Senior outfielder Jack Reilly was more than ready to get going for Oak Lawn.
And with the tense situation of a conference championship being on the line, Reilly didn’t waver, either. He decided to just live in the moment and focus on doing his job from the start.
“A game like this, you’re just anxious to play,” Reilly said. “I’m not going to go out there and try to hit home runs. I hit line drives, and I just saw the pitch really well.”
Reilly provided the spark Monday afternoon with his first at-bat.
He came through win a big RBI single right away in the first inning, giving the Spartans the boost they needed for a 4-3 South Suburban Red victory over host Reavis in Burbank.
Senior shortstop Justin Canvin led off the first with a triple and scored on a groundout for the Spartans (22-10, 14-4), who improved to 10-2 in their last 12 games while also depriving the Rams (21-10, 15-3) of an outright conference title.
Senior starter Hamza Abdelfattah struck out four and allowed three hits and a walk in four innings for Oak Lawn.
Senior shortstop Jose Gonzalez produced a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth for Reavis. Senior outfielder Blake Stefanek added an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
Reilly, meanwhile, finished 2-for-3 and also made a spectacular catch off a deep fly by Gonzalez to end the fourth.
“I don’t even know where to start with Jack Reilly,” Canvin said. “I’m just so glad we have him in right field. He’s incredibly fast, has a great glove and can really swing the bat.
“He’s not a me-first player. He’s a team guy.”
Oak Lawn coach Bill Gerny pointed out that Reilly has emerged into a complete player.
“I think what I’ve seen in the last two weeks is he’s really taken on a leadership role,” Gerny said. “I think he’s realizing how important things are and how much these things mean to him.
“He had a walk-off against Oak Forest and he was great (Monday).”
With nearly three seasons of varsity experience to draw from, Reilly has carved out a new role.
“I was definitely just like the speedy outfielder,” he said of no longer being one-dimensional. “This year, with us losing a few seniors with good bats, I’ve had to step up hitting-wise.
“I’ve found myself as a guy who can get on base, steal and create chances for the team.”
His grandfather and father also played baseball, so Reilly picked up the sport at a young age. From T-ball to travel, Reilly enjoyed the excitement of every inning.
No other sport commanded his attention in quite the same way, but in the classroom, Reilly has proved to be more introspective and quiet. His personality changes between the lines.
“What I really enjoy is it’s the most unselfish of team sports in a lot of ways,” he said. “At the end of the day, there’s only so much about the game you can control. You need nine guys to perform.”
Toggling between the different outfield positions, Reilly has found his place in right field. Growing up, he remembered how the least talented players were typically stuck in that spot. However …
“You get to run and the ball probably gets hit there more than any other place in high school baseball,” Reilly said. “It’s always fun, especially against a team like Reavis that you know can hit.”
His acrobatic catch that robbed Gonzalez was Reilly at his absolute finest.
“The position has evolved as a role you know you can put a guy there you trust to make those catches,” Reilly said. “There’s nothing like catching a barrel like that. You hear the crowd pop.
“And it’s just awesome.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
