By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
Back on June 9, 2018 at then-named Slammers’ Stadium in Joliet, Plainfield North defeated Huntley 4-3 to win the IHSA Class 4A state championship.
Juniors Greg Budig, Garret Cook, Cam Kissel and Eben Heine were the lone players to return for the 2019 Tigers. Heine picked up the last two outs of the state championship game on the mound in the win over Huntley.
With the 2019 Class 4A Plainfield North Regional Championship Game deadlocked at 3-3 in the North bottom of the sixth, senior Greg Budig was in the batter’s box.
With Plainfield North’s Aiden Campbell on second base, Plainfield East starting pitcher Jack Crowder was one strike away from sending the game to the seventh still deadlocked at 3-3.
Budig, on a 1-2 pitch, popped up a foul ball behind the plate that was misplayed and was given new life.
Budig hit Crowder’s next pitch for a monster two-run homer, putting the Tigers ahead to stay at 5-3. Plainfield East pulled to within 5-4 and have the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.
“It’s always great to get a second-chance in baseball,” Budig said. “One has to take advantage of the opportunity and I hit a fastball out of here.”
Tiger senior right-hander Sammy Valdez retired the final Bengal batter on a foul out to first to nail down the save and the 5-4 win. Senior Harrison Pfiefer, who retired the only batter he would face in the sixth inning, picked up the win on the mound for the Tigers.
The defending Class 4A state champs survived and advanced.
The first four batters in the Tiger first inning hit safely. Budig and Cook hit back-to-back solo shots. Tiger starting pitcher Cam Kissel doubled and scored on an RBI single from Heine.
“It was great for Garret and I to go back-to-back in the first inning and we were able to get the three early runs that really helped us out today,” Budig added.
“I had to go back-to-back with Greg in the first inning,” Cook said. “I couldn’t let him have the team lead in homers this season. By going back-to-back with Greg, we are both tied for the team lead now with three homers each.”
Plainfield East scored single runs in the second third and fifth to tie the game at 3-3. RBI groundouts from Ryan Skiba and Caleb Anderson pulled the Bengals within 3-2.
in the fifth, Riley Morris picked up one of the only two hits the Bengals would muster for the day. Morris scored the tying run on a sac-fly from Andrew Hill.
The Bengals, who had their chances, left 13 runners on base.
Considering all of the graduation losses from the 2018 East squad that set a school-record with 29 wins, the 2019 season was a success for coach Adam O’Reel and the Bengals. The Bengals close out 2019 with a 21-12 record.
Up next for North is a 4 p.m. Oswego Sectional semifinal date Wednesday with Neuqua Valley. In the 2018 Class 4A Hinsdale South Sectional championship game, the Tigers beat the Wildcats 14-2.
Neuqua Valley (25-7) defeated Hinsdale Central 11-1 Saturday to win the 2019 IHSA Class 4A Hinsdale Central Regional title.
“We walked 11 batters and we hit two more. We didn’t swing the bats well but we still won,” Plainfield North coach John Darlington said. “Hitting three home runs sure helped. I’m so happy for Greg. He’s been winning games for us for the last four years. It was also good to see him and Garret go back-to-back for us in the first inning.
“We have had a real up-and-down season this year. Hey, we’re here in the sectionals. Anyone can win this thing now. We have to keep playing and see what happens.”