By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
After firing four shutout innings of relief in Monday’s Southwest Prairie Conference thriller, the senior Steelmen third baseman, Alex Gregurich, saved his best for the last two plays of the game. Due to Sunday’s freak snowstorm, Monday’s SPC battle was moved to Joliet Central.
With the score deadlocked at 1 in the Plainfield East bottom of the 11th inning, the Bengals had runners on first and second. Replacing Gregurich on the mound for Joliet Central was Noah Riley. In the batter’s box for Plainfield East, was third baseman Caleb Anderson.
Anderson hit a laser down in the direction of Gregurich at third. To the large crowd at Central, it appeared that Anderson had just won the game for the Bengals.
Amazingly, Gregurich was able to snare Anderson’s shot, step on third base for the force at third and just missed doubling-up Anderson at first.
The ever-dangerous Bengal catcher Sean Blanchard ( 2-for-5), stepped in to face Riley with two outs and Bengal runners on first and second.
Riley induced Blanchard to hit a roller to Gregurich at third. Gregurich’s fired a strike to Steelmen first baseman Jeremy Mason for the final out of the game.
Mother Nature with Sunday’s snow moved the Monday’s game from Plainfield to Joliet. And then she ended the game due to darkness.
“I just had to come up with the stop on Anderson’s shot, “Gregurich said. “I knew I had the force at third and I tried to get the double-play at first. On the final play of the game, the ground ball was like any other ground ball and I threw it perfectly to Jeremy Mason at first.
“Both teams played so well today. Robert Farrell pitched outstanding for us and my defense contributed to my successful four scoreless innings, of relief.”
The Steelmen (6-7-1, 1-2-1) got on the board in the top of the third. Steelmen No. 9-hitter, Osvaldo Lopez ( 0-for-2 R 2 BB) walked and went to second on a single from leadoffman James Zdanwic. Both runners moved to second and third on a ground out to first by Alex Rocha.
Steelmen catcher, Ethan Darling (2-for-4, RBI, BB) picked up an RBI groundout, plating Lopez with the first run of the game.
Meanwhile, both starting pitchers, Brandon Ruehle for East and Robert Farrell for Central were dealing.
Farrell took a one-hitter and a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth. Voyager Media Publications’ Week 3 Player of the Week, Nick Pratscher, tied the game for the Bengals at 1-1, when he deposited a Farrell fastball over the left field fence. For Pratscher, it was his fourth round-tripper of 2019.
Farrell allowed just two hits and the one run in his quality six innings of work. Farrell struck out seven and walked six.
Ruehle completed his day after seven solid innings of work. Ruehle allowed one run and just four hits. Ruehle struck out five and walked four.
In Gregurich’s first inning in relief of Farrell in the bottom of the seventh, the Bengals loaded the bases after two out’s before Gregurich pitched out of the jam and the game went to extra-innings.
Another hero for Plainfield East, was right-handed relief pitcher, Reid Erickson, who fired four scoreless innings of relief of Ruehle, allowing just two hits.
“Brandon and Reid pitched outstanding for us and our defense made a number of great plays,” Plainfield East head coach Adam O’Reel said. “We left 14 men on base and our situational hitting was a disgrace. That is how one ends up in an 11 inning, 1-1, tie.”
“This was a great game played by both teams,” Joliet Central head coach Kevin Fitzgerald said. “Alex saved the game for us, with his outstanding plays, in the bottom of the 11th. Alex and Robert pitched outstanding for us and our defense made all the plays.”
“I told the kids, that this is how baseball is to be played. Great pitching. Great defense. And we can compete and win, in these types of game. It was a credit to all of our kids.”
The two teams will head back to Plainfield for the top of the 12th at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon.