Baseball: Glenbard East enjoys playoff opener vs. Glenbard West
If any baseball team was ready for the playoffs to begin, it was Glenbard East.
After surging to the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division championship to close the regular season, the Rams kept up the momentum and the focus with Thursday's 14-3 five-inning victory over Glenbard West in the Class 4A Glenbard West regional semifinals at Village Green in Glen Ellyn.
In search of their first regional championship since 2005, the second-seeded Rams (28-8) face No. 7 Batavia in the title game at 11 a.m. Saturday.
"The first inning I was a little nervous, but the nerves really came down after we scored some runs," said Glenbard East starting pitcher Michael Sebby, who improved to 11-0 and launched his eighth homer of the season. "We were just able to compete out there after that."
Glenbard East's entire lineup contributed to a nonstop offensive assault. The Rams' top three hitters - Ryan Schefske, Richard Masciopinto and Sebby - reached base in 11 of 12 plate appearances. Glenbard East sent 32 total batters to the plate in four innings.
"We came out ready to play," said Rams outfielder Joey Moore, who pitched the fifth inning. "Everyone was seeing the ball real well. We just want to come out and keep playing the way we've played all year."
The Rams staked Sebby to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first behind Moore's 2-run double. Sebby, Jake Heyman and Jack Moran also drove in 2 runs.
Sebby allowed a third-inning run when R.J. Paul singled home Grant Lalla for Glenbard West (15-20), but the Hilltoppers couldn't rally any closer in four innings against the Illinois State-bound left-hander.
"You don't want to give anyone a 5-run lead in the first inning, but especially not Sebby," said Glenbard West coach Andy Schultz. "It's awfully tough to come back from that. I guess it just wasn't our day."
Kevin Spencer and Matt Shoub had back-to-back two-out RBI doubles in the top of the fifth to pull the Hilltoppers within 14-3, but Moore coaxed the final out to end the game early.
"Our guys did a great job of composing themselves and sticking with their plan and their approach," said Rams coach Joel Pelland, whose wife, Kylee, gave birth to twin daughters - Camryn and Kenna - Thursday morning.
"She allowed me to come coach today. She actually made me come coach," Pelland said. "Not many wives would do that, but she knows how important this is to these boys and to me. I can't thank her enough. She's amazing."
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