Crystal Lake South's win over Jacobs has quite the 'Bright' spot
The Crystal Lake South baseball team's 4-3 comeback win over visiting Jacobs on Wednesday ended in a Bright flash.
Jacobs loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, but CL South reliever Mike Avella induced a fielder's choice groundout at the plate for the second out. That set the stage for shortstop Garrett Bright to flash some game-saving glove work.
Jacobs junior Brenden Heiss bounced a 1-0 pitch to the hole between third and short. Bright ranged to his right, made a sliding catch, popped to his feet in the same motion and threw to second base in time to nip the headfirst slide of Owen Oreskovich for the final out.
"It was just straight instinct," said Bright, who also drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth with a sacrifice fly. "I just went straight to the ball and got it done."
Bright's only play was to second base.
"He makes those plays," CL South coach Brian Bogda said. "That's huge, no question about it. That's the benefit of having him on the field three years with us. You hope as a coach you get to see those magical plays occur."
Bright's lights-out forceout completed a sweep of the 2-game Fox Valley Conference Valley Division series for CL South (17-3, 8-2), which entered the series 2 games behind Jacobs (18-5, 8-2). Cary-Grove (12-6-2, 6-1) is the only FVC Valley team with 1 loss.
It was a bitter defeat for the Golden Eagles, who took a 3-1 lead in the third inning on a 3-run home run into the wind by cleanup hitter Jeff Sidor against CL South starting pitcher Matt Schingel.
However, Jacobs starting pitcher Ryan Sargent walked 4 batters in 5 innings, all of which scored. The Gators drew within 3-2 in the fourth inning via Schingel's two-out single.
CL South took the lead back the fifth. Sargent (3-2) issued consecutive walks to No. 9 hitter Andrew Swiatly and Nick Van Witzenburg to open the inning. After Cameon Geisser's bunt advanced both runners, John Constantino singled Swiatly home with the tying run.
Bright then stepped to the plate and hit the first pitch of his at-bat deep enough to center field for a run-scoring sacrifice fly and a 4-3 lead.
The Golden Eagles couldn't capitalize on a golden opportunity to regain the lead in the sixth, when they had runners at first and second and nobody out. Bright turned a groundball up the middle into a double play before Nate Meland lined out to the second baseman to end the inning.
In fact, Jacobs put a runner in scoring position with less than two outs in six of seven innings, but its only runs came on Sidor's 3-run blast. Ten Golden Eagles were left stranded, eight in scoring position.
"It hurts to lose one like this, but they took advantage of opportunities and made the plays to win," Jacobs coach Jamie Murray said. "They played good defense and got the timely hits. We just didn't get the timely hit and we didn't do a good job of playing small ball. We'll get better at it."
CL South's fifth-inning rally made a winner of Schingel, who improved to 8-0 this season and lowered his ERA to 1.63. The right-hander held Jacobs to 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and 3 walks and struck out 3 in 5 innings.
John Smerecky pitched a scoreless sixth inning and Avella escaped a jam to notch the save.
Sargent took the loss for Jacobs. He allowed 4 earned runs on 6 hits, walked 3 and struck out 3 in 5 innings. Casey Dennison pitched 2 scoreless, hitless innings of relief.