run.”
“Great week for us,”. “By beating the I-8 South co-champs from Reed Custer, on Friday and then coming in here on Westmont’s Senior Day and winning, gives a lot of momentum, heading into the regionals on Thursday.”
With both schools playing in the IHSA Class 2A Benedictine Sectional Complex, we could have The Old Plank Road Rivalry III, at Benedictine University Sectional Championship Game, on Saturday May 25 at 11.