It's East vs. North in battle of St. Charles
With an all-St. Charles sectional semifinal set for 4 p.m. Wednesday at St. Charles East, here's a quick look back at how the series played out this season between the No. 1 seed North Stars (34-4) and No. 5 Saints (26-11).
St. Charles North won two of the three head-to-head games. The winner of Wednesday's semifinal will advance to the Class 4A St. Charles East sectional Saturday against the winner of Thursday's game between No. 2 Wheaton North (27-9) and No. 6 Lake Park (21-16).
Game 1: The Saints opened the series with a 10-7 win on May 4 - a loss that dropped the North Stars to 19-4. They haven't lost since, winners of 15 straight.
In a game played on the same St. Charles East field where the sectional takes place, Evan Prose delivered a grand slam for the Saints to cap an 8-run first inning. He later doubled.
Robert Went led the Saints with 3 hits while Tommy Konrad and Luke Rojas both added 2 as St. Charles East wiped out the North Stars' early 3-0 lead. Wendt also threw out a runner at the plate from center field before taking over on the mound to pick up the save. Konrad earned the win.
Kevin Borst started for the North Stars and dropped to 4-3 that day but has since excelled in a relief role, including finishing off the North Stars' 8-5 win over York on Saturday that gave the North Stars a regional championship.
Game 2: The North Stars evened the series with a 13-7 victory.
Ryan Hudspeth, who hasn't lost in two years of varsity baseball, earned the win. Phil Warner pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth for the save.
The North Stars fell behind 6-2 on Ryan O'Dell's 2-run single from and a 2-run homer by Luke Rojas.
The Saints' defense broke down with 4 errors in the North Stars' 7-run third inning and St. Charles North didn't trail again. Catcher Matt Stevens punctuated the win with a tape-measure home run in the sixth inning.
Mike Budka, John Brodner, Andrew Elliot and Dirk Schmitt all smacked 2 hits for the North Stars.
Wendt again had 3 hits for the Saints.
Game 3: In the first low-scoring game of the series and a possible preview of Wednesday's matchup, Jaret Shurtleff outdueled Wes Benjamin to give the North Stars a 3-2 win at Elfstrom Stadium.
It was the first loss of the year for Benjamin (12-2), who won both of St. Charles East's games last week at the Geneva regional.
Shurtleff threw a complete game, retiring Johnny Erickson on a fly ball to right fielder Chase Williams to end the game.
Borst doubled home Mike Budka with the winning run. Only one of the three runs Benjamin allowed was earned.
The winner Wednesday could either see a familiar Upstate Eight foe in Lake Park or last year's sectional finalist Wheaton North. The Falcons dropped a 6-4 decision to Batavia's in the 2009 sectional championship game played across town at St. Charles North.
St. Charles North swept three games from Lake Park this season while the Lancers won two of three against the Saints.