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VILLA PARK –Trailing top-seeded York 3-0 after 5 innings with a bunt single being its lone base hit to that point, South Elgin’s baseball team found its offense at the right time during Saturday’s Class 4A sectional championship clash in Villa Park.
After tying the contest with a 3-run sixth, the 4th-seeded Storm (25-11) pushed the go-ahead run across in the top of the seventh on Justin Pold’s bases-loaded walk before holding on in the bottom half of the frame for a 4-3 victory over the Dukes (24-12).
“Those two sliders were in and the last one I fouled off – I really wanted that one,” said Pold, who delivered a clutch single during his first at-bat of the game in the sixth. “It was a nice at-bat and I was happy to come back and finish it (with the walk).”
“He is a true teammate,” Storm coach Jim Kating said of Pold. “He’s unselfish and always waiting for an opportunity. He came through today twice.”
Zach Barkho led off the sixth with a double, and Alex Muro’s pinch-hit RBI single trimmed York’s lead to 3-1.
Following Pold’s single, Connor Lund pop fly to short center caromed off the glove of a York infielder, but centerfielder Drew Gami threw to second for a force out.
After Lund stole second, Aiden Bernau scored on a balk to make it 3-2 before Jake Sparacino’s slow roller to first drove in Lund with the tying run.
“We got some runners on and they made some things happen,” said Kating, whose team captured the school’s first sectional title since 2017. “I’m ecstatic for my players, my staff, and the families. They came through – they believed.”
Sophomore Jonathan Niksich worked around a leadoff walk to record the save, inducing a fielder’s choice grounder to third baseman Nathan Kmiec and a strikeout before retiring the final out on a deep fly ball to centerfielder Lund.
“I knew it would stay in the park – he (Luke Pieczynski) didn’t get all of it,” said Niksich. “It was a lot of pressure but I believed in my infield and outfield.”
Senior Jack Zaimins picked up the win, working 3 scoreless innings in relief of junior starter Jacob Robertson (3 R, 3H, 4 Ks).
“Jack kept us in the ballgame,” said Kating.
With the win, South Elgin advances to Monday’s 6 p.m. Kane County Cougars supersectional against McHenry (34-4-1) at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva.
“Another one-run game – we’ve been in a lot of them,” said Kating, whose team recorded its third straight 1-run postseason victory while putting the longtime coach’s retirement on hold for at least a couple more days.
“It means everything,” said Pold. “I love these boys. It’s a crazy experience. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
York, seeking its third consecutive sectional title, took a 1-0 lead in the first on Josh Fleming’s leadoff double and Marco Giorno’s RBI groundout before adding a pair in the second on Nick Allen’s 2-run double.
However, the Dukes stranded 7 runners over the next 5 frames, including a bases-loaded opportunity in the fifth.
“We had runners in scoring position often but their pitchers battled,” said York coach River Pitlock, who received 6 1/3 solid innings from southpaw starter Jack Bodach (3R, 4H, 7 Ks).
“There’s nothing to look down upon. I wouldn’t do anything different. I had my senior out there, and I’m going to let him throw. I’m very proud of our guys.”