Metea Valley honors Schmid, then wins
On a day on which Metea Valley officially named its baseball field after Metea Valley principal and Illinois baseball hall of famer Jim Schmid, the Mustangs honored him in their own way with a 2-1 win over West Chicago.
A Wildcats error in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded made the difference for the Mustangs (9-8) in a pitching duel between each team's No. 1 pitchers, Metea's Jack Szott and West Chicago's Dave Kordik.
"I thought the one unearned run we gave up might come back and bite us in the end, and we got a little bit of a break at the end," said Metea Valley coach Craig Tomczak. "We've kind of been waiting a little bit. We haven't had a lot of offensive breaks this year, and it seems like every mistake we make defensively it comes back to get us. But it was good. Jack battled out there and he kept us in the game."
Metea Valley got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning for the only earned run of the game.
Sam Hanson took first base after being hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a bunt from Ben Doiron. Szott then helped himself out with double to the left-center gap to score Hanson.
"I think I'm seeing the ball all right right now," Szott said. "I always just try to make sure I make sure I get a fastball to hit. I dug myself deep down two strikes and I was able to handle his breaking ball on my first at-bat. I'm just trying to be patient making sure I have good at bats."
The Wildcats (8-11) responded in the third as No. 9 hitter Jon Sturm got on base on a Metea Valley error and stole second. Shortstop Connor Dall hit a single to drive in Sturm, tying the game 1-1.
In the seventh inning Kordik found himself in trouble with the bases loaded and just one out, but the senior got a strikeout for the second out, which brought up Hanson.
Hanson reached base on an infield error, driving in the winning run.
"They made one more play than we did, but that's baseball…," said West Chicago coach Dan McCarthy. "We have to find a way to win. It's tough when you've got your No. 1 going. Dave Kordik he's pitched exceptionally well. He's had two great outings now, and he has nothing to show for it."