Pfaller helps Prairie Ridge past Elk Grove

Prairie Ridge senior Kevin Pfaller missed most of the high school summer baseball season for good reason: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a page in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Pfaller returned to the PR lineup for the first time Wednesday.

"We've been looking for somebody for third base, so I gave him his first start," Prairie Ridge coach David Haskins said.

Haskins said Pfaller likely earned himself another starting nod today after he delivered the go-ahead, 2-run double in the top of the sixth inning in a 10-5 victory over Elk Grove in Pool B of the IHSBCA summer state tournament at North Central College.

Pfaller's gap-splitter to the wall in left-center with the bases loaded gave the Wolves a 6-5 lead and highlighted a 4-run outburst that stunned the Grenadiers half an inning after they wrested the lead away with a 4-run rally of their own.

Pfaller said the push to reclaim the lead embodies the never-say-die attitude the returning players bought into during last month's run to the Class 4A state title.

"We like to fight," Pfaller said. "After last year's performance in the spring we think that we have another chance, but we have to work harder. Losing five D-I players is a challenge, but we think we can do it. This summer has shown what we can do so far."

Prairie Ridge (18-7) improved to 1-1 in Pool B. Elk Grove (16-12) fell to 1-1 in pool play.

Elk Grove took a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the first inning against Prairie Ridge starter Joe Zwierzynski, but Prairie Ridge struck for a 3-run third as Logan Olson doubled home 2 runs off Elk Grove starter Matt Martinski and Nolan Jacoby tripled Olson home.

Prairie Ridge led 4-1 in the fifth when the Grens rallied against Zwierzynski, who was one pitch away from getting out of trouble. Carl Sugihara led off with an infield single and Kyle Pfister was hit by a pitch. Both players advanced on a passed ball, but a lineout to right field, a strikeout and a walk to Tony Logli loaded the bases for Dan Duschinsky.

With the count full Duschinsky turned on a fastball and launched it over the head of diving center fielder Kevin Kaczmarcki for a 3-run triple that knotted the game at 4-4.

"(Zwierzynski) tried slowing my eyes down a couple of times with a curveball," Duschinsky said of the at-bat. "I just knew he was coming with a fastball, so I got on it and picked my teammates up a little bit. But we didn't make the routine plays, and that was the big thing."

Matt Martinski followed with a run-scoring single that gave Elk Grove a 5-4 lead, but it wasn't enough to offset too many mistakes. Elk Grove committed 5 errors and five Grens pitchers combined for 9 walks (2 intentional) and hit three batters.

"We did the tough thing, coming from behind and taking the lead," Elk Grove coach Bob Pomazak said. "But when you look at the whole seven innings of the game, we didn't deserve to win with the poor defense and the poor performance on the mound."

Both teams conclude pool play today at Benedictine University in Lisle. Elk Grove plays Brother Rice (2-0) at 11 a.m. Prairie Ridge will face Warren (0-2) at 1:30 p.m.

Brother Rice 7, Warren 0: Warren wiggled out of one jam against hard-hitting Brother Rice. The Crusaders didn't miss a second opportunity.

Warren junior pitcher Jeff Johnson used a line-drive double play to escape a bases-loaded threat in the first inning, but Brother Rice broke through for 5 runs against the Blue Devils in the third and tacked on a pair in the fifth to improve to 2-0 in pool play.

Warren dropped to 0-2 in Pool B of the IHSBCA summer state tournament, mainly because it couldn't touch Rice starting pitcher T.J. Bujanski (5-0). The senior tossed a complete-game, 4-hitter, striking out six and walking two.

"Once you get to the tournament you're going to see everyone's best, and I consider Brother Rice probably one of the best teams in the state," Warren coach Clint Smothers said. "They flat have some kids who can play.

"It's good for our kids. We've had a great summer and we've made it down here. It's good for our kids to see what we need to do to get a little bit better and be able to compete a little better with some of these teams."