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Sandburg takes down rival Andrew
Updated: April 2, 2011 9:28AM
Sandburg and Andrew may play each other one more time, in the postseason.
If not, Doug Sutor can have the honor of saying his team beat its archrival the final time they played with him as coach.
Tyler Witek drove in two runs and Brant Valach added another RBI as Sandburg claimed a 7-3 victory Thursday over Andrew in Orland Park.
"It's been a good rivalry," said Sutor, who is retiring at season's end after 23 years. "We've had some memorable games with them. It's never been boring."
Andrew pitcher Ryan McCollam had a first inning he'd soon like to forget. The right-hander allowed just one hit in the frame. However, he walked the first three batters of the game and hit the next three with pitches to force in two runs.
Witek registered the lone hit of the inning, a two-run single to left field.
After McCollam hit another batter, Ryan Parker, with a pitch, Joe Merino's fielder's choice grounder accounted for two more runs and a 6-1 lead.
McCollam settled down after that, holding the Eagles (2-1) scoreless into the fifth.
"That first inning was crazy," Andrew coach Dave DeHaan said. "After that, Ryan settled down and kept us in the game."
By the time McCollam exited after four innings, Andrew had closed to within 6-3. Greg Bothwell, Nick DeBenedetti and Dan Durkin registered consecutive singles to begin the fifth.
Pat Elget drove home one run on a sacrifice fly and when Sandburg pitcher Eric Chmielewski (41/3 IP, 5 hits, 4 BB, 3 Ks) walked Brian Cobb to load the bases, Sutor called on reliever Jeff Guzzi to put out the fire.
The senior lefty uncorked a wild pitch that allowed DeBenedetti to score and to make it 6-3, but he fanned Matt Biernat and got Phil Bria to ground out to escape the jam.
Sandburg tacked on a run in the sixth on an RBI double by Valach (2-for-3).
Andrew grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Phil Bria coaxed a bases-loaded walk from Chmielewski, who allowed a one-out single to Dan Durkin, a double to Pat Elget and walked Cobb.
The senior right-hander avoided further damage by firing a 1-and-2 fastball past Justin Rzeszutko.
"Chmielewski did a good job," Sutor said. "He threw strikes, and the defense did a nice job."
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