Four-run seventh ends Neuqua's season
Once again, the late innings brought out the best in Providence.
Through six innings Neuqua Valley pitcher Craig Provow had a 2-hit shutout.
Providence gummed up the works with a 4-run seventh, and despite Kyle Mener's 2-run home run for Neuqua in the bottom half, No. 16 seeded Providence advanced at the Class 4A Lockport sectional with a 4-3 win over the fifth-seeded Wildcats (25-12).
"They got their mojo going," said Neuqua Valley assistant coach John Fumagalli, in charge Wednesday with head coach Robin Renner at his son Brady's graduation ceremony at West Aurora.
"They believe that they can win in the sixth and seventh inning, and this is the third time they've done it," Fumagalli said. "You've got to give those kids a lot of credit. They battled, our kids battled. They got the key hit, we didn't."
Against the sweeping offerings of sophomore left-hander Matt Trowbridge, Neuqua Valley took a 1-0 lead in the third. Ryan Wagner doubled down the right-field line to score Jeff Dean, who beat out a swinging bunt single.
"We figured one run wasn't going to be enough," Wagner said, "but you never knew what was going to happen because Craig was pitching so good."
Provow (2-3) worked his cut fastball and split-finger through six solid innings. He stranded a Celtic at third base in the first inning and another at second in the fourth, leaving him there with two straight strikeouts.
The senior right-hander recorded his sixth strikeout in the top of the sixth and forced a groundout to Wildcats shortstop Mike Bogar to start the seventh.
Providence's A.J. Woynerowski smacked a single to left. Colin McEnery and Brian Davis coaxed walks to load the bases and force Fumagalli to replace the tiring Provow with reliever Chris Widup.
Dan Cox greeted Widup by beating out a dribbler that scored pinch runner Joe Saavedra with the tying run. Widup struck out the next batter, but Tim Hanrahan bounced 2-run single through the left side of the infield.
Mike Morrissette's hard grounder up the middle made the score 4-1, and though Hanrahan was thrown out trying to reach third, Providence (21-15) had done its damage.
"I knew that even though we were down the whole game that we would come back," said Trowbridge, who allowed 5 hits and struck out seven. He benefited from double plays in the second and fourth innings plus a Wildcat thrown out trying to steal and another he picked off first base.
Mener's towering home run to left with Mike McKinley aboard give Neuqua life, but Trowbridge (5-1) struck out the next two batters to send Providence into the sectional final against the winner of today's game between Naperville Central and Lockport.
"I'm amazed that we made it this far. We had such good team chemistry, it's unbelievable how much that helps," Provow said.
"It would have been nice to end the season with (Renner) in the dugout. But oh well, we get to see him on Friday when we hand in our uniforms."