Metea Valley hits way past WW South
Yes, it’s possible to have just a couple of key hits at strategic points of a baseball game and still win.
Metea Valley prefers, though, to be like the radio station that advertises on a billboard saying that it keeps the hits coming.
After just one hit during the first two innings, the Mustangs, the 10th seed in the Class 4A Romeoville sectional, erupted in the third for five runs on six hits en route to a 12-5 win over seventh-seeded Wheaton Warrenville South in a Waubonsie Valley regional semifinal Thursday.
Metea Valley (17-18) advances to its first baseball regional final at 10 a.m. Saturday against second-seeded Hinsdale South.
“I was a little nervous. We were working on some things and I had moved some guys around and we didn’t swing the bats particularly well last week,” said Mustangs coach Craig Tomczak. “We had a couple of days off and we worked on some things offensively and that worked.”
The Mustangs finished with 16 hits, including 9 over the last four innings.
Wheaton Warrenville South (16-20) got the big start in its half of the first. Leadoff hitter Kevin Giltz reached second on a two-base error with Rich O’Neil’s single to left scoring him.
Metea Valley batted around in the third with four RBI singles coming from Kenny Obendorf, Michael Mooney, Austin Kinnavy and Ben Doiron to give their team a 5-1 lead. Six in the Metea Valley lineup had at least two hits in the game — Obendorf, Austin Kinnavy, Andrew Fox, Ryan Solomon, Mooney and Jake Charuk.
Mooney’s second hit of the afternoon sparked the Mustangs’ five-run seventh inning. He hit his first grand slam at any level to push the Mustangs to a 12-1 advantage.
“After the first inning we were stringing the hits together. Tom (Bolle) was pitching a great game and we wanted to get him the win,” Mooney said. “We play well when we string the hits together.”
Starting pitcher Bolle went 6 innings and struck out three to get the victory. Adam Cielinski came in to get the last out.
A two-run double by O’Neil and an RBI single by Giltz sparked a four-run seventh for Wheaton Warrenville South.
“That was good to see. We’ve done that a little all year. It was a good way to see it go out,” said Tigers caoch Tim Brylka.
Wheaton Warrenville South struggled the last couple of weeks of the regular season.
“We were having a good season until two weeks were left in the conference season. It was like two teams and two different seasons. I think after losing nine straight, it’s going to leave a bad taste in your mouth,” Brylka said. “We need a better approach next season to everything from practice habits to game habits. We need guys to step up.”
As for Metea Valley, it will have just a short time to prepare for its first regional title game.
“Our job is not done. We are not satisfied by any means. But it’s not going to be easy,” Tomczak said.