Salzman, Arlington make it three-way title chase

Jeremy Salzman bounced back from 1 bad inning Wednesday with 8 stellar ones Saturday night for Arlington in the Cook County American Legion baseball tournament.

The Carthage-bound left-hander retired the first 15 hitters and allowed his only runs in the eighth inning as second-seed Arlington (27-11) stayed alive with an 8-2 victory over top-seed Palatine (27-8) at Rec Park in Arlington Heights.

"He had them off-balance," Arlington coach Lloyd Meyer said after Salzman shut down a Palatine team that scored 37 runs in its first three tourney games. "He threw the ball like he has all summer. He mixed his pitches up and had pretty good velocity and pretty good control."

And the return of UIC-bound John Coen from an injured left hand to go 4-for-4 set up a three-way scenario of 3-1 teams battling in two games today at Rec Park for the berth in next week's state tournament.

Arlington plays defending County champion Elk Grove (20-13) at 11 a.m. The winner will then face Palatine at approximately 2 p.m.

Salzman bounced back from giving up 3 walks and 6 runs in his only inning of Wednesday's 13-12 loss to Elk Grove. He allowed 7 hits and only 1 walk and threw 108 pitches in the only tournament game played Saturday because of heavy rain.

Coen had been out of action for about three weeks but had a big 2-run double in a 5-run seventh when Arlington took a 7-0 lead.

"I really didn't think he'd be able to swing the bat that well," Meyer said.

Arlington scored in the first on an RBI single by Andrew Van Wazer and in the third on Jake Knauss' sacrifice fly. Meyer said Thomas Kelly "had another great game" at shortstop.

Defending state champion Palatine will have its lefty duo of UIC-bound Clint Terry and Sean Stutzman rested and ready today. Julian Sipiora, Donny Duschinsky, Andy Keehn and Tim Massat all figure to be ready for Elk Grove.

Meyer said Coen, first-game starter Brendan King, Kurt Donner, Phil Kerber and Jack Mullenix, who pitched the ninth Saturday, should all be ready.

"We're capable," Meyer said.