NL_060117

newlenoxpatriot.com sports
the New Lenox Patriot | June 1, 2017 | 49
Baseball
Warriors win first regional title since 2012
Seguin shuts out
Bulldogs in 2-0 win
at Palos Heights
James Sanchez, Editor
On paper, the lefty Warriors’
batters seemingly
were going to have a tough
time Saturday, May 27, during
their regional title game
against Richards.
They were up against
Michigan-recruit Angelo
Smith - a hard-throwing
southpaw who throws in
the mid-80s. Lincoln-Way
West head coach Jake Zajc
told his team that Smith will
be tough, but even the best
pitchers will make mistakes.
It was up to the Warriors on
if they could capitalize, and
despite the harder matchup
for the lefty batters, they
were the ones who made the
impact.
All three left-handed batters
- Mike Majcher, Vinny
Schroeder and Connor
Lowman - each recorded
a hit, and it was Majcher’s
two-out single in the third
inning that broke a scoreless
game. Lowman added a run
in the following inning, and
that was all starting pitcher
Marcus Seguin needed, as
he lead West the rest of the
way to a 2-0 regional final
win in Palos Heights. It’s
the program’s first regional
title since 2012.
“It wasn’t an easy guy for
him to face, so for him we
talked about all week to just
keep battling, and you’re
going to run into one, and
he did,” Zajc said of Majcher’s
third-inning at-bat. “He
picked us up. What a huge
hit to break the ice there.”
Leadoff hitter AJ Ashley
(1-for-3, run) lined a single
in the third inning and
reached second on a passed
ball. He advanced to third
on a dribbling single from
Anthony Lullo (1-for-2,
BB) before scoring on Majcher’s
single.
All West needed was the
lead because Seguin kept
the Bulldogs’ hitters off balance
with his location and
off-speed pitches. The junior
registered a completegame
shutout, only allowing
two hits and striking out
a pair, as well.
The junior came in relief
in last year’s regional title
game during which the team
lost 7-6, and he said that experience
helped him on Saturday.
He admitted he was
nervous, but showed composure
in the third inning
when a fielding error led
to a bases-loaded situation.
However, he was able to
get cleanup-hitter Andrew
Calderon to fly out to end
the inning.
“I knew I could use my
defense at any time,” Seguin
said about getting out
of the jam. “They got my
back, and I felt good about
that.”
After the third-inning
scare, Seguin didn’t allow a
baserunner the final four innings.
He also flashed some
leather in the fifth, catching
a comeback, screaming line
drive right at him off the bat
of Jake Moran.
“Marcus didn’t start out
too well, but then he found
it,” Zajc said. “That’s what
he’s done all year. It was
a great win for the whole
program, and these guys deserve
it.”
West’s second run was
triggered by a single from
Lowman. He advanced on a
hit-by-pitch to Nick Anderson
and then to third from
a throwing error on a pickoff
attempt. He was driven
home by the following batter
Noah Hibler (1-for-2,
RBI), who capitalized off
The Lincoln-Way West baseball team celebrates with the regional title plaque Saturday, May 27, after it defeated Richards
2-0 in Palos Heights. Photos by James Sanchez/22nd Century Media
Designated hitter (30) congratulates Marcus Seguin after
he got out of a bases-loaded jam. Seguin went on to pitch a
complete-game shutout, allowing only two hits and striking
out two.
Smith’s error, with a single.
The sectional semifinal
will be a clash of New
Lenox schools. West will
meet Lincoln-Way Central
at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday,
May 31 at Homewood-
Flossmoor. The Warriors
beat the Knights several
times on the season, but
Starting pitcher Marcus Seguin fires a pitch.
Zajc said the regular season
and the playoffs are two different
animals.
“It’s a whole new ballgame
when it comes to
postseason,” he said. “We
had some really close games
with them early in the year.
It’s going to be a battle, a
high-intense game. That’s
what everyone’s going to
look for in the sectional.”