Kaneland headed to state for 1st time
MOLINE — It may be premature to call a first-inning, highway-robbery catch the play of the baseball game, but it sure looked good from where Kaneland was sitting.
Peoria Notre Dame had already scored a run in the top of the first inning of Monday’s Class 3A Augustana supersectional at Brunner Field in Rock Island. Irish outfielder Billy King launched a blast to deepest right-center field that certainly appeared would drive in another.
Kaneland’s Joe Camiliere sprinted on a line from his center field spot to make a diving, rolling, backhanded catch at the warning track and avert the big inning.
Momentum shifted, Kaneland scored 2 runs in the bottom of the first. Behind clean and often spectacular Knights defense, line shots and pitcher Drew Peters’ 6 solid innings, Kaneland (24-10) went on to beat Peoria-Notre Dame 8-3 and earn its first downstate baseball berth in history in addition to a program wins record.
“Our goal was to get a regional, and everything now has just kind of fallen in line. It’s kind of been unbelievable,” Camiliere said.
Kaneland will play Waterloo, a 1-0 winner over Chatham Glenwood at the Sauget supersectional, in the 3A semifinals at approximately noon on Friday at Joliet’s Silver Cross Field.
“The wind was blowing out. I knew (Camiliere) would make a huge play. He’s been amazing all year out there,” said Peters, who ran his record to 4-1 in a 3-run, 5-hit outing before Kyle Davidson entered in the seventh to close it out.
“I’m glad he stepped up and our whole outfield stepped up. Jacob (Razo) did a great job. Our whole team stepped up great today,” Peters said.
“We think we can make this run. We’ve always been kind of underdogs, you know? We knew that we were better than all these guys, and we can continue this. We think we can win a state championship, no doubt about it.”
Kaneland showed the defense to get it done. The Knights committed 1 third-inning error, which Peters made sure didn’t cost them, while taking advantage of 5 miscues by Peoria Notre Dame (27-7).
Kaneland immediately forced the issue in the bottom of the first when leadoff man Davidson got plunked by a pitch from Irish starter Doug Cicciarelli (10-1). Corey Landers singled, Camiliere walked, then Davidson scored on Bobby Thorson’s fielder’s choice. Sam Komel followed with a grounder, booted, that scored Landers.
“To keep them at 1 then to tie it up and then take the lead in the first inning, that was huge, to get up early. To play with a lead, that’s one of our biggest things,” Camiliere said.
Kaneland led 5-1 after three innings. Landers scored again, advancing on Komel’s single then scoring on an outfielder’s throw that got away. Thorson and Komel came around on a double by Drew French.
Kaneland plated 3 more in the fourth for an 8-1 lead, each run scoring with two outs. Thorson had the big blast, a slicing double to right scoring Davidson and Camiliere. Thorson came home on another Irish error.
“The job is just putting it in play, pushing them, pushing the pace,” Davidson said. “Putting it in play, not striking out, is the biggest thing.”
The Knights weren’t only opportunistic. They knocked the ball where no fielder could get it with doubles by Thorson, Komel, French and Razo, and 2 hits apiece by Landers and French.
“The ball was looking like a balloon today,” French said. “We were getting pitches that we liked and we were just stroking them.”
Meanwhile, the Knights defense hummed. In the second Razo made a diving catch in front of him in right field, then threw to Komel at first to double off a runner and end the inning.
In the fifth, Peoria Notre Dame loaded the bases with one out. Matt Buck singled in Michael Fitzgerald and Alex Grawey to cut the deficit to 8-3. The Irish faked a double steal with men on first and second, and Kaneland catcher Tyler Heinle caught the runner at first before he could get back.
In the top of the seventh, with Davidson pitching, Heinle ended the game with a perfect throw to second to catch a runner trying to steal.
“Our defense, if we continue to play like that, every pitcher’s are going to have confidence,” said Knights head coach Brian Aversa. “And then the way we put the ball in play, one strikeout today ... we’re playing well right now.”
Well enough to have won 11 straight. Thirteen will earn a title.
“We’re just so happy about these boys going to state and the support and everything,” said Aversa, who got a water cooler soaking courtesy of two sneaky baseball moms. “We’ve had an outpouring of support from the community, from our coaches doing the scouting reports.
“We felt so good about getting to this game, and now overcoming this game and going to state is just a dream come true, it really is.”