Baseball: Rhett Ozment powers Crystal Lake Central into supersectional round

GRAYSLAKE – Crystal Lake Central junior right-handed pitcher Rhett Ozment didn’t know what to expect when he was given the start in Friday’s Class 3A Grayslake Central Sectional title game against Deerfield.

“I definitely was nervous, I’m not gonna lie,” Ozment said. “I hadn’t pitched in a varsity playoff game prior to this season, and even though I was the winning pitcher for our regional, this was new territory.

“But like my coaches always tell me, nerves are a good thing. You just try to embrace it and enjoy the moment.”

Those nerves were immediately calmed when he retired the first two batters he faced, on just two pitches, allowing him to settle in rapidly.

Everything came up roses for him and the No. 10 seed Tigers from there.

Ozment (5⅔ IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 2 K) worked deep into the sixth inning of Central’s 6-2 victory, picking up the win, while also propelling the Tigers to the Class 3A Schaumburg Supersectional at 5 p.m. Monday at Wintrust Field. They’ll face DePaul Prep.

Friday’s victory also marked Central’s first sectional championship since 2008.

“These kids are all heart,” Tigers coach Cal Aldridge said. “Them standing here hoisting this sectional trophy is a product of all the work they’ve put it. Them growing as a team, getting better every day. And these guys giving their best effort whenever we’ve asked them to. It’s difficult to put into words how much this means to them and to our community, fans and parents.”

Actions, not words, got the Tigers (19-14) on the board first against the No. 14 seed Warriors (13-24) in the bottom of the second.

Central scored the game’s first four runs that inning, despite tallying just one hit – an infield single by Drew Welder – which, ironically, came on a sacrifice bunt attempt.

Despite bunting the ball right back at Deerfield lefty starting pitcher Sean McNair, Welder flew out of the batter’s box, and his hustle paid off, as he beat the slow throw to first easily.

“It’s that sort of play that epitomizes what this team is all about,” Welder, a senior, said. “I try to go as hard as possible and bust it down the line every at-bat, because you just never know. It’s the small details like that that win games more often than one big play.”

Welder finished the game 3 for 3 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Central took further advantage moments later. No. 8 batter Wade Ozment executed a sacrifice bunt, followed by a walk from No. 9 hitter Carter Kelley.

It set the stage for an RBI groundout off the bat of James Dreher, then a sacrifice fly by Sean Kempf.

The four-run frame was more than enough offense for the Tigers, who added two more insurance runs in the third on a pair of wild pitches.

All nine Central starter reached base safely at least once.

Defensively, the Tigers played errorless ball. Twelve of their 21 recorded outs were on fly balls, seven were groundouts, and the other two were strikeouts by Rhett Ozment.

The defensive play of the game came in the top of the fifth. That’s when Tigers senior shortstop Jaden Obaldo robbed Deerfield third baseman and No. 9 hitter Ryan Ellis of a sure leadoff hit, thanks to a spectacular diving snag to his right on a sinking liner.

“That’s what we put the time in during practice for,” Obaldo said. “Not just me, but all the guys spend extra time doing defensive drills, working late after practice sometimes even. To be ready for big moments like this.”

Deerfield scored both its runs in the Top of the 6th. A two-out RBI single by Ellis chased Rhett Ozment from the game.

Connor Gibour issued a bases loaded walk to the next batter after relieving Rhett Ozment, to make it 6-2, which brought the potential tying run to bat.

But Gibour got Warriors left fielder Harper Ransburg to ground into an inning-ending force play, then worked a quick 1-2-3 Top of the 7th, setting off a raucous celebration on the field near Central’s third base dugout.

“We may have finished just above. 500 and fifth place in the Fox Valley Conference,” Aldridge said. “But as we know, it’s one of the toughest conferences in the state. It prepared us to be here. We feel like we belonged here even though we were technically a 10-seed.”

Deerfield, meanwhile, graduates just four seniors in Ransburg, Tyler Bernstein, Sam Kanter and Ike Schlesinger.

“Our future is bright,” Warriors coach Mark Januszewski said. “Our record doesn’t indicate just how hard we worked, or how we competed.

“We come from the CSL South, with the likes of New Trier, Evanston and others, so our schedule strength was why we got to this point. We won a regional, made a sectional final ... this year is a success in my eyes, especially with such a young team.”