With top-ranked Providence sending ace pitcher Carmen Pignatiello to the mound in the Crete-Monee Class AA regional baseball final Monday, Andrew coach Frank Ganser knew his club had a slim margin of error.
“We had to keep it close,” Ganser said. “If (Providence) got up three or four runs, we knew it was going to be tough.”
The second-ranked Thunderbolts (29-4) promptly fell behind on a home run by Kevin Ryan in the top of the first. But Andrew pitcher Marc Dulkowski came up with a gritty effort to hold the Celtics in check from there, adding some offensive fireworks of his own as the Thunderbolts rallied for a 3-2 victory.
Dulkowski struck out five and went the distance for his eighth win of the season, but it wasn’t easy. Providence (30-3) had runners in scoring position in each inning.
Dulkowski helped his own cause with a homer in the fourth inning to tie the game 1-1. In the bottom of the fifth, Andrew scored twice without the benefit of a base hit as the Celtics committed four errors in the inning.
– Pat Rooney
Eisenhower: Tom Cunningham, Jim Davies and Tom Syc each had two hits and combined for eight RBIs as Sandburg (27-9) pounded Oak Forest 14-0.
Fremd: Scott Hindman (8-2) threw a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts in Fremd’s 4-2 victory over Prospect (27-10). Brian Bucciarelli’s two-run single and Patrick Brown’s solo homer led the offense for the Vikings (22-14).
Hersey: Brad Wendell hit two home runs and Manoj Kannokada added his first career homer to spark No. 3 Buffalo Grove (28-5) to an 11-0 victory over Stevenson.
Homewood-Flossmoor: The hosts set a record for most runs in a regional title game in a 29-14 victory over Thornton Fractional South (29-6). The No. 4 Vikings (30-3) were led by Jeff Huizinga, who was 6 for 6 including a pair of home runs and four RBIs, and Chris Cunningham, who was 4 for 6 with two homers and five RBIs.
Larkin: Steve Schrandt’s RBI single in the bottom of the sixth broke a 3-3 tie, and Antoine McDaniel and Mike Kellogg each homered as Schaumburg (25-8) edged Conant 4-3.
Lyons: Mike Spidale went 2 for 4 with a solo homer and a double, and Joe Ziemba also went 2 for 4 with a home run as No. 6 Nazareth (32-4) rolled past the hosts 9-2.
Mt. Carmel: Dave Carping hit a pair of two-run homers and Pat Flynn struck out 11 as No. 8 De La Salle (29-6) won its first regional title since 1989 with a 12-1 victory over Mt. Carmel (24-12).
Morris: Adam Fannin, Nate Holman and Matt Curran homered as Morris (28-8) downed Joliet 7-1.
Naperville Central: Kevin Lee threw a two-hitter and struck out seven as Wheaton North edged Waubonsie Valley 2-0.
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New Trier: Matt Lottich homered, doubled and gave up just three hits as New Trier (25-8) defeated Loyola 5-1.
Oak Park: Mike Santoro hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh and Luke Graham followed with a solo shot to give Fenwick an 8-7 victory over No. 10 Oak Park (27-10) and its first regional title since 1991.
St. Charles: Pat Durr went 2 for 3 with two RBIs as the host Saints (26-11) beat Batavia 9-6.
Waukegan: Zion-Benton (26-8) used a 10-run fourth to beat Waukegan 15-4.
Woodstock: Tim Gorski pitched a two-hitter as Carmel (33-5) ran over Mundelein 11-1.
York: Hinsdale South (26-12) won the regional for the third straight year with an 8-5 victory over No. 9 Hinsdale Central (30-7). Mike Collins homered for South.
Class A sectional final
Driscoll: Eddie Spuchalski homered to lead Driscoll (26-10), which will go for its fourth state title of the decade, to a 7-4 victory over Chicago Christian (19-11).