Thrill of super victory for Prospect

LOVES PARK — There was less drama but more celebrating for the Prospect baseball program on a scorching Monday afternoon.

As the Knights’ fans stood and chanted “Final Four, Final Four,” at Road Ranger Stadium, junior ace Jack Landwehr prepared to throw his 118th pitch of the Class 4A Rockford RiverHawks supersectional against Glenbrook North.

Landwehr fired a fastball past a swinging Chad Bruce and into the mitt of Kurt Donner. Seconds later, Landwehr was leaping into the arms of Donner and Prospect players fired hats and gloves into the air as they raced in to celebrate an 8-2 victory that guarantees the program its first state trophy.

“Every game we’ve been setting the bar a little higher,” said first baseman Brian Bauer after his RBI triple in a 3-run fourth inning put the Knights ahead to stay. “To come out and have this kind of senior year, the whole year has been amazing.”

The same is true for the guy who is a class younger as Landwehr (13-2) added to his single-season victory total and avenged his 12-2 loss in 5 innings to Glenbrook North (33-4) on April 4.

Landwehr scattered 8 singles and finished with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. He threw 72 of his pitches for strikes to send Prospect (26-8) to Friday’s 3 p.m. state semifinal at Joliet’s Silver Cross Field against Providence (35-3), which beat Edwardsville 13-3 in the Champaign supersectional.

“I wanted it in my hands,” said Landwehr, who broke Eric Porter’s single-season school win record of 11. “Especially since they spanked me around the last time. I wanted revenge.”

Prospect coach Ross Giusti wasn’t sure he was going to let Landwehr have it after he threw 125 pitches in Thursday’s sectional semifinal win over St. Viator. But his mind was quickly changed Monday morning.

“That kid is the most incredible competitor I’ve ever had,” said Giusti, who is in his 15th year in charge of the Knights. “I was a little leery coming back on three days rest. I said, ‘How do you feel and what do you want to do?’

“He said, ‘What do you think I want to do? I want the ball. Give it to me.’”

Landwehr gave up a run in the first on a two-out RBI single by Jason Scholl but didn’t surrender another until the sixth inning.

“I felt good with all of the adrenaline,” Landwehr said.

“With their lineup and with a lot of lefties we worked a lot of changeups,” Donner said.

“I thought his ability to throw three pitches for strikes today made a big difference,” said first-year GBN coach Dominic Savino. “He threw a lot of off-speed to us the first time through the order. The second time he showed a little more velocity and did a good job of attacking our hitters.”

The second time around the batting order also saw Prospect break through after Peter Bonahoom’s single was the only hit through 3⅓ innings off Glenbrook North lefty Sean Thomas (7-2).

Bonahoom raced around for a triple when his liner rattled around in the left-field corner. He scored on Landwehr’s double to right-center, Bauer tripled to right-center and Donner’s RBI single to left made it 3-1.

“Coming into it they hadn’t really been in any close games and we’ve battled adversity the whole way,” Bonahoom said of the Knights’ fourth postseason comeback victory. “We were kind of jittery in the beginning but I think the big fourth inning spooked them a little bit.”

Landwehr pitched around singles by Ryan Slawin and Brad Ruchman to start the fifth. The Spartans had runners at second and third with one out in the sixth but second baseman Matt Molini’s diving stop turned a potential 2-run single and bigger inning into their last run and an RBI groundout for Doug Mazewski.

“I let them put it in play and I trust my defense with all my heart,” Landwehr said. “That’s great for a pitcher.”

So was Prospect continuing to add on offensively with two-out runs in the fifth on Landwehr’s RBI single and Bauer’s RBI double. A double by Steve Dazzo (2-for-3) set up 3 two-out runs in the sixth as Luke Bergman (2-for-4) had an RBI double and Molini had an RBI single.

“They earned everything they got today,” Savino said. “We didn’t give them anything.”

Prospect gives the Mid-Suburban League its first team to reach the state finals since Buffalo Grove when it was still two classes in 2007. It will be the MSL’s first trophy-winner since Barrington was third in 2005.

“We did it,” Molini said with a smile. “We’re going.”