Baseball: Fulmer goes to the limit for Addison Trail
Four straight baseball games between Addison Trail and Hinsdale South decided by walkoff.
Pitching on the road Tuesday, Blazers senior right-hander Trevor Fulmer was determined to end that streak.
Despite nearing his pitch-count limit, Fulmer capped a complete-game victory for Addison Trail by stranding the tying run at first base in a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Hinsdale South in Darien.
Matt Crandall helped big-time in the seventh by throwing out leadoff hitter Evan Zenger trying to stretch a single into a double. Another single and a forceout set up Fulmer's final batter of the game regardless of how it turned out.
With his pitch limit reached Fulmer notched his seventh strikeout to end the West Suburban Gold game and improve to 5-0 on the season.
"I was just trying to get that final out no matter what," said Fulmer, who will pitch next year at Dominican University. "They're a good ballclub. They're turning into one of our rivals with these close games. It's good to get a win like this."
After surrendering the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth, Addison Trail (8-8, 5-4) trailed 3-2 heading to the top of the seventh. A Fulmer single and Bryan Hidalgo double led to a popout and a groundout, a play that nearly turned into a game-ending double play when the runner at second ran too far off the bag.
Not only was he safe on a throw back to second, though, the throw allowed the tying run to score from third. Michael Scali then singled in the go-ahead run.
Between the top of the seventh and the bottom of the seventh, two key plays at second base sealed the outcome.
"We had chances again, we're just not getting it done," said Hornets coach Paul Hoel. "We had some tough breaks, but we put ourselves in that spot in a close game. That's baseball."
Bobby O'Donnell sparked the offense for Hinsdale South (6-7, 2-2). He drove in the first run on a second-inning single, then made it 2-0 when he singled in the fourth and went around the bases on three errors.
O'Donnell doubled, stole third and scored on a throw down the line to give Hinsdale South its 3-2 lead.
Addison Trail tied the game 2-2 when Vince Daudelin drove in a run with a fifth-inning groundout and Crandall singled in a run in the sixth against Hornets starter Frankie Klemm, who allowed only 4 hits in 6 innings.
"We've just had tough, tough games against these guys," said Blazers coach Mike Kennedy. "We've been coming alive in the late innings, and that's been nice."
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