By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
Crest Hill Sports Huddle right fielder Joe Hauter just went up to the plate, “hoping to hit the ball” in last Friday’s wild Crest Hill DuPage River Conference Pony League Tournament championship game.
Hauter stepped to the plate in a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Teammate John O’Brien, who had walked to leadoff the inning, represented the tourney-championship, winning run, on third.
After O’Brien walked catcher Nick Perez (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) ripped a double with O’Brien stopping at third.
Hauter sent Sports Huddle nation into a frenzy when he ripped a line single to center scoring O’Brien with the game-winner.
The 7-6 DRC Pony Tournament Championship victory over Whiteford Grunt Style was the second consecutive league tournament walk-off victory for Crest Hill, walking off 8-7 against Belmont’s Lawson Garage in Thursday night’s semifinal.
“Initially, I was just in shock after we had won the game,” Hauter added. “Then I it was an absolutely, awesome feeling.”
“Whiteford is really, really good and I was surprised and happy that we beat them tonight for the championship,” O’Brien said. “Scoring the winning runs was just a really, really awesome feeling. First time ever for me winning a championship.”
Friday night’s, tourney championship game, featured the top two squads in the DRC. Regular season champion, Crest Hill (29-1), took home the season crown by four games, over Whiteford (19-6).
The 29-1 record for Crest Hill sets a team record previously held by the 36-3 team in 1990. That team posted a winning percentage of .923, which was also surpassed this season with a .966 clip.
Whiteford handed Crest Hill, it’s only loss of the season 3-2. Crest Hill won the other three, regular season meetings, 7-6, 6-5 and 6-2.
“I want to tip my hat to the Whiteford kids and their coaches,” legendary Crest Hill manager Joe Marshall said. “They gave us our only loss of the season and battled us in every other game. Another one-run win tonight. What a nail-biter.”
Each team picked up an unearned run, in the top of the first inning.
Whiteford All-DRC starting pitcher Casey Tyrell’s safety-squeeze bunt plated, leadoff man, All-DRC Nick Ernst (1-for-2, 2B, 2BB, R, SB).
Crest Hill, tied the game at 1-1 on an RBI single from, All DRC shortstop, Luke Nolan (2-for-4, RBI).
Whiteford grabbed a 3-1 lead on a clutch two-out, two-run single from catcher Jason Zigmont (2-for-2, BB, 3 SB).
Crest Hill tied the game at three on RBI singles from DRC Tournament MVP Colin Sanchez (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) and O’Brien in the bottom of the fifth.
“It was so exciting to win the DRC Championship. We all were jumping up and down and screaming,” Sanchez said. “It was a real honor for me to be named MVP. I had a great season and really enjoyed it.”
With the bases loaded and one out, Perez executed a perfect squeeze bunt scoring Nolan and when Tyrell threw wildly to first, Sanchez scored for a 5-3 Crest Hill lead.
“We work on bunting every day,” Marshall added. “What a beautiful, picture-perfect bunt, by Nick to get us two runs. Sadly, bunting has turned into a lost art in baseball.”
The never-say-die Whiteford answered with two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 5-5.
A Crest Hill errant throw and a Zigmont steal of home pulled Whiteford even again.
Crest Hill grabbed the lead on a Whiteford miscue in the bottom of the sixth.
After two outs, Whiteford again pulled even with Crest Hill on back-to-back doubles by Jake Jean (2-for-4,2B) and Ryan Catalano (1-for-4, 2B, RBI) to tie the game at 6-6, in the top of the seventh.
Whiteford attempted to steal its 10th base of the game with two outs in the top of the seventh they tried for No. 10, but Perez came up with his best throw of the night, shooting down Catalano at third on the tag by O’Brien to end the inning.
“I was really nervous but I got off a good throw to get Catalano out at third to end the seventh,” a much-relieved Perez said. “It felt amazing to see Joe’s hit win us the championship.”
O’Brien’s walk, Perez’s huge double and Hauter’s magic gave the venerable Marshall, another Pony League Tournament Championship.
In the third place game, Morris’ Kendall Copters (8-16), scored five times in the first inning and rolled to a 7-3 win over Belmont’s Lawson Garage (9-13).
In Thursday’s semifinals, Whiteford crushed Kendall Copters 12-2.
As the second semifinal entered the bottom of the seventh, Belmont led Crest Hill, 7-6. Nolan walked to leadoff the inning. Alex Soifer sacrificed and then the tying run came home on a Belmont miscue. Sanchez singled home the game winner for the heart-stopping 8-7 win.
Crest Hill’s game-winning pitcher Jeremy Robinson entered the game in the top of the sixth with Belmont runner’s on second and third with two outs. Robinson dispatched the Belmont hitter on three strikes and retired Belmont 1-2-3 in the seventh. Sanchez’s walk-off made a winner of Robinson.