Prairie Ridge's six-run fifth inning overwhelmed defending state champion Neuqua Valley, and gave the Wolves a 7-1 win in a Class 4A state baseball semifinal Friday at Silver Cross Field in Joliet.
Prairie Ridge (31-8) will play Oak Park for the 4A state championship tonight at 7 p.m. Neuqua (32-7) will play Wheaton North in the third-place game Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Wolves scored six runs in the fifth with two out, starting with Bobby Martin scoring on T.J. Swank’s walk with the bases loaded. Nolan Jacoby followed with a two-run single, the second run scoring on a throwing error.
“I knew the momentum would shift either their way or ours,” Neuqua Valley pitcher Geoff Rowan said. “I had him on a 3-2 count.”
With the score 4-1, Prairie Ridge rattled Rowan for another run on Will Mack’s single.
Rowan was pulled in favor of Mike McKinley, who gave up an RBI single to Chad Ljunggren. The Wolves’ final run came in on a wild pitch.
“We thought if we can just get some runs that we’re going to have it,” Prairie Ridge shortstop Bobby Martin said.
Wolves starter Mike Heesch got the win for Prairie Ridge, going seven innings and giving up an earned run on four hits while striking out 10.
Heesch got behind early, giving up a run in the fourth when Neuqua’s Ian Krol scored on Travis Weldon’s RBI single.
“I wanted to take it one pitch at a time and I knew that we couldn’t get behind on these guys,” Heesch said. “After that one-run inning I told coach [Dave Haskins] that we have to change it up, especially in the middle of the order.”
Prairie Ridge tied it in the bottom of the fourth when Jacoby scored on Mack’s base hit.
Mack and Jacoby both went 2-for-3 for Prairie Ridge. Mack had two RBI and Jacoby scored two runs.
Close
Community Login
You've successfully logged in to the Sun-Times News group Community, click the close button to return to browsing.
Facebook App
Font Size
Email
Bookmark
Black Text