Wheaton Warrenville South edges Elk Grove in 8

You can call it what you want to.

"I'll let you decide that one," Wheaton Warrenville South coach Tim Brylka said.

Left fielder Neal Johnston, who hit "it," said he didn't care what it was - all the mattered was the result.

In the top of the eight inning of Saturday's Class 4A regional final at Hoffman Estates, No. 7 Wheaton Warrenville South was tied with No. 2 Elk Grove at 7-7 when Johnston came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded.

Johnston then smacked a ball to the right-field fence and was able to circle the bases, bringing home a total of 4 runs. The defense on the play wasn't crisp, but there was no obvious error - making the result an inside-the-park grand slam that put the Tigers up 11-7.

Elk Grove was able to score once in the bottom of the inning, and brought the tying run to the plate, but could not scored more than that in an 11-8 loss.

"I had two strikes on me so I was just trying to relax at the plate," Johnston said of his big at-bat. "I started thinking about 'Wish You Were Here' by Pink Floyd, and everything just kind of melted away. I saw the pitch and it was right there so I just took it as far as I could."

Elk Grove led 5-0 after 4 innings and Grenadiers starter Donny Duschinsky carried a no-hitter into the fifth. But that's when the Tigers' bats came alive.

Ty Peterson hit a 2-run homer that inning while Johnston and Taylor Rhoades each hit solo homers in the sixth to help the game arrive at the dramatics of the eighth.

Johnston said it was the first time this year he had hit a home run.

"I give Wheaton Warrenville credit for coming back," Elk Grove coach Terry Beyna said. "I thought the way the game was going it looked like we were in control of the game. We started to fall behind some hitters and they put some good swings on some balls and hit balls out of the park."

Beyna added that the 8 walks Grenadier pitching allowed were far too many.

"The first couple innings and the last couple of innings were a completely different story," Brylka said. "The kids hung in there. Didn't hang their heads and found a way to make it interesting and pull something out. It was exciting."

Wheaton Warrenville South moves on to the St. Charles North sectional semifinal, where the Tigers will play Batavia, an 11-6 winner over Willowbrook on Saturday.