Elder sets K record as Westminster reaches sectional final
Breaking Westminster Christian's single-season strikeout record was a nice feat for sophomore pitcher Kevin Elder.
The timing of the strikeouts may have been even more impressive than breaking the record itself.
Elder struck out the side in the sixth inning of Thursday's semifinal game of the Class 1A Westminster Christian sectional game to help preserve a 6-4 win against Lanark Eastland.
The Warriors (26-10), who also tied a school record for wins, will now face Lena-Winslow for the sectional title at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The Warriors ousted Le-Win in a supersectional game in 2007.
Saturday's winner advances to the Lisle supersectional at Benedictine University at 1 p.m. Monday against the winner of the Gardner South-Wilmington sectional. Ottawa Marquette plays the winner of today's game between Streator Woodland and Cissna Park on Saturday for the GS-W sectional title.
Elder (9-4) picked up the win but pitched just 22/3 innings and could be ready to go on Saturday.
"Kevin's a beast," Warriors' coach Jeff Moeller said. "Whenever we have to put him in an inning, he's not as effective as if he starts the top of an inning. He came in and struggled. Then he got after them."
Elder, who broke Ben Palmer's single-season-strikeout mark of 128 by finishing with 5 Ks for 130 on the season, inherited an inning in which starter Ryan Perez had given up 3 runs. Elder allowed the next 4 runners to reach base, but struck out catcher Zach Trukenmiller to end the inning with Westminster up 5-3.
First baseman Tyler Giedd belted a 1-2 pitch to right field for a home run to cut Westminster's lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth, but Elder responded by allowing just 1 hit to the next 10 batters he faced.
"It's nice to warm up," Elder said of entering a game midway through an inning. "It's a little tougher, but it's not impossible. I like it tough."
The Warriors made things a little easier for Elder when Dylan Scully scored off a wild pitch from Giedd, who came in to pitch in the fifth, to go ahead 6-4.
After scoring 5 runs in the first three innings, the Warriors stranded 5 runners over the rest of the game including leaving the bases loaded with a 5-0 lead in the fourth.
Westminster jumped all over Lanark (21-6) starter Cameron Geerts as the first 2 runners scored. Brandon Weingartner reached base on an error and Perez singled. Catcher Frank Oliver drove in Weingartner and Joe McGannon notched a sacrifice fly to score Perez, putting the Warriors up 2-0 in the top of the first.
Weingartner, Oliver and McGannon all scored in the third extending the lead to 5-0.
The Cougars got to starter Perez in the fourth, scoring 3 runs highlighted by a 2-run triple from Austin Shellhause.
"We just had to remind ourselves that this is our house," McGannon said. "We can't let them take the momentum. The fourth was the worst inning of the game for us."