Neuqua Valley withstands rally
Even defending state champions lean on survival mode once in a while.
On Saturday it was Neuqua Valley's turn.
The top-seeded Wildcats hung on for a 7-5 win over No. 10 Naperville North in a Class 4A regional baseball final hosted by the Huskies.
Neuqua Valley (29-6) built a comfortable 7-0 lead through five innings before watching the Huskies (23-11) break through for 5 runs in the sixth inning.
With the bases loaded and one out, Wildcats junior ace Ian Krol came in to relieve Mike McKinley. Krol escaped the jam by coaxing an inning-ending double play started and turned by second baseman Ryan Wagner.
In the seventh inning Krol, despite hitting a batter, struck out the side to preserve the win for starter Geoff Rowan (3-1), who pitched 5½ innings of 3-hit ball.
"We kind of got ourselves in a little trouble in the sixth inning, but it wasn't that big of a deal," said Krol, who won the regional semifinal game against Plainfield South. "We weren't that worried. Nobody was really thinking we were going to lose."
Neuqua Valley had it on cruise control in the first five innings. A run-scoring wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Rowan spotted the Wildcats a 2-0 first-inning lead. Brian McNabb singled home a run in the third and the margin grew to 5-0 in the fourth on Krol's RBI double and a sacrifice fly by Travis Weldon.
An error and an RBI single by Wagner made it 7-0 in the fifth inning. The Huskies, though, refused to fade.
Three straight singles and a hit batter started the one-out, sixth-inning rally. The first run scored on Alex Helms' hit. An error, a bases-loaded walk and Simon Ganet's pinch-hit single led to 3 runs and a 7-4 game.
Jordan Tassio also walked with the bases loaded to make it 7-5, which is when Krol entered the fray. Wagner, who prevented a first-inning run with a diving catch, saved the day by turning the key double play.
"What I'm most proud of is the fact that we didn't give up," said Huskies coach Carl Hunckler. "That's how we've been all year. We couldn't ask for more."
Krol had 3 hits and McNabb 2 hits for the Wildcats, who advance to play No. 4 Lincoln-Way East, a 25-6 winner over West Aurora, in Wednesday's sectional semifinals at Neuqua Valley.
"When you play Benet, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, it does not matter who's better than the other," said Neuqua Valley coach Robin Renner. "There's so much energy, and so much excitement and so much competition."