New Trier third baseman Matt Sharp thought the critical point in Friday’s 4-3 state tournament victory over Edwardsville came when he committed a costly third-inning error.
“My error helped Edwardsville go ahead 2-0,” Sharp said. “To me it was the turning point. I said to myself, `We’ve got to get going. Our team is not going to die.'”
Sharp did his share and more in keeping the Trevians alive in the tournament. He went 3 for 3 and had two RBIs. He singled home Matt Lottich for the first run when New Trier scored three times and went ahead 3-2 in the fourth. In the fifth, after Edwardsville tied the game 3-3, he doubled home Andrew Gelber with the winning run.
New Trier improved to 33-7 and Edwardsville’s season ended at 30-10.
Friday’s victory marked the fourth time in six playoff games this season the Trevians won by one run. They beat Notre Dame 8-7 and Loyola 2-1 in the regional and Oak Park 2-1 in the sectional semifinals. They reached the Elite Eight by nipping Stevenson 2-0 in 10 innings in the sectional final.
“I think playing in those close games helps our team sharpen its focus,” Sharp said. “It improves our defense. We make big plays.”
Sharp made such a play in the seventh inning. After Steve Floersch walked the leadoff man, Sharp backhanded Beau Moody’s bid for a double down the left-field line and threw out Moody.
New Trier coach Mike Napoleon was ready to take out Floersch after that walk in the seventh. Assistant Chris Piggoff talked Napoleon out of the move when he said, “I like Steve’s chances against Moody.”
Floersch threw 110 pitches in his six-hit complete game. His finest moment came in the fifth when the Tigers had runners on second and third with nobody out and failed to score.
“We had outstanding pitching from Steve,” Napoleon said. “He gutted it out because he couldn’t get his changeup over for strikes.”
Sharp believed another key in the New Trier turnaround was regaining its hitting form in the three-run fourth. Lottich led off with a double and scored on Sharp’s single. After a force at second, Brian Rogers and Tom Geary collected RBI doubles.
“It just snowballed,” Sharp said.
