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Baseball: St. Charles North takes third in state

The St. Charles North baseball team took one more turn on the thrill ride Saturday before the park closed for good.

Playing together for the final time, win or lose, the North Stars defeated Plainfield North 6-5 in the third-place game at Joliet's Silver Cross Field in the comeback style characteristic of their three-week roller-coaster run.

Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, St. Charles North (33-7) rallied for 4 runs on 4 hits, capped by John LeGare's 2-run single up the middle that put the North Stars ahead to stay.

"I was looking fastball and looking to drive it the other way," said LeGare, a Purdue recruit who went 3-for-3 with a solo home run in his final high school game to finish 5-for-6 at the state finals. "Coach preaches every day to drive it to the right side, get a line-drive groundball. That was my approach."

Reliever Westin Muir retired Plainfield North in order in the top of the sixth, and the game was called after St. Charles North's scoreless turn in the bottom of the inning ended at 6:37 p.m.

The Illinois High School Association announced on Friday that no inning in the Class 4A third-place game would begin after 6:30 p.m. in order to start the ensuing state championship game as close as possible to 7 p.m. Thus, the North Stars were declared the winners after six complete.

The come-from-behind win was St. Charles North's fourth in seven postseason games.

"That game was a microcosm of our season, especially the playoffs," St. Charles North coach Todd Genke said. "We get down, we get the lead, we give up the lead and we're chasing 3 runs. What do they do? They come right back and showcase their skills and talents and get us back in the lead and then hang on."

LeGare's solo home run in the second inning gave the North Stars the lead, and Luke Corcoran's run-scoring single in the third made it 2-0.

Plainfield North (33-5) stormed ahead in the top of the fourth, scoring 5 runs on 4 hits and an error. Tigers starting pitcher Tyler Garrity tied the game with a 2-run single, which ended the outing for St. Charles North starting pitcher Ryan Litavecz.

The Tigers grabbed the lead against reliever Tim Hasto on a run-scoring single down the left-field line by junior third baseman Alex Steinbach. Two more runners scored via a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by senior Zach Jarosz.

St. Charles North senior Blake Saltsman started the comeback by singling to open the fifth inning. Brendan Joyce walked one out later and Luke Corcoran and Zach Mettetal each delivered run-scoring doubles to trim the deficit to 5-4.

LeGare singled to center field with two outs to drive in Mettetal and Corcoran to put the North Stars in the lead.

"We all remained positive and we all knew we were going to fight our way back," Corcoran said. "We all believe in each other and everybody pulls on the same end of the rope."

Corcoran (2-for-3) and Saltsman (2-for-2) joined LeGare with multihit games. Muir (2-0) earned the win in relief with 2 scoreless innings, highlighted by 4 strikeouts and no walks.

The state trophy is the 10th in the 14-year history of St. Charles North athletics, its first in baseball. The North Stars also won the baseball program's first sectional and supersectional titles.

"We've gotten the furthest in North history," Joyce said. "I think that's something in like 30 years when we all come back and meet together we'll say, 'Yeah, we were the team to do that.' I think it kind of - not really put us on the map because we're good every year - but first team going down to state, I'll never forget this."

The victory tied the 2010 team for the school record of 33 wins.

"I'm just really proud of these guys," Genke said. "It's been a wonderful season. They're a great class of seniors. We have 12 of them that we say goodbye to, but they left it all out on the field and I'm so proud of them.

"I mean, third place in state sounds pretty good."

  St. Charles North's John Legare, center, is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo home run against Plainfield North during the Class 4A third place game, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North pitcher Tim Hasto delivers a pitch during a 6-5 win over Plainfield North during the Class 4A third place game, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North pitcher Ryan Litavecz delivers a pitch during a 6-5 win over Plainfield North, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North's Zach Fick is tagged out trying to stretch a single into a double by Plainfield North's Anthony Agne, left, during the Class 4A third place game, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North players celebrate a third place 6-5 win over Plainfield North, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North head coach Todd Genke celebrates his team's third place 6-5 win over Plainfield North, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North head coach Todd Genke celebrates his team's third place 6-5 win over Plainfield North, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North players celebrate a third place 6-5 win over Plainfield North, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North pitcher Westin Muir delivers a pitch for a 6-5 win over Plainfield North during the Class 4A third place game, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North's John Legare steals second base after hitting in the game winning run during a 6-5 win over Plainfield North, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North's Erik Rabin celebrates his team's third place 6-5 win over Plainfield North, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North players watch as Plainfield North puts up five runs in the fourth inning during the Class 4A third place game, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
  St. Charles North's Zach Fick is tagged out trying to stretch a single into a double by Plainfield North's Anthony Agne during the Class 4A third place game, Saturday, at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
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