Coal City 8, Driscoll 4

Then, as quickly as they had seized the momentum, it slipped away from the Highlanders.

Three errors in the final two innings wound up costing Driscoll an 8-4 loss to Coal City in the Class 2A Benedictine University supersectional in Lisle.

The victory claimed a bit of payback for the Coalers (22-11), who lost to Driscoll's football team in the Class 4A state semifinals. Coal City will play Olympia in Friday's baseball semifinals in Joliet.

"We were clicking on all cylinders," said complete-game winning pitcher J.T. Blaine, the quarterback on the Coalers' football team. "You can build off plays in games so easily. Momentum gets back up and you feel like you're untouchable almost."

Driscoll (24-9) took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Gabe Tumlos singled home a run and Pierre Washington-Steele scored on a wild pitch.

Highlanders starter Anthony Campanella (7-5) coaxed two quick outs in the sixth, including a stellar play at third by Steve Schwabe when he dove to his right and threw to first from his knees to get the runner.

A two-out error opened the door for Coal City. Colt Smith's double to left scored the tying run, but then an outfield error allowed Smith to round the bases and also score on the play.

Blaine sailed through the bottom of the sixth, setting up a 3-run seventh for the Coalers. In another two-out burst, Bryan Bertani and Taylor Olson each had RBI singles. A third Driscoll error allowed an additional run for an 8-4 Coal City lead.

"They took advantage of their opportunities, and that's why they're going to win a trophy," said Driscoll coach Sean Bieterman. "I'm proud of my guys. We've worked hard all season. We've got absolutely nothing to be ashamed of."

Coal City surged to a 3-0 second-inning lead on Joel Lardi's 3-run homer. David Schwabe, one of six senior starters for Driscoll in addition to pitcher Corey Eisenmann, smacked a 2-run single in the bottom of the inning to slice the deficit to 3-2 with a pair of unearned runs.

Blaine (9-3) retired the last five batters for Driscoll, which stranded seven runners including two at third base.

"We had our chances," Bieterman said. "It's not an easy thing to deal with. There are a bunch of young men here who have been the heart and soul of our program the last four years. To see them walk out the door is not going to be easy to handle."