Post 187 reaches championship game of 11th District.
By Mike Miazga
Correspondent
The Elmhurst American Legion baseball team is headed to the next level.
Post 187 went 2-2 at the recent 11th District tournament hosted by Wheaton at the Wheaton College field behind the Carol Stream American Legion Post to qualify for the 2nd Division tournament this week at Barrington High School. That double-elimination tournament was slated to start Wednesday.
Post 187 earned one of two 11th District qualifying spots by defeating Wheaton in the consolation bracket of the three-team double-elimination tournament. The victory put Elmhurst in the 11th final against Elgin Post 57. Elgin downed Elmhurst 11-1 in seven innings to win the 11th title. Elgin joins Elmhurst in Barrington this week.
In Elmhurst’s 5-0 win over Wheaton to clinch the division berth, IC Catholic Prep’s Brendan Russ and York’s Austin Gelsomino combined to throw a three-hit shutout. Russ pitched 8 2/3 innings, allowing three hits, while striking out six and walking three. Gelsomino pitched the final 1/3 of an inning.
Elmhurst broke a scoreless deadlock through five with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Muddogs added a run in the bottom of the eighth.
Fenton’s Tim Beecroft walked three times. Russ had a hit and drew a walk. York’s Mike Bernal walked once. Gelsomino went 3-for-5 with a run scored. York’s Nick Lee had a hit, a run scored and two walks. Ray Abarca (Elmwood Park) had two RBI, a run scored and a walk. York’s Tamaine Durr had a hit and a run scored, while York’s Brendan Connell had two hits and a run scored. One of Gelsomino’s hits was a double. Gelsomino and Abarca each stole three bases. York batters were walked eight times and had eight hits.
Earlier, Elmhurst was sent to the consolation bracket after a 10-3 loss to Elgin Post 57. Elmhurst led 2-0 after four innings only to see Elgin rack up all 10 of its runs from the fifth through the eighth innings. Elgin had nine hits. Elmhurst was limited to three hits and made four errors.
IC Catholic Prep’s Griffen Eichhorn had a hit and an RBI. Beecroft had a hit and an RBI. IC Catholic Prep’s Austin Reed had a run scored and a walk. Bernal had a hit and a run scored. Gelsomino had a run scored and a walk. Beecroft doubled in the game, while Eichhorn had a stolen base.
Jordan Vogel started the game and allowed no earned runs in two innings. Fenton’s Alejandro Orosco went the final six innings and struck out three.
Elmhurst kicked off the tournament with a 3-2 win over Wheaton Post 76. The Muddogs scored two runs in the fourth. Wheaton scored a run in the sixth and one in the eighth to tie it at 2-2, but Elmhurst came back with what would be the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Eichhorn had a hit and an RBI. Beecroft went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI. Reed had a hit and scored a run. Bernal also scored a run. Abarca had a hit. Elmhurst had six hits.
Reed pitched a nine-inning complete game. He gave up only five hits and two earned runs, while striking out 12 and walking only two. He threw 79 of 120 pitches for strikes. He faced seven batters over the minimum.
“Austin pitched very well,” said Elmhurst coach Mike Biondo. “He only gave up five hits and went all nine innings.”
Biondo also lauded Orosco’s pitching performance against Elgin in the first playoff meeting with Post 57. “He went six innings and did well,” he said. “He ran into a little trouble after a tough balk call.”
Overall, Biondo is thrilled the team is headed to Barrington for a shot at qualifying for the Department tournament (Illinois state tournament).
“I’m glad we got that win against Wheaton which allowed us to move on to the Division,” he said. “All in all, we did well. Our bats were there and the pitching was good. We need to clean up our defense, eliminate the errors and take care of the baseball. It’s good we are going to the next level.”
