HIGHLAND – The Metro East Bears have faced this scenario before.
Their backs are to the wall and facing elimination from the Illinois American Legion District 22 playoffs, similar to situations in last year’s Illinois state tournament and Great Lakes Regional tournament, where they battled through the loser’s bracket reach the finals of both events.
Two three-run innings early on in a game delayed in starting by an hour because of a sudden thunderstorm that rolled through the area right before the scheduled start of the game proved to be costly as the Bears dropped a 6-2 decision to top-seeded Highland Thursday night at Highland’s Optimist Field/Glik Park.
The loss put the Bears into a elimination game against Belleville, whom they defeated 9-2 Tuesday night, at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Edwardsville’s Hoppe Park; the winner will head to Highland for the District 22 final at 1 p.m. Saturday. A second game, if needed, would be played afterwards. The District 22 winner will advance to the Illinois Fifth Division tournament in West Frakfort beginning Monday.
“We just didn’t pitch a good ball game; conversely, their pitcher (Michael McGill) pitched well,” said Bears manager Ken Schaake. “We had bases loaded (in the third) and a couple of guys on (in the sixth) and he made the pitches where they needed to be.
“We did a lot of stupid stuff on the bases, made some mistakes that we don’t normally make; we just didn’t play a good, all-around game. (Storm) Coffman and (Jordan) Yenne did a really good job for us out of the bullpen and kept us in the game, we just didn’t take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves.”
Highland’s Blaine Ray did plenty of damage by himself; a single in the second and a double in the third drove in four of Highland’s six runs, and he was hitting in the ninth spot in the order. “Blaine had a super game,” said Highland manager Harry Painter. “Defensively, he had two or three outstanding plays and two line-drive hits (that brought in four runs). Michael McGill pitched outstanding; he has been brilliant for us this year. He beat Belleville in great fashion and to have this game against these guys – I mean, these are some excellent baseball players – and he pitched well.
“He had to pitch out of some jams and got some help on some line drives, but when he needed it, he got it.”
Highland got to Bears pitcher Brandon Hampton in the second after getting their two leadoff batters on base in the first thanks to a pair of walks, but did not score. Chris Dickman opened with a walk and went to second on a Will Greenwald single. Ray then delivered a one-out single to bring in both Dickman and Greenwald and put Highland ahead; a third run came in when Cody Bentlage doubled in Ray and chased Hampton in favor of Jake St. Peters, who managed to retire the side.
Highland got singles off St. Peters from Dickman, Greenwald and Griffin Welz to start the third before Ray brought home Dickman and Greenwald with a double, sending Welz to third. Coffman then came in and got Bentlage to lift a sacrifice fly to center to score Welz, but Ray was called out after an appeal for leaving second too early.
Coffman came in and steadied the ship for Metro East, but McGill kept the Bears at bay, giving up just a run in the third on a Jake Garella RBI single that scored Cole Cimarolli; McGill wound up going 7.2 innings before being lifted for Robert Ramsey, who allowed a run in the ninth following a series of walks and wild pitches.
Cimarolli and Garella were each 2-for-4 a double each (Garella had a RBI) while Steven Patten went 1-for-2; Hampton took the loss, going 1.1 innings and giving up three runs (all earned) on three hits while striking out three; St. Peters went two-thirds of an inning, giving up three earned runs on three hits while Coffman threw four innings and conceded two runs while dismissing two by strikeout and Yenne gave up a hit while fanning three in two innings of work. McGill fanned ust one and gave up five hits and an earned run for Highland, with Ramsey going 1.2 innings and conceding just an earned run while striking out one.
