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frankfortstation.com sports
the frankfort station | July 18, 2019 | 39
fastbreak
Baseball
LW East wins sectional, reaches summer state finals
STEVE MILLAR, Sports Editor
STEVE MILLAR/22ND CENTURY
MEDIA
1st and 3
THREE PLAYERS WHO
HELPED LW EAST
BASEBALL REACH THE
SUMMER STATE FINALS
1. Cael Geijer
Geijer (above), a
rising senior, had
big hits throughout
regional and
sectional play. He
drove in five runs
in the regional final
win over Chicago
Christian and
knocked in two
in the sectional
championship
against LW West.
2. Nick Merganthaler
The Griffins’ leadoff
hitter set the table
for a prolific offense,
getting on base
often throughout
regional and
sectional play.
3. Tony Panzella
Panzella, a rising
junior with just one
game of varsity
experience, threw
four shutout innings
in the win over LW
West.
Though reaching the
summer state finals doesn’t
have the same feeling as
making it to state in the
spring, the thrill of competition
and the sense of
accomplishment were
definitely there for Lincoln-Way
East last week,
when the Griffins won the
Lockport Sectional title to
put themselves among the
final eight teams alive in
the Illinois High School
Baseball Coaches Association
summer playoffs.
A case in point: when
East walked off against
Sandburg with a 5-4 win
in eight innings on July 9,
the Griffins celebrated on
the field as if they had just
won a state title.
“We dogpiled out there,”
East coach Eric Brauer
said. “Everyone is aware
that these games aren’t as
important as the spring,
but when you win, you still
feel good about it. It’s still
meaningful. You know
it’s not the spring, but it’s
still competition. When
you win, you feel good.
We were down that whole
game against Sandburg
and came back. That was
really fun, it was exciting.”
That victory sent the
Griffins to the sectional
championship game,
where they demolished
district rival Lincoln-Way
West 10-0 in five innings
on July 10 to clinch their
trip to state.
Lincoln-Way East’s Anthony Panzella throws a pitch
during the Griffins’ 10-0 win over Lincoln-Way West in
the Lockport Sectional championship summer playoff
game July 10. Photos by Steve Millar/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
The regional and sectional
tournaments were
both double elimination,
but East did not need to
take advantage of the format,
sweeping through
them with a 6-0 record.
The Griffins opened sectional
play with a 5-3 win
over Lincoln-Way West on
July 8.
“Our confidence level
has been high,” rising junior
Tony Panzella said.
“We’re hitting the ball,
we’re doing everything
well. I think we’ll be fine.”
The Griffins were set to
open the eight-team, double-elimination
state tournament
on Monday, July
15 with a game against
Jacobs at Benedictine University
in Lisle. The state
tournament was scheduled
to run through Thursday,
July 18 with games at
Benedictine, North Central
College in Naperville
and Route 66 Stadium in
Joliet.
For a Lincoln-Way East
team that was stunned
in its playoff opener this
spring - the Griffins were
the top seed in their sectional
and fell 2-1 to 17thseeded
Romeoville - going
on a deep playoff run feels
good.
“After the unfortunate
loss in the spring, we’re
glad to bounce back on a
big level,” rising senior
Cael Geijer said.
Geijer drove in a pair of
runs in the championship
game win over Lincoln-
Way West. He started a
four-run rally in the first
inning by drawing a walk
and eventually scoring on
an error.
“I feel like it’s important
Lincoln-Way East’s Ryan McCoy gets set to swing
during the Griffins’ 10-0 win over Lincoln-Way West in
the Lockport Sectional championship summer playoff
game July 10.
to get the first run,” Geijer
said. “It boosts your confidence
for the rest of the
game. We have to have the
mindset to jump on them
first.”
On a hot day, the Griffins
felt it especially important
to get off to a
good start. A Warriors win
would have forced a second,
winner-take-all game
between the two teams on
the same day.
“If we didn’t win the
first game, you’re staring
at being out here five
hours in 94 degrees,”
Brauer said. “It was definitely
good to play from
ahead. Our pitchers threw
a lot of strikes, our defense
did a nice job. It’s a really
nice recipe that generally
works.”
Rising junior Matt Michaels
cleared the bases
with a three-run triple to
make it 4-0.
The Griffins scored in
all five innings, pushing
across solo runs in the second
and fourth, and two
runs each in the third and
fifth. Dan DeCero, Alan
Cohen and Nick Merganthaler
all had RBI hits.
Panzella, meanwhile,
got the job done on the
mound, allowing just two
hits in four innings. Justin
Murray threw a scoreless
fifth inning.
“I let my defense play
behind me and do what
they needed to,” Panzella
said. “I just basically wanted
to throw strikes. It helps
a lot [getting an early lead]
because you know you can
give up runs, let them hit
the ball a little bit. You
don’t feel that much pressure.
Just throw strikes.”
LISTEN Up
“I’m undersized, but I have that underdog mentality. Whatever the coaches
ask me to do, I’m able to do it.”
Kyle Quinn – Lincoln-Way East senior quarterback, on trying to prove he can be
the Griffins’ starter
Tune In
Baseball, Noon, Thursday, July 18
IHSBCA Summer Baseball State Championship
game at North Central College
• LW East hopes to be playing for the summer
state title.
Index
36 - Athlete of the Week
35 - Sports Briefs
FASTBREAK is compiled by Sports Editor
Steve Millar, s.millar@22ndcm.com.