Prospect climbs back against Palatine

Updated: May 21, 2011 3:43PM

Jack Landwehr seldom finds himself in a loss for words. But even the Prospect junior standout had a difficult time articulating the emotions of leading the Knights to a thrilling 8-7 comeback victory in eight innings over Palatine to win the Mid-Suburban League championship Saturday in Mt. Prospect.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” said Landwehr, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound third baseman and pitcher who powered Prospect to its first Mid-Suburban League outright championship since 2003. “Wow, I can’t even explain it.”

Landwehr’s numbers can better explain his all-around performance, one that helped Prospect (21-8) erase a 6-1 third-inning deficit. At the plate, Landwehr went 4-for-5, and delivered the game-winning double in the bottom of the eighth to score Luke Bergman (2-for-4, three runs), who had singled to lead off the inning. Palatine coach Paul Belo opted to walk Peter Bonahoom to face Landwehr and set up a potential double play.

“I was a little surprised by it,” said Landwehr, who finished with two RBI. “But I was like, ‘Bring it on.’”

Landwehr also pitched the final three innings in relief, allowing one run and two hits while striking out two to improve his record to 10-2 this season. In the seventh, Landwehr tossed a rare three-pitch inning, and retired five consecutive batters with a combined six pitches.

“He’s just a fierce competitor,” said Prospect coach Ross Giusti, who led the Knights to the MSL East Division championship. “Nothing more I can really say. He just raises the energy of the team.”

The outlook did not look promising for Prospect in the early innings. Palatine (21-14), the West Division champion, came out swinging as it mounted a 6-1 advantage after the top of the third inning. Cody Bobbit, the Pirates’ four-year starting shortstop, doubled on the game’s opening pitch, and then delivered a three-run homer to centerfield. Bobbit finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI.

“When we were down 6-1, I told the kids to just chip away,” said Giusti.

And chip away they did. The Knights got two runs back in the bottom of the third on consecutive run-scoring singles by Bonahoom and Landwehr. Then the game’s momentum shifted when Prospect’s defense made two spectacular plays in the fourth inning to prevent any further damage.

With a runner on first and no outs, Prospect first baseman Brian Bauer made a diving play to his left to rob Bobbit of another hit, then fired to second base from his knees to get the runner. The following batter, tough-luck Kurt Becker scalded a shot to second baseman Matt Molini, who picked it on the short hop to start a highlight-reel double play. (Becker also was robbed of a home run to left-field in the second inning on Steve Dazzo’s leaping grab over the fence).

“That was the turning point of the game. We knew we would come back after that,” said Bauer, who celebrated his 18th birthday by going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Bauer’s second run-scoring double came in the Knights’ two-run seventh inning to send the game into extra innings.

Prospect scored two more in the fifth on Molini’s first home run of the year, and Bauer’s RBI double, making it 7-5. Landwehr ignited the seventh-inning rally with a one-out single, then Bauer followed with a double. Senior Brad Gerdes tied it at 7-7 with a two-out, run-scoring single.

Palatine threatened in the top of the eighth, putting runners on first and third, but Landwehr got a strikeout with an 87-mph fastball to get out of the jam.

“This is definitely the best day in my Prospect career,” said Bauer. “Everything we’ve worked for over the years was for this game.”

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