Late rally lifts L-W Central

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Lincoln-Way Central has experienced its share of low points during this baseball season.

But the seventh inning of Tuesday's opening game of the Class 4A Lockport Regional went a long way toward erasing all the negative memories.

The Knights bunched four hits with a huge fielder's choice and a balk to score four runs in the top of the seventh and shock the Spartans 5-4.

So Yogi Berra -- he of "the game ain't over till it's over" fame -- again was proven smarter than the average bear.

The reward for Lincoln-Way Central is a regional semifinal this afternoon at Lockport, the No. 3 seed in the loaded Neuqua Valley Sectional. The Knights (12-17) entered as the 20th seed while Romeoville (20-16) was No. 14.

And, for six innings, the Spartans, who finished with the second-most victories in school history, did everything expected of a team that would live to see another day.

Senior right-hander Matt Fine was outstanding, limiting his pitch count and depending on solid defense behind him. His batterymate, junior catcher Anthony Faraci, was the offensive hero with an RBI single in a two-run second inning and an RBI triple in the fourth.

Then, everything changed.

Danny Murphy opened the top of the seventh for Central with a single, and with one out, Sean Hennessy delivered a pinch-hit single to make it 4-2. When leadoff man Rick Jordan lined a single to right-center field, Romeoville coach Tony Smith lifted Fine in favor of ace left-hander Chris Tapia, who faced left-handed hitting sophomore Tom Helwich.

"I don't mind facing left-handers," Helwich said afterward. He didn't this time, singling to left-center to drive in a run and make it 4-3.

That brought up the Knights' most dangerous hitter, senior catcher Aric Marquardt. All he had done previously was go 3-for-3, including a double that short-hopped the right-field fence. Shortstop Joe Cecchi relieved Tapia.

Marquardt ripped a hard ground ball to third, but the third baseman attempted to catch Jordan off third instead of trying for the around-the-horn double play. He dove at Jordan, but Jordan dove safely back to third, leaving the bases loaded.

"I was thinking that I was going to have to beat out the double play," Marquardt said. "But mostly I was angry that I hit the ball on the ground."

Nate Dobrez's sacrifice fly to center tied the game, and the other runners advanced, though pinch-runner Jeremiah Layug barely beat the rap at third. That became the winning run when Mike Goshorn stepped to the plate -- and Cecchi committed a balk.

Helwich, who relieved Central starter Sean Miller with two outs in the fifth, retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to end one incredible ballgame.

"It took the whole team," Marquardt said. "That's what Coach (Marty Dykas) has been telling us all year, that it takes the whole team."

"It's about time one of these went our way," Dykas said. "They seem to have gone the other way all year. We've definitely had some collapses ourselves.

"I feel bad for Romeoville. They played well. But we didn't give up. We hit a lot of balls hard but at people during the game, then we got a couple to drop in that last inning."

Smith said despite the final score, there was a point being made on this day.

"We are not the Romeoville of old," he said. "I hope this proves that to all the big schools.

"I'm proud of our seniors. They set the foundation for where we want to get to. I hope the younger guys in our program follow in their footsteps and we get to where we are winning games against the Lincoln-Way Centrals, Lockports and JTs."

Faraci, Fine and Tapia all had two of Romeoville's eight hits. After Faraci's single drove in the first run in the bottom of the second inning, freshman Jordan Pemble's swinging-bunt groundout knocked in another. Matt McCann singled and scored on Faraci's triple in the fourth, and the Spartans added insurance in the fifth when Kelly Lasaine single, Tapia laid down a bunt single, freshman Kyle Lenihan sacrificed and Cecchi lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.

Central scored once in the fourth on Marquardt's double and Goshorn's single, but Fine avoided more trouble when he recovered Tim Gindville's hard shot off his body and threw him out to end the inning. Helwich and Marquardt singled to open the Central sixth inning, but Fine knocked down the next three hitters, no damage done.

"That's the best Matt (Fine) has thrown all year," Smith said. "But you know what, you have to say they were better than us today. The bottom of their lineup put the bat on the ball when they needed to."

The Knights had little time to celebrate, with today's 4:30 p.m. date at Lockport looming. Helwich will pitch.

"We rolled the dice," Dykas said. "I mean no disrespect to Romeoville, but we came into this tournament (regional) trying to win it all, not just one game. And I like the matchup of a left-hander like Tom against Lockport.

"He only threw 20 pitches today, which is like a bullpen session -- although there was a lot more heart pumping this way. But he's a gamer. I like his determination. Sometime it's hard to remember he's only a sophomore. Last year, he had a big hit in the regional against (Providence standout Brian) Stroud."

For his part, Helwich promised, "I'll be ready" to challenge the Porters today.