Nick Lambert’s complete-game shutout leads Waubonsie Valley past Downers North to first sectional since 2005

LOCKPORT – Nick Lambert caught the comebacker, saw he had time and walked the ball over to first base himself for the final out.

And why not?

Lambert, Waubonsie Valley’s senior right-hander, is never one to waste any extra throws if he doesn’t need to.

“I just like to work quick, get in there and get out,” Lambert said. “I always work quick.”

Which made him the perfect guy to have on the mound to make sure his program’s postseason wait was over.

Lambert needed just 75 pitches, 50 of them strikes, to throw his second straight complete-game postseason shutout.

With it, 10th-seeded Waubonsie Valley knocked off top-seeded Downers Grove North 5-0 in Saturday’s Class 4A Lockport Sectional final for the program’s first sectional championship since 2005.

The Warriors (23-12), avenging a walk-off loss to the Trojans (30-8) in last year’s sectional final, advanced to face Normal Community in Monday’s 6 p.m. supersectional at Illinois Wesleyan.

They’ve followed a tried and true formula to 10 wins in their last 11 games: just enough timely hitting, five hits Saturday, and dominant pitching.

Lambert and Owen Roberts have allowed just two runs, none earned, in four playoff games.

“I was a little nervous because obviously last year they beat us, same spot, walk off, but I knew we would come in with a lot of energy,” Lambert said. “I knew I had to do my job and throw strikes.”

Lambert (8-1) doesn’t pretend to be Roberts, an Indiana State commit sporting a 0.49 ERA – “I think Owen has it over me, the velo, he throws it 90.”

What Lambert has is plenty good.

With a slider and a two-seamer that induced 10 ground ball outs Lambert allowed just five singles with no walks and three strikeouts. He didn’t allow more than one baserunner in an inning after the first.

“He is always very consistent for us, but today was probably his best outing of the year – he was unhittable," Waubonsie sophomore catcher Shane Torres said. “He’s just locating, throwing strikes, making them hit the ball, getting soft contact.”

It’s just more of the same of what Waubonsie Valley coach Bryan Acevedo has seen all season.

Lambert has thrown 19 consecutive scoreless innings, and three straight complete-game shutouts with seven complete games total this spring. One game that wasn’t a complete game, Lambert pitched into the 10th inning of a 1-0 loss to Naperville North.

How efficient was he Saturday?

Lambert needed just 18 pitches to navigate through the third and fourth innings against Downers Grove North’s top six hitters.

“That’s what he does, it’s crazy. He has got better every single time out,” Acevedo said. “Obviously Owen gets the notoriety and well deserved but Nick has been equally as good. It’s special. Our guys just throw strikes and that’s why we are able to win baseball games.”

The contrast with Downers Grove North on Saturday was clear.

The two teams each managed five hits, but the Trojans issued eight walks and committed three errors.

Downers Grove North starter Colin Doyle needed 28 pitches, 12 for strikes, to get through the first inning alone, where he was touched for two runs.

The Trojans’ best scoring chance came in the bottom half on two-out singles by Sean Cabaj and Edgar Santos, but Waubonsie third baseman Nate Cerilli made a diving catch of a liner in foul territory to put out the threat. Russ Oros singled to lead off the Trojans’ second, but Lambert retired the next 10 batters.

“We had a couple opportunities and we had balls right at people squared on the pins, but that’s the way that baseball goes,” Downers Grove North coach Kyle Briscoe said. “[Lambert] did a great job keeping us off balance, was super efficient. He was never in a full count, always ahead.”

Waubonsie’s Josh Hung had a sacrifice fly and Torres a two-out RBI single in the first. Four straight Warriors reached base in a three-run fifth, Hung and Torres collecting RBI singles, to extend the lead to 5-0.

“We just stayed patient, stuck with our approach,” Torres said.

Despite the loss, it was hard for Briscoe to fret too much about his program’s third straight 30-win season.

“It’s hard to put into words,” he said. “A couple of these guys have been with me for all three years. Three 30-win seasons, getting back to the sectional championship game. Definitely a lot to be proud of and hold their heads high.”