Baseball: Maine South scores five times in first, holds off Barrington to advance to state for 1st time in 60 years
Just like most baseball coaches, Maine South coach Brian Lorenz was disappointed that he lost the coin flip to determine home team at the Kane County Class 4A supersectional on Tuesday in Geneva.
But that disappointment didn’t last long.
The Hawks opened with a 5-run flurry in the top the first and then held on to beat Barrington 6-3.
Maine South (25-15) will play Naperville Central in the state semifinals at 4 p.m. Friday at Joliet Slammers Stadium.
Maine South lost to eventual 4A state champion Libertyville in the superesectionals last year. The Hawks will be making their first state finals appearance since 1966 when they finished second in the state.
“Since I took over the program 10 years ago, this has been the plan,” Maine South coach Brian Lorenz said. “We wanted to get back here and put a group of guys that believe in each other. And put them in position and trust them in those positions and be able to go to state.”
Maine South jumped all over Barrington in its first at-bat.
The first three Maine South players reached on a single by Evan Adamczewski and walks to Luke Stojakovic and Sean Sladky. Nate Cera followed with a two-run single.
“ I just tried to keep my composure,” Cera said. “I just saw the ball and hit the ball. I got my pitch and just whacked it.”
After a Braden Cremins single re-loaded the bases, Alex Vale came up with a single to drive in another two runs.
“I was just trying to be calm when I was up there,” said Vale, who had two hits.
“That hit really helped with our momentum. That big start really helped us.”
Michael Forte would add a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.
“I just remembered last year when we lost in the super,” Lorenz said. “We scored two runs in the first and I was kicking myself because we didn’t get more. We did everything we could today to get five runs and that was massive.”
Barrington came back for a pair of runs in their half of the first. Zach Ostergaard singled and Jackson Roberts was hit by a pitch. The duo scored on Andrew Whitney’s single to make it 5-2.
Barrington picked up another run in the fourth. Will Steffens belted a solo homer to right to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Maine South got that run back in its next at-bat. Gavin Krischke singled, stole second and scored on Cremins’ second hit to make it 6-3.
Barrington would not go away.
Ryan Costello doubled to lead off the fifth. Max Wrzeszcz picked up an infield hit as Costello scampered his way to third. Ostergaard then lined a single that deflected off an infielder to drive in a pair to cut the lead to 6-5.
Ostergaard did make it to second thanks to a throwing error. But the Broncos were unable to score.
Barrington had one last opportunity in the seventh. Roberts came up with a two-out single and went to second on a passed ball. But Maine South’s Henry Murphy, who came on in the fifth, induced a ground out to second to end the game.
“That has been the identity of our team all season,” said Barrington coach Paul Belo, who team rallied to win their sectional. “It’s like we have done this throughout the year. They never panic and just kind of believed in each other. They did the little things right and worked their way back into the ballgame. How do you say anything other than you’re proud of the kids?”