No conclusion at Westminster

The baseball game that didn't want to end never did.

Umpires suspended the Class 1A Westminster Christian regional semifinal after 11 innings due to darkness with the host Warriors and North Shore Country Day deadlocked 5-5 Thursday.

The winner will eventually play Alden-Hebron in the regional championship game. The plan to resume the tied semifinal won't be finalized until today.

"Tentatively the game will resume Saturday morning at 10 a.m.," Westminster Christian athletic director Rick Palmer said. "Our forecast is to finish that game and play the championship game Monday at 11 a.m., but the IHSA will have to approve all that."

Westminster Christian has an all-sports banquet scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. The school's commencement ceremony is slated to take place Saturday at 2 p.m.

Westminster Christian (25-8) had a golden opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning but couldn't put away the Raiders (12-3). NCSD pitcher Mikey Gendell walked leadoff hitter Mike O'Neill and was called for a balk. He hit Zach Holmer with a pitch before Chadd Schroy bunted for a basehit to load the bases with no outs. Joe McGannon followed and drew a 3-0 count. Then Gendell pulled a Houdini.

"I'm going to be honest. I was terrified," Gendell said. "In those situations you just have to rear back and give them everything you've got because the game is on the line."

McGannon lined out on a 3-0 pitch to Raiders second baseman Jake Gordon, who threw to third base to double off the runner. NCSD then intentionally walked Warriors cleanup hitter Brandon Siewert, who was 3-for-3 with 4 RBI.

Again Gendell fell behind 3-0, but the senior worked his way back into the count and induced an inning-ending flyball to center field from Brandon Weingartner.

"We've just got to play our game a little bit more and be a little smarter," Westminster coach Jeff Moeller said. "We just didn't play very smart at all."

The lead changed hands twice before the Warriors tied the game 5-5 in the fifth inning on Siewert's 2-run single.

Westminster Christian appeared tight from the start of the game after NCSD jumped on top early.

"Our goal going into the postseason was not to press and just stay easy and relaxed, and we've certainly not been easy and relaxed," said Siewert, who pitched 5 innings of scoreless relief. "We had that huge opportunity with the bases loaded and no outs. I don't know how we let that get away."