Baseball: Naperville Central rallies past Minooka to reach state for first time since 2010 title

NORMAL — The two combatants in Monday evening's Class 4A Normal supersectional, Naperville Central and Minooka, each found themselves in the round of eight for the first time since 2012. They both also sought to get their game in as showers coated most of northern Illinois Monday forcing several postponements.

"I hope we can get this one in," Minooka coach Jeff Petrovic said as he looked up at the skies prior to taking the field for team warmups.

The game would go all the way to the end and thanks to a late rally plus a diving, game-clinching catch, the Redhawks posted a 4-2 triumph at the Corn Crib for the program's third trip to the final four and first since 2010.

Naperville Central (30-9) moves on to a 4 p.m. semifinal Friday afternoon at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet against the winner of Tuesday afternoon's Northwestern Medicine Field supersectional in Geneva between Barrington (27-12) and Maine South (24-15).

Trailing 2-1 in the top of the sixth with one out and a runner at first, the Redhawks got things going courtesy of an infield hit by second baseman Ryan Orlanes that moved pinch runner Mark Williams to third.

Williams scored the tying run on a Jermaine Kenady base hit that would also bring Orlanes in with the lead run thanks to an outfield throwing error.

Kenady would next cross the plate on Casey Cooperkawa’s infield hit.

Kenady, a senior right fielder, understood the challenge that he and his teammates faced.

"I was just looking to put the ball in play and be aggressive at the plate," Kenady said. "We knew what it took to be here and we knew it was going to be a heck of a match."

Then the Redhawks ace hurler Grant Umbright took over on the mound and shut out Minooka (32-7) the rest of the way.

"I wanted this win more than anything," Umbright said.

"I didn't know that I was going to be going this deep into the game. We got the runs we needed, great defense behind me and Jermaine making that last play. The adrenaline is still going through my body."

That last play to which Umbright was referring came in the bottom of the seventh with two outs. Minooka shortstop Joey Rutz reached second on a throwing error. Second baseman Jason Duy then connected on an Umbright pitch deep to the right field corner where Kenady made a diving grab just as he was heading into the wall.

"We were in a great spot with two outs, (but) I knew that the batter was going to be aggressive and I knew that play had to be made," Kenady said.

With the win, Naperville Central puts themselves in the Final Four with the 2006 and 2010 squads who both went on to win the state championship under the direction of Bill Seiple.

A fact not lost on current Redhawks coach Mike Stock as his players doused him with a huge bucket of water.

"It's the best feeling ever," Stock said. We've been teaching our kids about postseason baseball and the reward of getting to play again. We're coming down to Joliet with a plan and we're good at winning baseball games."