Baseball: Skelnik's encore powers Palatine's dramatic win
After throwing a perfect game earlier this season, Palatine's TJ Skelnik figured there was nothing he could do on a baseball field that could top that moment.
Wrong.
Skelnik belted a dramatic 3-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh to rally Palatine past Deerfield 7-6 on Thursday in the Class 4A regional semifinal at Palatine.
The fifth-seeded Pirates (21-14) will meet top-seeded Buffalo Grove in the regional championship game at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Skelnik was mobbed at home plate after rounding the bases. After receiving the winning home run ball from assistant coach Pete Capra, Skelnik was promptly dunked with a bucket of ice water.
It matched the blood in his veins.
"This was a pretty special moment here," Skelnik said. "The 3-run walk-off homer is definitely more memorable."
Skelnik was just looking to hit the ball against Deerfield pitcher Miles Powell, who'd had his way for most of the game against the Pirates.
"I was just looking for a pitch to drive to the left-center gap," said Skelnik, a lefty. "I was looking for a fastball and I got it. I knew it instantly."
And just that fast, the ball rocketed over the left-field fence, bringing the Pirates and their fans to their feet.
"The funny thing about TJ is that early in the season, he was a pull-side guy," Palatine coach Paul Belo said. "It's not about the pitch that you want, it is about the pitch you are going to see. He just got a pitch and put a heckuva swing on it. It was unbelievable."
For a while, it didn't appear that the Pirates would get to Skelnik's spot in the order.
Trailing 6-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Palatine loaded the bases with two outs. Powell then made a terrific inside fastball pitch and got Palatine to pop out in the infield to end what appeared to be the Pirates' best shot at big rally.
Palatine had other ideas, though.
Max Myszka led off the seventh with a long double to right-center.
"I knew our season was on the line," said Myszka, who had 2 hits. "I didn't want to let my team down. Honestly, I was just trying to hit the ball and find a hole. And I got lucky."
Luke Stoffel, at the top of the Palatine batting order, followed with what turned out to be a swinging bunt single, getting runners on the corners with no outs. Josh Stitt lined out on a solid shot to center for the first out. Belo held Stoffel at third; Stoffel then scored on Jack Hopper's single up the middle.
"I guess the greatest lesson is that it is all about the moments that you prepare for," Belo said. "We had three outs to work with. And as long as we have three outs to work with, we are going to do what we have to do to be successful. That's what these kids did."
Palatine led 2-0 in the second as Myszka drove in Skelnik, who had singled earlier, and Mike Nielsen, who had walked.
Deerfield tied it in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs. Nielsen then put the Pirates up in the bottom half of the inning with a long solo homer to right-center.
"Coach Larsen said that when he shakes his head, he is going to throw me a fastball," Nielsen said. "He shook his head and I sat on fastball and hit it."
Deerfield (20-10-1), which was seeded ninth, regained the lead in the fifth. The Warriors scraped together 4 hits and scored 4 runs to pull ahead 6-3.
"This is so much fun being in this environment," Nielsen said.