Paluch, JCA double their pleasure
JOLIET -- Grayslake Central High's baseball team has been getting clutch hitting during their amazing post-season run in the Class 3A state tournament.
On Friday in a Class 3A state semifinal against state power Joliet Catholic Academy, the Rams ran into a clutch pitcher who was surrounded by a solid defense.
(Rob Hart/Sun-Times News Group)
Grayslake Cent. 000 010 0 -- 1 5 0
• Double plays -- Joliet Catholic 4. LOB -- Joliet Catholic 7, Grayslake Cetnral 3. WP -- Kendall Paluch (11-2) (7 inn., 1 earned run, 5 hits, 7 strikeouts, 3 walks). LP -- Aaron Snyder (10-3) (5 inn., 3 earned runs, 5 hits, 3 strikeouts, 2 walks).
Scoring
• Joliet Central 1st -- Cladis walked. Ratajczak doubled down right-field line, with Cladis moving to third. Cecchi grounded out to third, with Cladis scoring and Ratajczak advancing to third. Ratajczak scored on a balk. (2-0 Joliet Catholic).
• Joliet Catholic 2nd -- With two out, Cservenyak homered to right. (3-0 Joliet Catholic).
• Grayslake Central 5th -- Hosford walked. Seiler singled to left, with Hosford advancing to second. O'Rouke sacrificed runners to seconde and third. White had an RBI single to left. With runners on the corners and one out, DeRue grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. (3-1 Joliet Catholic).
• Joliet Catholic 7th -- Ratajczak hit a one-out double and scored on a two-out single by Gerl. (4-1 Joliet Catholic).
Junior right-hander Kendall Paluch pitched the Hilltoppers (31-5) to Saturday's championship game by throwing a complete-game five-hitter in a 4-1 victory over Grayslake Central at Silver Cross Field in Joliet.
Paluch struck out seven, including two in the seventh, and walked three to improve to 11-2 this season. He also was aided by four double plays, three of which were inning-ending.
"I love the double plays," Paluch said. "I've been counting on double plays all season."
The Hilltoppers, who finished third at last year's state tournament, provided Paluch all the offense he would need in the first inning when shortstop Dave Cladis led off the game with a walk and second baseman Nick Ratajczak followed with a double pff Grayslake Central ace Aaron Snyder (10-3). Andrew Cecchi then laid down a safety squeeze bunt to score a run, and Ratajczak scored on a balk to make it 2-0.
Joliet Catholic added a run in the second inning when senior outfielder Steve Cservenyak hit a bomb to right field, his school record-breaking 12th homer of the season. Ratajczak finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored, and his double-play partner Cladis added a hit and a run scored.
"It was nice offensively getting back to some of the things we've done all season," said Joliet Catholic coach Jared Voss, referring to bunting runners over and stealing bases.
Grayslake Central (25-16), which was making its first state appearance, finally broke through in the fifth after several squandered scoring opportunities. Andrew Hosford (1-for-2, run) walked to lead off the fifth and scored on a single by Jackson White (2-for-2).
"I couldn't be more proud of the kids," said Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen , whose team opened the season 14-13. "We clearly had our chances. Obviously when you hit into four double plays, you're going to be in trouble."
Joliet Catholic will play Chatham Glenwood (32-5) for the Class 3A championship Saturday at noon. Glenwood advanced after beating LaSalle-Peru 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Joliet Catholic and Glenwood each have won one state title.
