Kooi tough on the bump for Lockport

Updated: May 17, 2011 8:34PM

Lockport senior right-hander Garret Kooi has been pitching lately as if every day is his birthday.

Tuesday, it was.

Kooi celebrated in the best way possible, dominating SouthWest Suburban Blue foe Lincoln-Way East 10-0 at Ed Flink Field.

The outcome kept Porters (19-11, 9-3) in the thick of the conference race and ended any hope the Griffins (19-9, 8-5) had of grabbing a share of the title.

Lockport and Bolingbrook are locked in a 3-3 tie entering the top of the ninth in a suspended game that will be finished today at Bolingbrook. The Porters close league play Thursday at Lincoln-Way East. Sandburg, after losing 3-0 Tuesday to Joliet West, and Lockport both have three conference losses.

“I was working the fastball away and coming back with the slider, and I think that was catching them off guard,” said Kooi, who struck out seven and walked one in a three-hitter. “It for sure was one of my better games.

“I got settled down after the start and our defense was great. It was a good team win.”

Kooi (5-2) was not bad in the first inning, either. But after allowing a one-out double to Bobby Kosola, cleanup hitter Matt Rosenberger worked him for a 10-pitch walk before Kooi escaped.

From then on, he was money.

“Garret did a great job attacking the zone and limiting their chances,” Lockport coach Andy Satunas said.

“Garret lit them up, and on his birthday,” said Lockport cleanup hitter Austin Mastela, who drove in three runs with two doubles and a single. “This was sweet. It’s always good to beat East.”

“This was big because it keeps us in the race,” said the Porters’ Matt Skrzypiec, who contributed a double, two singles and two RBI. “Garret (Kooi) stayed consistent throwing strikes. That was the big thing, and we played well defensively.

“I think we’re starting to notice, starting to play like we know how to play. We’ve been getting a lot of runs up there.”

Mastela doubled in a run the first inning, and Lockport led 1-0 until exploding for seven in the fourth off East right-hander Kyle Henderson. He filled in for scheduled starter Matt Von Albade, whom Griffins coach Paul Babcock said felt something in his elbow before the game.

“He (Henderson) pitched pretty well but made some key mistakes,” Babcock said. “We were ahead in the count (to John Kosmowski) and wound up plunking him on a 3-2 pitch. We could have gotten out of that big inning down 3-0, which would have been OK, and instead we left it down 8-0.”

“We scored a run early and then added to it,” Satunas said. “When you’re getting good pitching, that’s a recipe for success.”

Ted Snidanko had two hits for Lockport, including the game-ending RBI single in the sixth. Tommy Hook added two hits, Brenden Dunleavy doubled and Josh Altmann and Billy Reed singled in runs.

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