Hanchar goes the distance for Andrean

Updated: May 28, 2011 12:14AM

RENSSELAER — Andrean successfully launched its postseason on Friday, and it was pushed by a game Kankakee Valley baseball team.

The 59ers topped the Kougars 6-1 in the first round of the Class 3A Rensselaer Sectional, primarily behind the left arm of Mike Hanchar and the bat of Nick Tobye.

Andrean (25-4), which has won nine straight sectional titles and back-to-back state championships, broke open a 2-1 game with a run in the sixth and three more in the seventh. The 59ers will play Calumet or Knox in a Monday morning semifinal.

Hanchar went the distance, allowing the one run on three hits with a career-high 12 strikeouts and four walks. The senior retired 14 straight batters from the second through sixth innings, including the first five of that stretch via strikeout, before giving up a leadoff single in the seventh.

“You get in a zone, and you just go with it,” Hanchar said. “I didn’t even realize I had 14 in a row. You just focus and stay in the ballgame as much as you can.

“This is when it counts. You have to be as good as you can.”

Tobye went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and three RBI, including a two-run single to highlight Andrean’s three-run, four-hit seventh.

Mike Tilley pitched well for the Kougars (18-12), with his final line not fully reflecting the quality of his outing, as he tired in the sixth and particularly the seventh. He went six-plus innings, allowing the six runs (five earned) on 12 hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.

“You couldn’t ask for much more from him,” KV coach Doug Greenlee said. “He followed the game plan to perfection. We had them pretty well scouted.

“I give our kids a lot of credit. We were prepared, and we played a good team. Andrean’s a tough team to beat — not many teams beat them.”

Said Andrean coach Dave Pishkur: “Kudos to their guy (Tilley). He gave them five-plus very strong innings. It could’ve been 1-0 there, because both teams gave away a run early, and you don’t want it to be 2-1 in the sixth, but give him credit for making it that way.”

The 59ers snapped a 1-1 tie on Matt DeSomer’s sacrifice fly in the fourth, after Tobye had led off with a double. Tobye homered to right with one out in the sixth, before Andrean added the three runs in the seventh.

“Hopefully that’s our bad game offensively,” Pishkur said. “But we’ll take that every time on the mound. Hanch has really emerged as our ace.”

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