Although there are several games left in the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Summer League finals, signs heralding Andrew`s success may not be premature.
The best of them displayed Tuesday was ”Repeat-a-Bolts,” playing off the nickname Thunderbolts and assuming Andrew can win its third straight title, second in Summer League play.
Andrew (17-0) advanced one step closer to another title, thrashing host Naperville Central 14-1 in a five-inning game at Illinois Benedictine College.
In the first game of the double-elimination tournament at IBC, Thornwood defeated Schaumburg 10-2 behind Mark Unger (6-0).
Thornwood (28-4) will face Andrew (17-0) at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at North Central College in Naperville, while Naperville Central (26-13) meets Schaumburg (20-5) at 2 p.m.
In games at Naperville Central Tuesday, Rockford Guilford eliminated Deerfield 14-8, while Lyons Township sent Conant home 8-2.
Rockford Guilford (15-16) faces Lyons (16-7) at 2 p.m. Wednesday at IBC. The Schaumburg-Naperville winner plays the Guilford-Lyons winner at 4:30 p.m. For Andrew, Tuesday`s victory was accomplished with relative ease. The Thunderbolts stroked 14 hits over five innings. They struck for seven runs in the top of the first to all but insure victory.
Leadoff man Mike O`Neil singled, followed by a walk to Marc McCarey. The next five batters-Bill Cusack, Vince Fiore, David Butler, Steve DeHaan and Bob Naselli-singled, giving Andrew a 5-0 lead and chasing Naperville starter Jason Jones before he could break much of a sweat. Mike Leatherman added a two-run triple.
Andrew came back with two runs in the third, one in the fourth and another four in the fifth. Batting second in the third inning, Dwyer hit a solo homer on Pittman`s first pitch.
Cusack (5-0), who gave up three first-inning hits but none after that, singled in each of his four at bats; Leatherman tripled, reached on an error and doubled in his three trips.
”We were hitting everything today,” said Andrew coach Bob Ganser. ”We laid off the bad pitches.”
Having to face Andrew, Thornwood is in an interesting position. The Thunderbirds also had a good day at the plate, rapping out 11 hits. The big blow was a towering two-run homer to center by Rob Pelino. The ball carried at least 15 feet over the wall, which is 410 feet from home plate.
”That was a shot,” said Thornwood first baseman Chris Danko (4 for 4).
”We knew it was gone when Rob hit it.”
Danko, who leads Thornwood with a .446 average and 41 RBIs this summer, knows what he`s talking about. A lefty, Danko has learned the art of hitting to the opposite field.
In Rockford Guilford`s 17-hit victory, Tim Sula was 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs. Teammate Dan Kroger was 3 for 3 with 2 RBIs.
Lyons was led by Jason Herbert (two triples, three RBIs). Triples by Herbert and John Carroll highlighted a five-run third inning.
