Skinner helps Palatine find redemption

Byron Skinner didn't have a long wait for his shot at redemption.

The Palatine senior right-hander was knocked out in the second inning of Wednesday's loss to Stevenson. Skinner came back Thursday with two shutout innings of relief and helped himself and his team beat St. Viator and darkness 8-7 with a one-out double in the bottom of the eighth inning.

"I'm just really proud of what No. 35 did for us today," said Palatine coach Paul Belo after the umpires told both teams the eighth was going to be the final inning of the nonconference baseball game.

"I needed to step up and help my team out," Skinner said. "That's what I needed to do because (Wednesday) was a letdown."

Skinner (3-1) helped Palatine (4-4) end a three-game losing streak with his second RBI double of the game on a day the wind was blasting out up to 30 mph.

Mike Luschen and Dan Haze (3-for-5), who had back-to-back doubles in a 2-run sixth as Palatine tied it at 7-7, started the eighth with a walk and a single.

Viator (1-2) coach Mike Manno took out sophomore left-hander Jack Czeszewski for hard-throwing senior Julian Sipiora.

Sipiora, who was fighting off illness and still working back from the basketball team's supersectional run, struck out the first hitter. Skinner ended it when he drove a 1-2 pitch to deep right field to score Luschen from second.

"With two strikes I wanted to get a ball in the air because the outfield was in," Skinner said, "and give our team a chance to at least get (Luschen) over to third base."

Czeszewski gave Viator a shot to win as he went 3-for-4 with a tiebreaking solo homer in the fifth.

After Mac Mastrangeli's strikeout with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, Czeszewski came in and got Palatine leadoff man Cody Bobbit (2-for-4, 2 RBI) on a one-hopper to shortstop David Alameda to end the threat.

But Palatine scored the tying run in the sixth on an error.

"They're a good team and you can't give them extra outs," said Viator coach Mike Manno after his team's 3 errors led to 2 unearned runs. "We're just struggling (defensively). We have to be able to execute and we're not doing that right now.

"Offensively we did OK. We got big hits in the right situations."

Kevin Gannon had an RBI double and a 3-run homer and Robert Romano had an RBI single. Brian Pichardo had an RBI double in the sixth but Alex Miramontes came in for starter Tom Galvan and ended the threat with 2 strikeouts.

After Czeszewski singled to start the seventh, Skinner came in and got 4 strikeouts and allowed only Alameda's bad-hop one-out single in the eighth in his 23-pitch outing.

"He came to us and said, 'My arm feels good,'" Belo said of Skinner, who threw 43 pitches Wednesday. "I'm proud of him for stepping up in a big situation."

Trey Cannon (2-for-5) also had an RBI double in the first for the Pirates. And even though it's early April, there was some concern about their recent rough stretch.

"Were not a three-game losing streak team," Skinner said. "We felt like this was a must-win game."

Meadows 4, Niles West 3 (8 inn.): Steve Heer's one-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth gave Rolling Meadows (2-3) its second straight win. Sophomore Matt Hendricks walked, Pat McGinn sacrificed and Kevin Cwynar was intentionally walked to set the stage for McGinn (2-for-3).

Hendricks (3-for-3) doubled and scored the tying run in the sixth on a wild pitch. He also allowed 6 hits and 5 walks with 5 strikeouts in seven innings in his second straight solid start.

"He's throwing real well and getting his fastball over for strikes," said Meadows coach Jim Lindeman. "(Sophomore) Eric Lowe is really playing well and swinging the bat well and he plays a good shortstop."

Lowe went 2-for-4 and Steve Levy pitched a perfect eighth inning for the win.

Prospect 18, Bartlett 16: Prospect (2-3) scored 11 runs in the top of the first and did all of its offensive damage in the first three innings before holding on for the nonconference win at Bartlett.

John Coen and Miles Osei each went 3-for-5, Peter Bonahoom went 2-for-3 with a 2-run homer, a double and 4 RBI, Ed Gerdes was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and Thomas Kelly had a 2-run triple.

Prospect led 14-1 in the second and 18-8 after three. Jack Mullenix went four innings for the win and Scott Plaza allowed a run in two innings for the save.

Coen also made a diving stop to his left at third base to start the bottom of the seventh to keep Bartlett from bringing the tying run to the plate.

"It was a big-league play," said Prospect coach Ross Giusti.

Oak Park 4, Barrington 1: Robby McDonnell threw a 5-hitter with 10 strikeouts and no walks and allowed only 1 earned run as Barrington (4-4) committed 5 errors.

"He pitched a very good game," said Barrington coach Jim Hawrysko. "Defense is what killed us today - easy plays."

John O'Connell went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and Anthony Brignola was 2-for-3 for Barrington.

Deerfield 16, Elk Grove 13: Carl Sugihara went 3-for-3 for Elk Grove (2-5) in the nonconference loss.