Cook carries New Trier past Trojans in 4A

It didn't look good for New Trier ace Bob Cook. Cary-Grove pounded the senior right-hander for three hits in the first inning to take an early one-run lead.

Time to panic? Hardly.

Undaunted, Cook got stronger as the game went on, and wriggled out of a late Cary-Grove rally in the seventh to lead New Trier to a 3-2 victory in the Class 4A state semifinals Friday at Joliet's Silver Cross Field.

"I usually don't start as well as I finish," said Cook, who improved to 12-2 this season.

Cook said he shifted his mentality after the first inning to help New Trier (31-7) to its fourth championship game appearance in 10 years.

"I just wanted to have fun," said Cook, who yielded nine hits, struck out nine and walked two in his 114-pitch effort. "If I get all amped up and treat it like it's the end of the world, then I tighten up."

Tim Duxbury (2-for-3, RBI) delivered a single that scored J.B. McCallum (2-for-3, run, RBI) in the sixth inning to break the 1-1 tie. The Trevians added a much-needed run in the seventh on McCallum's single, making it 3-1.

Cary-Grove, which was making its first state appearance, rallied in the bottom of the seventh to make it interesting. After Cook retired the first two batters, Eric Chandler singled and Luke Mottashed (1-for-2, two walks) walked. Then junior shortstop Chris Waylock delivered his third hit of the game to cut the lead to 3-2 and bring up designated hitter Matt Nelson, who was 3-for-3 at the time.

But Cook induced a groundout to McCallum, sending the Trevians to Saturday night's championship game against No. 2 St. Rita.

Both teams played stellar defense behind their pitchers. The Trojans were denied a run-scoring opportunity when Waylock singled and tried to score on Nelson's double to the right-center gap. But New Trier executed a perfect relay, and Duxbury gunned down Waylock at the plate.

"They had to make a perfect play on that to get him," Cary-Grove coach Don Sutherland said.

The Trevians finally broke through against Cary-Grove starter Corey Bruns (9-4) in the fourth. Hall led off with a single, then an error on a bunt and a successful bunt single by Charlie Tilson loaded the bases.

Hall eventually scored on a wild pitch, but Bruns managed to get out of the jam relatively unscathed thanks to a double play — one of four double plays Cary-Grove turned, including three consecutive that ended innings.

"Three double plays in three innings," Napoleon said. "What we did then was work our bunt game. Then we bunted them to death."