Zunkel, Willowbrook win pitchers' duel over Hoffman Estates
On neutral territory, with the baseball season on the line for one team, the bats took the majority of the afternoon off for Willowbrook and Hoffman Estates.
The game came down to two pitchers going the distance, the margin of error so painstakingly small.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Warriors' Kyle Ferguson turned on a fastball and drove it off the right-field fence, bringing in what be the winning run. Willowbrook defeated Hoffman Estates 1-0 in a Class 4A regional semifinal at Wheaton North on Wednesday.
Until the breakthrough hit, it was a pitchers' duel between the Warriors' Cam Zunkel and the Hawks' Ryan Davalos, both intent on testing each other for any kind of slip. In the top of the fifth inning, Davalos struck out the side and Zunkel returned favor by striking out the two first batters for a 1-2-3 inning as well.
Zunkel gave up just 3 hits over 7 innings, and Davalos allowed 6 hits in 6 innings of work.
"When (Zunkel) gets the ball, he gives our team so much confidence because you get everything he has and he is going to leave everything on the mound," said Willowbrook coach Vic Wisner.
Davales, steady and in command for the first four innings, yielded 2 straight doubles in the fifth, the first by Dom McDonnell followed by Ferguson's game-winner.
The Warriors almost scored again in the sixth inning. A hit batsman, a double and a walk might have resulted in another run if it weren't for two perfectly timed diving catches by Hawks third baseman Luke Schuemer.
"We all knew it would come down to whoever could string a few hits in a row," said Hoffman Estates coach Todd Meador. "You've gotta tip your hat to them, they produced a run in the bottom of the order."
Any chance of a Hawks rally was thwarted by Zunkel, who forced 3 straight groundouts to close out the win. The Warriors ace wasn't hesitant to credit the guys his supporting eight players on the field.
"I trust my defense 100 percent, no matter what happens, you know, they get it done behind me, everytime," he said.
Willowbrook will play the winner of South Elgin and Batavia in the regional final.