Neuqua goes out on top (again)

For the second straight year Neuqua Valley won its last baseball game.

It wasn't as much fun as last year's finale, but the Wildcats will gladly take it.

With Saturday's 4-3 victory over Wheaton North at Joliet's Silver Cross Field, Neuqua Valley claimed third place in the Class 4A state tournament.

Last year's Class AA champion fell in its attempt to become the second baseball team in IHSA history to repeat, but Neuqua Valley (33-7) still rebounded strong from Friday's disappointing 7-1 semifinal loss to Prairie Ridge.

"I told the guys before, 'I'd like to know the schools that have won their last game of the season two years in a row,'" said Wildcats coach Robin Renner. "And we were able to do that. Today wasn't the game that we were hoping to win, but it was the next best thing."

Junior pitchers Ian Krol and Mike McKinley both were eager to pitch against the Falcons (24-15). Renner went into the game planning to throw Krol for 5 innings and McKinley for 2 innings, and the plan worked to perfection.

Krol improved to 9-1 by striking out nine and allowing 1 earned run over 5 innings. McKinley retired the side in the sixth and seventh innings to notch the save, helping combine on a 2-hitter with 11 total strikeouts.

"I definitely feel kind of bad for all the seniors but it's definitely a great way to end the season," said Krol, one of six Wildcats juniors who played in the two weekend games. "I just went out with the same mentality. I didn't have my stuff, though. I did what I can, I just didn't feel 100 percent today."

Krol did a pretty good impression of 100 percent early in the game, striking out six through three scoreless innings. Neuqua Valley held on to a 1-0 lead after Bryan Berryman singled home a two-out unearned run in the second inning.

Two errors in the top of the fourth inning opened the door for Wheaton North to score 3 runs. A balk by Krol scored the first run and junior Wade Cervenka doubled home the go-ahead run. A wild pitch made it 3-1.

"We all know we could have played better," said Cervenka, one of five non-senior starters for the Falcons. "We played two great teams and, of course, everyone's good down here. We just didn't bring our best games this weekend, but we're still all pretty happy to be down here."

Neuqua Valley reclaimed its 1-run lead with 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth. Berryman singled home another run, and the Wildcats tied the game on an error. A fielder's choice RBI by Krol put the lead at 4-3.

"We were a little bit more relaxed today," said Wildcats senior catcher Geoff Rowan. "We all want to win our last game, especially a lot of the seniors. We all still thought about (Friday) but we weren't as down as we were, definitely, after the game. So the night helped."

Wheaton North, despite losing both weekend games, still ends the season as the most successful team in program history after winning its first sectional and supersectional title and coming home with a fourth-place trophy.

"A frustrating day for us," said Falcons coach Dan Schoessling, whose team lost to Oak Park in Friday's semifinals. "But it doesn't take away from the season that we've had, the experiences that we've shared and the history that we've made for Wheaton North."