Elgin knocks off Hoffman Estates
After getting smacked in the eye in a JV game against DeKalb Saturday morning, Elgin ace Drew Bloomquist thought his season would be over.
Bloomquist’s parents and Elgin coach David Foerster left the decision up to Bloomquist if he was going to pitch in the opening game of the Class 4A Hoffman Estates regional Monday.
Bloomquist, with an assist from teammates Eric Daly and Kevin Doty, allowed just 2 runs as Elgin held on for a 3-2 victory over Hoffman Estates.
“Right after it happened, I kept telling myself I was going to work through it,” Bloomquist said. “Coach said it was up to me. My parents said it was up to me. I said give me the ball.”
Elgin (5-27-1), which dropped a doubleheader to Hoffman Estates on May 7, will now face No. 1 seed Streamwood in a regional semifinal on Wednesday.
Doty earned his first save of the season by getting Jim Ward to fly out with the tying run on third. He hopes some of Monday’s momentum will carry him when he takes the mound against Streamwood.
“I had a little bit of adrenaline going, but I liked it,” Doty said. “I threw fastball, fastball, curveball and he got under the curveball.”
Doty took the mound after Daly caught Kevin Grudzinski looking on 3-straight strikes. Hoffman Estates (14-19) then came within 3-2 when starting pitcher Mark Roberts jacked a sacrifice fly to left field to score Zach Hommowun.
Bloomquist (2-3) walked Hommowun and Jordan Loikits on 9 pitches to open the seventh inning.
He had allowed 1 run on 8 hits in the first 6 innings, but did not walk anyone until the final inning.
“Bloomquist pitched great, but ran out of steam,” Foerster said. “We had plenty of confidence in Eric. (Then we) wanted to show them something different with Alex.”
The Hawks had consistently gotten on base, but failed to string enough together to score a run before the sixth inning.
Maroons’ second baseman Javier Cardenas halted a sure-first Hoffman Estates run in the fifth when he and catcher George Teschner caught Loikits in a pickoff play at home.
Grudzinski stole second and Teschner sent the ball to Cardenas, who quickly sent it back to him to catch Loikits at the plate.
The Hawks stranded 6 runners in the game, including a runner at third in the sixth and seventh innings.
Roberts (3-6) allowed just 4 hits and struck out 8 in the loss.
“I’m very disappointed in our overall defense,” Hawks’ coach Todd Meador said. “That’s not like us. I was very disappointed to give them 3 runs like that.”
Shaiquelle Hayes singled and scored in the first giving Elgin a quick 1-0 lead. Teschner repeated the act an inning later, but scored on one of Hoffman Estates’ 3 errors.
Ryan Walker added the eventual game-winning run after Cardenas singled him home in the fourth. That was the last hit the Maroons would record.