West Aurora rallies, but loses late lead

Updated: May 23, 2011 9:18PM

GLEN ELLYN — Riding an emotional roller coaster in the first round game of the Willowbrook Class 4A Regional at the College of DuPage Monday, the West Aurora Blackhawks skidded to an abrupt and disappointing end.

Glenbard West scored the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and ousted the Blackhawks 9-8. West Aurora trailed 7-1 in the fifth inning, but five runs in that inning and two more in the final frame catapulted the Blackhawks to an 8-7 edge.

“The thing that was nice was the fight to the end,” West Aurora coach John Reeves said. “We put up a five spot in the fifth and come up with some clutch hits in the seventh, and you hate to see it go down like that.”

After warming up down the right field line, Marcus Diaz re-entered the game and delivered a one-out, two-run single that gave the Blackhawks their first lead. Moments later Diaz was tasked with getting the final three outs.

Mitch Monnochio led off with a double that carried deep into center field, but Diaz fanned the next batter. Mark Terwilliger drew a full-count walk, and Myles Purdom followed with a line drive to left field that knotted the game.

Ryan Kavanaugh reached on an error to load the bases. Ben Krusen stepped in and hit a pop fly beyond the infield dirt toward right field. Both umpires called the infield fly rule and Krusen was out, but Terwilliger headed home as soon as the ball dropped. Right fielder Alex Pope fired home, but his throw was late and the Hilltoppers (16-18) celebrated.

“They battled back. too,” Reeves said of the Hilltoppers. “Losing a big lead, they could have tucked tail, but they didn’t. They kept battling.

“It was a good ballgame; a lot of hits. It was a competitive high school ballgame. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top.”

Glenbard West grabbed a 4-0 advantage after three innings while collecting seven hits. The Blackhawks removed the goose egg from the board in the fourth after Cody Love doubled to open the inning. Yet, the Hilltoppers continued to club the ball.

Purdom opened the bottom of the fourth inning with a single to left field and scored on a base hit by Kavanaugh. Krusen followed with a home run which extended the lead to 7-1.

Responding with five runs including a two-run homer by Richie Renner, the Blackhawks began enjoying the ride. Pope was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Renner smacked a ball over the right field fence. Omar Fernandez doubled and Bobby Drager was plunked before Ricky Rivera tallied an RBI with a base hit. Adam Baumann cracked a two-run double to the left field gap that capped the outburst.

Sophomore Octavio Dattolo relieved Love and tossed a pair of scoreless innings. Rivera and Baumann both singled with one out in the last inning before Diaz looped a base hit down the left field line. But the ride was over for the Blackhawks.

West Aurora closed the season with a 9-20 mark. 

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