Deerfield catcher Brad Pineless could have swung at the one-out, bases-loaded 3-1 fastball offered to him by Glenbrook North pitcher Noah Stern in the bottom of the ninth inning of his team’s Central Suburban North baseball game on Friday, April 29.
But it wasn’t to his liking, and with the game tied 2-2 and the winning run at third, Pineless took the pitch for a strike to push the count full.
“It was too far inside and I didn’t want to jam myself,” Pineless said. “And their pitcher had been erratic the previous several batters before me. I had the green light if I’d wanted to on 3-1, but I wanted something out over the plate more.”
His patience paid off. Pineless ripped a full-count single to center field one pitch later to lift the Warriors to a key 3-2 extra-inning victory. It was the first walk-off hit of his varsity career.
Moments after the customary postgame handshakes, Pineless was mobbed — then tackled — near the third base line by most of his teammates. He emerged from the celebratory pile with a glowing smile.
“That was a pretty surreal experience,” Pineless said. “I know a lot of guys on GBN, and they’re a heck of a baseball team every year. They’re our rival, and we’ve had trouble beating them in the past. This win meant a lot to us. It feels like we’ve finally gotten over a huge hump.”
Deerfield (9-6, 4-3 Central Suburban North as of Friday, April 29) also beat Glenbrook North on the road three days earlier to move just a game out of first place in the division race.
“These two victories against Glenbrook North could be a turning point for our program. We’re sure hoping it is,” Deerfield coach Kevin Marsh said. “We just swept a team that came into the week unbeaten in our conference, so needless to say the guys feel like we’re right in the thick of things now. It creates a bunch of momentum for us going forward, a ton of excitement and a goal to target.”
Deerfield was slated to play Maine West on Tuesday, May 3, and Thursday, May 5. Like The Warriors, Maine West is right on Glenbrook North’s heels.
“If we can get the type of pitching and defense we’ve seen the past week or so, we’re gonna surprise some people the rest of the year,” Deerfield pitcher Ryan Pfutzenreuter, a Villanova recruit, said.
Marsh has attempted to provoke thought in his players by posting a sheet of paper with only the number “1” on it on the dugout wall each game for the past week. It’s a motivational tactic.
“Knowing this is the part of our conference schedule that could make or break us, I wanted that piece of paper in the dugout to send a message,” Marsh said. “That number ‘1’ symbolizes how all it takes is one of something to make a difference. One run. One big hit. One big pitch or inning. One big at-bat.
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“So far, it’s an approach that seems to be working for us. Guys are taking that attitude to heart.”
Tim Froehlig is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @TFroehlig