After exhausting 12 innings’ worth of energy trying to put away pesky Yorkville on Thursday before having the game suspended, one thing was on Waubonsie Valley’s mind Friday.
Aiming to put a quick resolution to its Class 4A Downers Grove South Regional Semifinal with 13th-seeded Yorkville, that’s precisely what fourth-seeded Waubonsie Valley received.
Three batters into the bottom of the 13th, following Nick Santoro’s one-out double, a throwing error in a grounder to second scored Santoro with the game-winning run in a 8-7 thriller.
“It was awesome,” said Santoro, who finished 3-for-4. “I got the job done. I was looking for an early, first-pitch strike fastball and they gave it to me, so drove it into the gap. Johnny (Johnson) did a great job of getting me over and putting the ball in play. And it’s because of that, we got lucky and got a win.
“We were all really hyper (Friday) after the game (Thursday), coming back three times. So we definitely wanted to get the job done and finish with a victory.”
The Warriors (23-11) advance to face either 12th-seeded Plainfield Central or fifth-seeded Downers Grove South with the program’s sixth regional title at stake.
Behind a 10-hit attack while aided with some help from seven Yorkville errors, Waubonsie Valley overcame deficits of 5-2, 6-5 and 7-6.
Nick Price’s solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the 11th late Thursday gave the Warriors their final reprieve.
Moments following Foxes’ reliever Will Ferguson helped start an incredible 1-4 double play on a sacrifice bunt attempt, Price tied matters at 7-7.
“After we got down to the last out, I was looking to hit a ball to put in the gap,” Price said of his homer, his only hit of the game. “Little more than a single and it went over the fence. … I was pretty pumped up running around the bases. Definitely the most memorable hit of my career.”
All year long, Jason Neville has carried the Warriors’ pitching staff to the tune of a 9-0 record and 0.95 ERA coming into his start Thursday.
But as the Foxes drove him from the game after 4 2/3 innings and charging him with four runs, Quinton Zielke and Alex Scram stepped up.
Zielke and Schram combined to throw eight innings of two-run ball after Neville and Jacob Hennessy combined to go the first five innings.
Schram retired the Foxes in order in the top of the 13th when the game resumed after Zielke tossed 78 pitches over his seven innings.
“It was we needed the bats,” Price said. “Definitely needed the bats because (Neville) didn’t have his best stuff, but I think he’s going to have his best stuff the next time he comes out.”
A three-run sixth for the Warriors followed a three-run fifth for the Foxes as two of the Warriors’ three runs scored on errors to help tie the game at 5-5.
Down 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth, a Neville sacrifice fly plated Price, who had reached on an error to start the inning, to send the game to the 10th.
“We did a fantastic job of just staying in it, battling throughout the whole game,” Santoro said. “We were down three times. Nick Price’s home run was very special. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that. It was a great overall victory.”
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