Glenbard South keeps cruising

What a week it's been for the Glenbard South Raiders.

Playing in their first sectional game since the Nixon era, the Raiders defeated Guerin to move into the sectional championship. A Friday graduation preceded Saturday's title game, and for the first time in its 36-year history, Glenbard South captured a sectional baseball title with a 7-0 victory over Riverside-Brookfield in the Class 3A Nazareth Academy sectional.

Catcher Joe Biagini plated 3 early runs for the Raiders, who also tied a school season record with their 23rd win.

Biagini, a varsity veteran, stated that 2008's team possessed the most heart of any Glenbard South team he's played for.

"I've been on varsity three years, and I've thought the past three years we've had a lot of talent, but when it came to big games no one was stepping up," Biagini said. "It seems like every time there's a big game (this year), there's a pitcher throwing strikes, and everyone else is hitting, getting on base and producing runs."

Biagini put his bat where his mouth was in the bottom of the third inning, lining a single into left field that scored Dylan Milkent and Will Hill for a 2-0 Glenbard South lead.

With the Raiders (23-14) holding a 4-run advantage in the bottom of the sixth, third baseman Andy Manson drove a 3-run home run over the center-field wall, giving starting pitcher David Suffern (6-3) three more reasons to relax on the mound.

"That was huge. It takes a load off your shoulders, because I didn't think that they could hit their way to (7) runs," Glenbard South coach Mike Riley said. "With a (7)-run lead, you could just tell (Suffern) was relaxed."

Though the Raiders had never won a sectional before, Riley had a feeling this year's team could potentially go deep in the playoffs.

"We talked at the start of the year that we knew our conference was going to be tough, but we really thought going into this year that we could make a run in the state tournament because we have two real solid pitchers in Andy Manson and David Suffern," Riley said. "As long as we've got one of those two guys on the hill, we've got a chance."

Glenbard South's next hurdle comes in the supersectional, where the Raiders will face Crystal Lake Central at Alexian Field in Schaumburg. The game will be played at 4:30 p.m. Monday.