High 5 ends duel
MINOOKA -- Just like that, a perfectly good pitchers' duel was spoiled.
Southwest Prairie Conference champion Minooka High School took advantage of a couple of Plainfield Central defensive mistakes and scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning en route to a 6-1 victory Wednesday.
(Corey R. Minkanic/Special to the Herald News)
(Corey R. Minkanic/Special to the Herald News)
The Indians (23-8-1, 17-3) sent sophomore right-hander Mike Foltynewicz to the mound against senior right-hander Mike Fiala for Central (9-18, 8-12). For 4 1/2 innings, it was a beauty.
But Brian Papp, the red-hot No. 8 hitter in the Minooka lineup, opened the fifth with a bunt single that was borderline on whether it should be scored a hit or error. Jeremy Perez then was hit by a pitch, and the top of the order delivered.
After failing to get down a sacrifice, leadoff man Brian Martin drove a single off the first baseman's glove to knock in the go-ahead run.
"After I didn't get it done the first two times when I had the bunt sign, I just wanted to pull it on the ground to the right side," the left-handed hitting Martin said. "I was lucky it went through."
Fiala made an excellent play on Jon Van Asdlen's squeeze bunt attempt to retire a runner at the plate. Bryan Wellner reached on an infield hit, and Foltynewicz, the cleanup hitter, kept things going with the longest single of his life. He drove a shot over the center fielder's head, but the runners were cautious, and it became a one-run single and left the bases loaded.
"I was halfway to second and had to go back to first," Foltynewicz said. "I wasn't sure what happened there."
Another run scored when Brett Frantini reached on an error on an error, and Sam Jones singled home the final two runs. Jones, Wellner and Papp finished with two hits each.
"That's how it has been all year," Martin said. "We get the momentum going and everybody contributes."
"Even in their big inning, we made a couple of defensive mistakes," Central coach Bob Dobbertin said. "We should have gotten out of it down 2-1.
"That's the tough part because Mike (Fiala) really pitched well today."
It may not show in the record, but the Wildcats are in the habit of playing the good opponents tough. They lost 8-5 to Minooka last Saturday at Silver Cross Field and will close the conference season when they host Minooka this afternoon.
"Minooka is still the king in our conference," Dobbertin said. "They have a great program. You have to bring your best against them.
"We did have a guy on second base every inning but one, but you have to take advantage of those opportunities. Our guys battled, battled, battled, and in the last week we have played some great baseball. We had four extra-inning games and lost another one in the bottom of the seventh. It's time to start winning some of those close games."
"Oh, yeah, they are a good team," Foltynewicz said. "They can hit the ball. I wouldn't doubt if they surprise somebody in their regional."
The Wildcats will open against Wheaton Warrenville South, and Dobbertin said he likes the matchup.
Foltynewicz (9-4) worked six innings and allowed four hits and four walks while striking out five. Senior right-hander Matt Casagrande, in his first varsity action of the season, pitched the seventh, escaping unscathed after Jeremy Storm led off with a double.
"I felt comfortable, but I didn't have good command," Foltynewicz said. "I more or less let them hit it. Our defense was amazing."
That is not always the case when Foltynewicz is on the mound. Justin Machowiak's third-inning single gave Central a 1-0 lead, and that run was unearned. Minooka tied it against Fiala in the bottom of the third on Papp's single, Perez's sacrifice and VanAsdlen's two-out RBI single.
"Mike (Foltynewicz) pitched a fanstastic game," Minooka coach Jeff Petrovic said. "He is 9-4, and that's with an ERA of 1.6 before today. We have butchered him. We've crippled him when he's been out there."
Fotynewicz would be the No. 1 starter for most. Senior right-hander Tony Bucciferro heads the Indians staff, however, followed by Foltynewicz.
The way the postseason is arranged these days, Minooka heads to Ottawa next week for Class 4A regional play -- Ottawa is the first opponent -- and then, hopefully, to Bloomington for the sectional.
"You can get by with two pitchers in the postseason, and both of our guys are workhorses," Petrovic said. "The big thing is we have to pick up the baseball.
"In any postseason game, we will have some opportunities on offense, and if we take advantage of a couple of them, that should be good enough with our two guys."