Baseball: CL South's Useni blanks Grayslake Central in sectional semifinals

Crystal Lake South's Ysen Useni was a picture of efficiency Thursday in Grayslake.

The senior right-hander, who will play at Illinois-Chicago next season, bottled up Grayslake Central in the class 3A sectional semifinals and powered Crystal Lake South to a 1-0 victory.

Crystal Lake South (17-13), which was seeded sixth, will meet top-seeded St. Viator Saturday for the sectional title Saturday at 11 a.m.

"Useni was really pounding the zone today," Crystal Lake South coach Brian Bogda said. "He gave us a chance and I thought our players in the field made some terrific plays."

Useni threw just 56 pitches though the first six innings. He then had to survive a last-ditch effort by second-seed Grayslake Central (30-8) in the final inning.

"My pitch count was low because my defense was so great today," said Useni, who finished with 83 pitches. "They helped me so much. I didn't have my best stuff but my defense was on top of their game."

Useni walked Ralph DeLeon with one out in the seventh. Adam Fitzgerald, who had two of the Rams' three hits, reached on an infield single.

De Leon stole third, but Useni got a strikeout looking for the second out of the inning.

Fitzgerald then also stole a base, giving Grayslake Central runners on second and third. Useni reached back and got a swinging strikeout to end the game.

"I didn't start out great, but my team kept me in the game," Useni said. "They got me all fired up. I was able to bear down at the end when I needed to."

Useni also pitched his way out of trouble in the first two innings when the Rams put a runner on second with one out. Useni got a soft popout and strikeout to end the first and a pair of strikeouts in the second to turn Grayslake Central away.

"You have to tip your hat to their pitcher," Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen said. "He attacked and our plan was to attack early. That's not a guy you want to hit with two strikes. I thought we had some good swings and they had some nice plays."

Useni, who is usually a strikeout pitcher, did finish with seven punchouts. But it was the Crystal Lake South defense, led by shortstop Dayton Murphy and third baseman Ryan Skwarek, who made key plays behind the big righty.

"A good team like Grayslake, I know they put the ball in play a lot," Murphy said. "They like to put pressure on us. We knew that we would get a lot of balls in play and we executed."

Crystal Lake South got the only run Useni would need in the top of the fifth with two outs.

Rams pitcher Will Schufreider, who threw five solid innings, gave up a two-out flair single to Mason Struck, who then stole second base.

"It felt good knowing Ryan (Skwarek) was behind me," said Struck, who had two of the Gators' five hits. "He hits the ball every day. He hits the ball hard and puts it where people aren't."

Skwarek followed and battled the count to 2-and-2. The junior then drilled a shot just inside the left-field line for a long single that easily scored Struck.

"I 100% knew I was going to get a fastball there," Skwarek said. "I wanted to stay down on it and not fly out. I just hit a nice line drive. My coach calmed me down and my team puts a lot of confidence in me."

Bogda said that a couple key hits proved the difference.

"I would have loved to get a few more runs," Bogda said. "But it was a great high school game. A big hit and I am glad we were on the other side of it."

It was a tough end to another successful season for Grayslake Central, which won 30 games for the third year in a row.

"I am proud of the group," Whalen said. "We battled. Their guy is going D-1 for a reason and he pitched that way."