COLLINSVILLE – When it comes to pitching, Edwardsville coach Tim Funkhouser has sung the praises about senior Kade Burns this season.
Burns held O’Fallon at bay Wednesday, conceding three hits and an earned run in 6.2 innings pitched while seniors Daniel Reed and Joel Quirin had key hits that drove in two runs each in the sixth and seventh innings as the Tigers defeated the Panthers 6-2 in a IHSA Class 4A Bloomington Sectional semifinal game at Collinsville’s Woodland Park/Arthur Fletcher Field.
The Tigers advanced to Saturday’s sectional final at Illinois Wesleyan against Normal West, who eliminated Moline 4-0 Wednesday, at 11 a.m. Saturday. The winner meets the Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional champion, either Orland Park Sandburg or New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central at 4:30 p.m. Monday in the University of Illinois Super-Sectional in Champaign for a berth in next weekend’s state tournament at Joliet’s Silver Cross Stadium. The Tigers moved into their first sectional final since 2014 at 31-7; the Panthers were eliminated at 32-6.
“He’s done a great job for us this year,” Funkhouser said about Burns’ effort on the mound Wednesday, “but boy, he was really sharp; after the first inning, he really started making his pitches – his breaking pitch spins so well when he locates it the way he does, I don’t know how you’re going to hit that. I told our guys, ‘I’m glad I’m coaching and not playing because I wouldn’t have done anything with those pitches if I would have touched them.’
“He’s just a great competitor – their order is tough to pitch to. I sat behind the screen and watched the video of the first postseason game and saw, I think, five or six balls leave the field with no doubt and have at-bat after at-bat; you give Burns even more credit because that’s a tough lineup.”
While Edwardsville knew what to expect from the Panther lineup, Burns still had to execute the pitches to keep OTHS off the basepaths. “He was throwing some breaking pitches and we’ve had a chance to see their hitters five or six times,” Funkhouser said, “but you’ve got to execute the pitches; he was able to mix up his fastball and his curveball and throw a few change-ups in there as well.”
Reed’s two-run single came with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth to bring in Blake Burris, pinch-running for Drake Westcott, and Will Messer to up the EHS lead to 4-1. “The bases-loaded, two-out hit Reed came through with was a big one,” said Panther coach Jason Portz. “Credit them, their hitters have been aggressive all year long and they’re striking balls really, really well. The last time we played them, they struck balls really well, and their offense is certainly going on all cylinders – you’ve got to tip your cap to (Burns) and the job he put forth today; he was outstanding.”
Edwardsville threatened in the top of the first when Quirin doubled with two out to reach base and went to third on a wild pitch before Messer walked, but Brayden Arnold put the threat to an end when he struck out Dalton Wallace before the Panthers put a run up in their half of the inning on an Arnold RBI single that scored Josh Gibson.
The Tigers answered back right away with a pair in the third when Burns opened the inning with a single and moved up when Dylan Burris drew a walk before Westcott singled in Burns and Burris scored when Quirin grounded into a double play to put Edwardsville ahead 2-1.
Things remained tight until the top of the sixth when Westcott singled and Blake Burris was inserted to run for Westcott; Burris stole second before Messer drew a walk from Arnold, who got Wallace to fly out to center for the second out. Andrew Yancik worked the count and coaxed another walk to load the bases, prompting Hayden Juenger to take the mound.
Reed then got ahold of a 2-1 Juenger offering and singled to drive in Blake Burris and Messer to up the lead to 4-1. “That pushed the game to 4-1 and gave us some breathing room,” Funkhouser said. “We were in a good position there and he was able to come through with it; that was no doubt a big hit for us. He was taking on a 2-0 pitch and had a good pitch to hit, then got another one to hit and put the barrel on it right through the middle – that was a big hit for us.”
O’Fallon drew a run back in the bottom of the sixth when Juenger reached on an error and came around to score on an Arnold double, but the Tigers came up with two more runs on a Quirin bases-loaded double down the third-base line that drove in Burns and Dylan Burris. Burns then retired the first two batters in the seventh before giving way to Andrew Frank, who got Gibson to ground to third to end the game.
“Right inside the line to plate another couple,” Funkhouser said of Quirin’s two-RBI double.
Quirin was 2-for-4 with the two doubles and two RBIs for the Tigers while Westcott went 2-for-3 with a RBI and Reed was 1-for-3 with his two RBIs and Burns went 2-for-3 with two runs scored; Dylan Burris also had two runs scored while Blake Burris and Messer each had a run scored. Burns struck out eight in getting the win.
Now its Normal West for the Tigers, who will be looking to move into their first super-sectional in three years, Saturday morning. “Bottom line is, you need to go out there and square up a ball that’s over the plate and make a pitch and do those different types of things,” Funkhouser said. “I really enjoy this time of year and I really enjoy seeing our kids; this is part of the reason why I’m into coaching.”
