Lincoln-Way East advances to state final

Lincoln-Way East’s Matt Hartmann delivers a pitch against Elk Grove. Hartmann allowed three hits and one run in seven innings.
(Scott Powers/For the Sun-Times News Group)

Font Size

Email

Bookmark

Black Text

White Text

One thing that became apparent in the summer state playoffs is that Lincoln-Way East can outscore pretty much everybody.

On Thursday morning, Matt Hartmann and the Griffins showed they can outpitch a few people as well.

Hartmann took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished with a three-hitter as East beat Elk Grove 3-1 at North Central College.

The win sent the Griffins (17-2) into Friday night's title game of the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer state tourney at Benedictine University. East will play Brother Rice, which beat Waubonsie Valley 8-0 in the other semifinal.

"I give the pitchers all the credit in the world," said East assistant Jason Helbling, who is running the team while head coach Paul Babcock is on vacation in Europe.

"We really stress pitching and defense. Like I said before, the hitting is just a bonus."

The Griffins' bats were quieter than usual against Elk Grove starter Josh Daniels, who was perfect through three innings. But Hartmann made sure it didn't matter, allowing just two baserunners -- on a walk and hit batter -- through six innings.

He knew what was at stake when he took the mound in the seventh, up 3-0.

"I was trying not to [think about the no-hitter]," Hartmann said. "But it was kind of tough. Some of my teamates were saying stuff. They were just saying, 'Try to get three outs, don't give up a hit."

Half of that came to pass. Colin Semler led off for the Grenadiers (18-13) and bounced a chopper up the middle that skipped over the glove of East shortstop Brandon Hohl.

"That happens," Helbling said. "I wish Brandon had a couple extra inches on his vertical."

Elk Grove got two more hits, including Justin Kaczynski's RBI single with two out, but that was it.

Hartmann had no regrets about his near-miss.

"I just wanted to come out here and get the win, get to the championship," he said. "I'd rather be there than get a no-hitter." 

East patched together just enough offense in the fourth inning to give Hartmann the cushion he needed. After Derek Siadak reached on a leadoff error, Ryan Herman doubled to left and Hohl drilled a two-run double to left. Sam Eble drove in another run with a two-out single.

Hartmann took care of the rest, relying on his fastball to overpower the Grenadiers.

"I was throwing it up and in and they kept chasing it," he said.

"He deserves credit, he was strong," Elk Grove coach Terry Beyna said. "He came right at us with his fastball. He threw strikes and I think offensively, our adjustment was too late.

"To hit fly balls on a day when the ball's not carrying ..."

Still, Beyna saw the glass as more thsn half-full.

"This whole opportunity has been wonderful," he said. "We learned a lot about ourselves. ... This opened 20 young minds to say, 'Hey. we can do this.'"

mclark@chicagosuntimes.com