Fontana powers Grayslake Central’s big win
The smallest boy on Grayslake Central’s baseball team hit the longest ball, but the opponent was thinking King Kong comeback.
It was shades of 2010 for Lakes senior Chris Hoffman, whose team, alas for him, lost this time, too. The Eagles fell to host Grayslake Central 11-7 Wednesday in a Class 3A sectional semifinal that nearly ended in five innings.
“It would have stunk to get slaughtered,” Lakes junior left fielder Mike Bartlett said. “It makes it a lot better that we actually came back and put up a pretty good fight.”
Grayslake Central, which was powered by little shortstop Ryan Fontana, has never lost a sectional semifinal (4-0).
“Lakes made us work for it,” Rams coach Troy Whalen said. “Once the wind shifted, they got a couple of balls up in the air that got out, and all of a sudden you got a ballgame. The fans paid $5. We wanted to make sure that we gave them their money’s worth. It would have been shortchanging them if we would have sent them home at 5:30.”
Hoffman’s 3-run shot and Bartlett’s grand slam — Lakes’ first home runs of the season — made sure fans stayed until the end.
“We didn’t roll over, that’s for sure,” said Hoffman, who went 4-for-4. “We came out and fought. We were kind of in this position two years ago against Antioch here, too, and we fought back. We just didn’t have enough.”
Same story Wednesday.
Despite loading the bases with none out in the top of the first, Lakes (21-17) didn’t score, and the momentum stayed with Grayslake Central until the hosts had all but officially secured another sectional-semifinal win.
The Rams will take a 29-9 record into Saturday’s 11 a.m. sectional final on their home field against the winner of today’s game between Vernon Hills and St. Viator.
Fontana had an RBI single in the Rams’ four-run first and then delivered the big blow in the third.
That’s when the 5-foot-6, 140-pound junior launched a long home run over the fence in left field with a runner on base. It was the second homer of the season for Fontana, who bats fifth in the Rams’ potent order.
“Coach (Tony) Tichy, our hitting coach,” Fontana said when asked where he gets his power. “He works with everybody. He gets every ounce of power he can out of you.”
Fontana capped his 4-RBI day with a hit-and-run single in the fourth, and when Sean Boban followed with a 2-run single, the Rams were up 10-0 and in position to end the game in five innings.
It was Fontana’s third hit in as many at-bats.
“He swings a nice bat,” Whalen said. “He’s got a hitter’s mentality.”
Grayslake Central lefty starter Christian Edwards retired the first batter he faced in the top of the fifth. But Nick Traska (1-for-3) reached on an error, and Danny Jackson singled. Hoffman then battled Edwards before homering to left.
“It definitely felt good,” Hoffman said. “I wasn’t too happy before that.”
Jon Gurchak’s second RBI single in as many at-bats extended the Rams’ lead to 11-3. But Lakes answered right back in the sixth. Hoffman’s single followed walks to John O’Connor and Jackson to load the bases.
Bartlett, the Eagles’ cleanup hitter, then hit a Mike Wiggins pitch over the fence in left-center.
“I was just looking to hit the ball hard,” said Bartlett, who was 2-for-4. “That’s all I wanted to do, and it turned out pretty productive.”
With ace Mark Ash, who’s scheduled to start Saturday, warmed up and ready if needed, Wiggins retired Lakes in order in the seventh to finally end a long game.
The two teams used eight pitchers and combined for 19 hits and 6 errors.
Boban and Kristian Meehan were both 2-for-3 with a double for Grayslake Central, which also had Nick Hosford pull off a delayed steal of home in the first, as Ryan Hamrick stole second.
Rams third baseman Jay Kleinofen turned his diving catch of Jake Brown’s line drive into a first-inning-ending 5-4 double play.
“As long as we get a ‘W,’ that’s all that matters,” Fontana said. “(Lakes) fought back from being down 10-0. That’s not easy to do.”
“It’s the postseason, and anything can happen,” Whalen said. “This is a good lesson for our guys. We were two outs away from everybody being home at 6 o’clock. All it took was a walk here, a misplayed ball here, and bang, zoom, we’re still playing.”
Lakes will lose three three-year varsity players in Hoffman, Traska and Brown. The Eagles endured a seven-game losing streak to put together a season that saw them win their second regional title in school history and surpass 20 wins.
“This group of seniors, they’ve done everything that’s been asked of them as well as they can,” Lakes coach Ray Gialo said. “For those guys to get a chance to win a regional (after) some people said other teams had more talent, I think just shows a measure of those kids’ character.”