When Lincoln-Way Central’s Luke Tingley went down with a devasting leg injury in a Week 2 game last fall against Providence, he knew that his high school football career was over.
But beyond that, the outfielder’s senior season of baseball was in jeopardy. Tingley broke both the tibia and fibula in his left leg and the original timeline was not promising.
“The doctors originally told me nine months to fully recover and it took me like six months,” Tingley said. “It was a lot of physical therapy, like four times a week. Just doing everything the doctors told me. My goal was definitely to be back for baseball.
“I’m happy to be out here.”
Tingley has returned with a vengeance. He went 5-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs Wednesday, helping the host Knights rally from an early five-run deficit and roll to a 13-6 nonconference win over Joliet Catholic in New Lenox.
Austin Welsh finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs for Lincoln-Way Central (2-0), while Conor McCabe and Des Gill each went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Will Kedzior struck out three and allowed two hits over three innings of shutout relief to earn the win for the Knights. Tyler Arnold surrendered one hit in three shutout innings for the save.
Lincoln-Way Central scored 12 unanswered runs after trailing 6-1 in the second inning.
“I feel very confident in my teammates even when we’re down,” Tingley said. “I feel like we can do anything with the bats in our hands. Once we started getting hits, it built up the momentum and we didn’t let our foot off the gas.”
Derrick Pomatto produced two RBIs for Joliet Catholic (2-1), while AJ Perez and Johnny Curbis added two hits and two runs apiece.
Tingley, meanwhile, is off a torrid start. He’s 8-for-10 with five RBIs and five runs. And Lincoln-Way Central coach Ryan Kutt is sure glad to have him in the lineup.
“Luke is a guy that others kind of feed off in terms of energy and leadership,” Kutt said. “He’s going to be a big part of our success this year.”
Tingley was also off to a quick start last fall, running for 176 yards on just 12 carries through the first 1 1/2 games, including scoring a 70-yard touchdown against Providence shortly before the gruesome injury.
He knew a long rehab process was going to follow.
“It was pretty depressing,” Tingley said. “But what really kept me going was knowing there was a chance I could get back out here and play baseball with my teammates again.”
Tingley singled in each of the first three innings Wednesday. The second one helped set the table for Welsh’s two-run double that tied the game 6-6.
“I take full initiative in the cleanup spot to get those guys moving around the bases and get us scoring runs,” Welsh said. “It was a big mood change after that hit. When you get some runs in, the morale just goes straight up from there. There’s nothing like that, really.”
Tingley’s RBI single capped a three-run third inning that put the Knights ahead for good.
It was another example of how Tingley is swinging a hot bat and not missing a beat in center field as he has adjusted to some new hardware in his leg.
“I had a rod put in through my knee and a couple screws in there,” Tingley said. “It was weird at first. I had a pretty bad limp at first when I started running and getting into things.
“Now, I have 100% confidence in it.”
Likewise, Tingley’s teammates have full faith in him.
“I’ve played baseball and football with Luke my whole life,” Welsh said. “When he went down Week 2 against Providence, I was devastated.
“It just means the world to me to see him play ball again.”
