Elk Grove takes Cook County title

Elk Grove’s Connor McHugh had been slumping.

“I hadn’t had a hit in a week and wasn’t making good contact,” McHugh said. “I just was looking to make contact.”

McHugh did just that, lining a two-out, 2-2 pitch to left field in the bottom of the ninth inning to score Ryan Hayes as Elk Grove outlasted Palatine 3-2 in Monday’s title game of the Cook County American Legion baseball tounament at Rec Park in Arlington Heights.

Elk Grove (21-13) won its second County title in three years and advances to the state tournament in Galesburg where they will meet Elgin (26-9) at noon Wednesday.

“It was a big win for us, especially after last year,” said Elk Grove coach Brian Mucha, whose team lost to Palatine in the finals last year. “We battled back hard and got the hits we needed. I feel great right now.”

Elk Grove took the lead in the first when Julian Sipiora had an infield single to score Thomas Byrne (3-for-4).

Palatine (21-7-1) went ahead in the fourth when Keith Browning scored on an error and Trent Rehusch went to third. Anthony Quagliano then delivered a single to left to put the Blue Jays up 2-1.

Elk Grove tied it in the seventh. Kevin Hilliard, who had walked, scored on Byrne’s double.

“I have been seeing the ball real well,” Byrne said.

Paul Warble, who came in to pitch the final two innings for Art Sutter, faced just six batters, thanks to a double play in the eighth.

In the bottom of the ninth with two outs and no one on, Elk Grove strung together three hits to get the victory. Hayes singled off the pitcher’s glove. Byrne then followed with an infield single to deep short, setting the stage for McHugh.

“It felt great,” McHugh said. “I got a fastball and took it to left.”

Defending County champion Palatine had its own dramatics to reach the title game earlier in the day. The Blue Jays rallied to oust Arlington 5-4 in 12 innings.

Arlington used two bunt singles and two suicide squeezes to lead 4-0 in the eighth. Palatine’s Sean Stutzman then shut down Arlington.

Palatine rallied for 4 runs in the eighth inning. Trent Rehusch and Richard Concialdi had RBI singles and Joe Pelnar drove in the tying run with a walk.

Palatine won the game in the 12th when Browning scored on a wild pitch. Andrew Van Wazer picked up the loss after pitching all 12 innings for Arlington and throwing 169 pitches.

“I couln’t be prouder of our team,” Palatine coach Jeff Ryder said. “To get as far as we did under the conditions we faced was pretty amazing.”