Andrew’s Nathan Saleh
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has rarely felt so exhilarated after making an out.After his third at-bat resulted in a fly ball to the deepest part of center field, the junior third baseman felt like he was due for something even better in his ensuing plate appearance.
“I saw the improvement every time I stepped up there (Thursday) and that gave me so much confidence,” Saleh said. “After I drove that deep ball, I knew I just missed it.
“I was really looking forward to my next time up.”
The next time was the best time for Saleh, who drilled a walk-off RBI single to lift the Thunderbolts to a 4-3 SouthWest Suburban Conference win in eight innings over visiting Lockport in Tinley Park.
Senior left-hander Ben Reilly produced seven strikeouts without a walk and allowed eight hits in a complete-game effort for Andrew (15-18, 5-11). Caden Kendall and Connor Vrastil each had RBIs.
Senior catcher Drew Satunas and senior outfielder David Kundrat drove in runs for Lockport (23-11, 14-2), which missed out on an outright conference title and will share it with Lincoln-Way East.
Reilly, meanwhile, singled to start the bottom of the eighth to help the Thunderbolts load the bases with no outs.
“I felt really confident when Nathan stepped up to the plate,” Reilly said. “I felt like he was the perfect guy to get a ground ball through the infield. He made good contact earlier in the game.
“He also made a great diving post for me at third base earlier in the game.”
Vastril confirmed that Saleh never backs down from a challenge.
”He’s a young guy, first year on the varsity, and it was a huge situation for him,” Vastril said of Saleh. “He hits the ball very hard in practice, and he works so hard.
“With the wind blowing in, you have to play your cards right, and he got the ball on the ground.”
Saleh shook off his 0-for-3 day leading up to the pivotal at-bat and was ready to pounce.
”All year, we’ve been losing close games,” he said. “I just had to step up and get this big hit for our team. I was honestly clearminded because I’ve worked in these situations in practice.
“When they intentionally walked the guy before me, I knew it was my chance.”
Significantly, Saleh is also a reliever who has worked closely with Reilly and the pitching staff.
“He has a great curveball,” Reilly said.
Being a pitcher gave Saleh a boost on his winning hit.
“It was huge in that moment, knowing what type of counts they’re going to throw with either the curve or the fastball,” he said. “He threw me a curveball to get the second strike.
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“I was pumped and ready for a fastball.”
A first generation American, Saleh is the third of four children. His father, a native of Jordan, became a huge Chicago Cubs fan after settling in the south suburbs.
His older brother, Casey, not only preceded him at Andrew, he created a pathway by taking on the same role as a third baseman/pitcher.
“I went to all of his games when I was growing up and it was just a pleasure to see him pitch,” Saleh said. “He was definitely my inspiration, but to be honest, I wanted to be better than him.
“He didn’t just teach me the mechanics. He helped shape me and show me the right mentality.”
Baseball has a special role in his life, a game he connected with emotionally at age 11.
“I picked up a baseball when I was young and I genuinely fell in love with it,” he said. “I’m a family person, and my dad and other members loved the Cubs and the game.
“I wanted to play as soon as possible. That bond is something I’ll always cherish.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.