EHS makes it look easy in 10-0 win
Tigers qualify for state for 14th time
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| John Swistak Jr. photo -- The Edwardsville baseball team celebrates its super-sectional championship as they congratulate Todd Baumgartner (with helmet) after his single gave the Tigers a 10-0 lead and ended Monday's game against Glenwood. |
After making short work of Glenwood in Monday's Sauget GCS Ballpark Super-Sectional with a 10-0 victory, the Tigers have outscored their five postseason opponents 49-12 or an average of 9.8 to 2.4 on their way to the program's 14th state tournament appearance and first since 2004.
"I don't think it's ever easy," EHS coach Tim Funkhouser said. "But our guys got some pitches to hit and we really hit through the center of them. Our guys were aggressive up there, when they got a pitch they hammered it."The Tigers scored single runs in the first two innings off Glenwood starter Kevin Hall, who battled a blister on his index finger. Edwardsville took command in the third plating six runs as Todd Baumgartner blasted a towering two-run homer over the tall left-field wall. RBI-doubles by Dominic Patterozzi and Blake Conreaux, an RBI single by Elliot Frey and a Glenwood error gave the Tigers an 8-0 lead after three innings.
Dane Opel and Baumgartner corked bases-loaded singles in the fifth to end the game. Tiger starter Patterozzi didn't need much as he struck out eight, allowed one hit, three walks and hit a batter in five innings on the mound for the Tigers.
Although Edwardsville has been rolling this postseason, punching that ticket to the state tournament has been a long time coming for the seniors.
"The past couple of years we've had so called down years for Edwardsville," Baumgartner said. "But I tell you what it's fun out here, especially with this group of guys. We come out and work hard everyday in practice. I think we deserve this as much as anybody."
Edwardsville lost in the sectional finals the past two seasons.
"The guys were real disappointed the last couple of years when we didn't advance," Funkhouser said. "Guys like Todd Baumgartner you'd hate to see a career go by like his and not get to experience that ultimate."
The Tigers scratched out a run in the first on an Elliott Frey double, an Opel groundout and a Todd Baumgartner sacrifice fly.
"That was good fundamental baseball and it's fun to watch," Funkhouser said.
Slugging 12 hits and scoring 10 runs was also fun for the Tiger faithful as EHS scored in every inning but one.
"I talked about our guys at the beginning of the year and I thought that we could be or were the best offensive team in the area," Funkhouser said. "We've had some good offensive teams (in the past) as far as run producing with guys in the order who can hit gap shots or even home runs. This team is right up there when we approach the game with good at-bats and our guys are really locked in. We have a lot of seniors who are laying it on the line."
Baumgartner drove in three runs while five other Tigers had RBIs.
"He had been struggling a little bit for a guy like him he's struggling when he's only hitting singles," Funkhouser said with a smile. "What he did in BP (batting practice) today you thought 'he's on, he feels good, his confidence is high' and he showed it with his approaches."
The Tigers chased Hall after two plus innings of work, five hits and six earned runs. Jordan Law relieved Hall.
"He's such a good competitor and he wanted to keep going (despite the blister)," Glenwood coach Pat Moomey said. "He made it through the second. When you get beat 10-0, I don't want to get into excuses. I think he was really having trouble in the third, he hung a couple of breaking balls. I guess that adds to the list of coaching errors. I've had quite a few of them but that's probably one leaving him in there a little too long. To know Kevin you know what a great competitor he is and it was really hard to get the ball from him. You have to have all your pitches to not only get a good hitting team but a really hot hitting team. I don't think he's given up more than two runs in any ballgame that he's pitched. That was by far the hardest he's been hit."
Meanwhile Patterozzi, who also had three hits, cruised.
"I knew they were all batting pretty good," Patterozzi said. "I knew they kind of pitches that could get them out so I knew what ever Ted put down if I threw it how I was supposed to I'd get outs."
Winning a super-sectional in five innings against a quality opponent adds a little icing to the cake of the already sweet victory.
"That's half the reason why it's so much fun," Baumgartner said. "They're a great ballclub. They've won a lot of games. They've been playing real well. We were fortunate enough to have guys up and down the lineup who can swing the bat."
The Tigers will play Neuqua Valley in the state quarterfinals Friday at Silver Cross Field in Joliet.
E-mail:jcavato@yourjournal.com
