Durkin, Andrew slip by Phoenix

Updated: March 22, 2011 3:54PM

Andrew was one of the state's dominant baseball programs from the 1980s through the beginning of the last decade, winning the Class AA title in 1992 and three other state trophies.

The Thunderbolts' star then faded a bit, but they've muscled their way back into the spotlight and it looks like they make stay there for a while.

Dan Durkin singled home Steve Carrabotta with two out in the bottom of the eighth to lift Andrew past Lincoln-Way North 6-5 Wednesday afternoon.

The T-Bolts, who snapped the Phoenix's five-game winning streak, won for the fourth time in five games after starting the summer 4-7.

Coach Dave DeHaan figured it might take a few games to sort things out after graduating most of the big guns from this spring's 4A sectional champs.

"We've got seven or eight new starters," DeHaan said. "The kids played well. They're getting confident. ... Our goal is to play the best baseball at the end and that's what we're doing again this summer."

One of the new starters is Durkin, a rising sophomore third baseman who split time between the freshman and sophomore teams this spring. Now he's the T-Bolts' cleanup hitter on the varsity.

Tough transition? "(It took) a couple games getting used to it," said Durkin, who was 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI Wednesday. "You can't get away with as much as you could (on the lower levels)."

Durkin jumped on the first pitch he saw in the eighth to drive in the game-winner.

"They were throwing first-pitch fastballs all game," he said. "I was just ready for it. He gave it to me and I drove it."

DeHaan figured the walk to Matt Biernat that preceded Durkin's decisive hit was semi-intentional.

"I'm happy (with that because) he's been hitting the ball all over the place," the Andrew coach said of Durkin. "He's had a fantastic summer."

Carrabotta finished 2-for-3 with a double, hit by pitch and two runs scored. Teammate Brian Cobb was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Ryan McCollam got the win, pitching two scoreless innings and striking out three.

Alex Eaton hit a solo homer for Lincoln-Way North (16-2) and wound up 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI. Jack Troike was 2-for-4.

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