By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
This is what a championship game is supposed to be.
Two outstanding baseball teams battling down to the final pitch.
Unfortunately for the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes, that final pitch resulted in a run-scoring single that gave the Sacred Heart Griffin Cyclones a walk-off 5-4 victory in the title game of the Class 2A Baseball State Tournament.
It was a rainy, muggy night at Illinois Field in Champaign. But neither team let the weather conditions hinder their performance. It was apparent why these two clubs were still alive and playing for a state championship Saturday night.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Sacred Heart Griffin’s Will Coady lifted a high fly ball to deep leftfield. The ball got lost in the lights and dropped to the turf field. By the time it could be relayed back to the infield, Coady was at third base.
“When a ball gets above the lights, it gets tough to see and very hard to read,” THS Coach Justin Fleener said. “It just got lost in the lights. Baseball happens.
“These kids are like warriors,” the veteran coach added. “They put everything on the line and aren’t afraid to make mistakes in front of a lot of people. They aren’t afraid to fail. These kids have a great work ethic and you always get their best effort.”
The next batter, Tommy Lauterbach, wasted no time becoming the hero. With the infield drawn in, he grounded the first pitch he saw into left field, allowing Coady to race home with the game-winning and championship-clinching run.
“You never know what to expect in baseball,” Fleener noted. “That’s why this is such a great game.
“We’ve had a couple games we benefitted from the other team’s miscues,” Fleener added. “This time, it was our turn. But I’m proud of these kids. Second in the state is still pretty good.”
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Teutopolis will now play for the state championship.
And no Wooden Shoes Magic was required.
There was no early deficit to make up.
There were no seventh-inning heroics necessary.
Instead, the T-Town boys turned in a flawless defensive performance. Plus, there was hitting up and down the lineup and runs scored in multiple innings – with none needed in the seventh.
There was also a phenomenal performance by a sophomore pitcher and an absolute bomb off the bat of a junior catcher.
On top of all that, there was a tremendous turnout by the T-Town fan base. There couldn’t have been too many people left back home. Family, friends, former players and students were all there to support their favorite team.
The combination of all that resulted in an impressive 9-3 victory Friday night over Newman Central Catholic in a semifinal game of the Class 2A State Baseball Tournament.
As a result, the Shoes (30-5) will now face Sacred Heart Griffin (25-8-1) for the state title. That game is set for 7 p.m. tonight (Saturday) at Illinois Field in Champaign.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Anyone that follows baseball knows recording the final three outs can be a difficult task.
Saturday’s game in Teutopolis is a perfect example.
When the host Wooden Shoes came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning, they were trailing by three runs and facing one of the state’s toughest pitchers.
About 20 minutes and eight batters later, however, a celebration erupted.
The THS squad pulled off the improbable, rallying for four runs to post a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over St. Anthony in the championship game of the Class 2A Teutopolis Sectional.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” said T-Town coach Justin Fleener. “They kept grinding and believing. The bottom of the lineup got on base, we kept putting the ball in play and we got a couple breaks.
“In high school baseball you just never know what can happen,” Fleener added. “We’re fortunate to be moving on, but it feels great.”
There was no reason to expect this kind of rally. St. Anthony’s Brock Fearday had allowed just one run on three hits and was facing the bottom three batters in the lineup.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Get ready Champaign.
Wooden Shoes magic is headed your way.
Whether it’s the tradition of winning, the blessing of the gloves and bats or maybe even one parent’s pair of lucky wooden shoes, the Teutopolis baseball team continues to find ways to turn the agony of a season-ending loss into the thrill of another hard-to-explain victory.
For the second time in three days, the Shoes’ season was in serious jeopardy. And for the second time in less than 72 hours, this “never-say-die” team put together a late rally that almost defies logic.
After scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat St. Anthony and claim the sectional championship Saturday, the Shoes overcame a two-run deficit Wednesday night in Carbondale.
And it was a sophomore stepping into the batter’s box for just the third time all season that proved to be the improbable hero.
Teagan Pals ripped the first pitch he saw into the left-centerfield gap to drive in two runs and give Teutopolis a walk-off 6-5 victory over DuQuoin to not only claim the Class 2A Carbondale Super Sectional, but also clinch a berth in the state tournament.
The Shoes (29-5) will face Sterling Newman Central Catholic (27-7-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Illinois Field in Champaign.
By Steve Raymond
ET Sports Report
Cardinals-Cubs. Packers-Bears.
Yankees-Red Sox. Alabama-Auburn.
Ohio State-Michigan. Army-Navy.
You get the gist. These are some of the biggest rivalries in the history of sports.
While not on the national scene, local high school rivalries are just as strong and popular in their small part of the world.
My best guess is that sporting events between Breese Central and Breese Mater Dei are quite spirited. I’m told the football rivalry between Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin and Rochester is off the charts.
I was part of such a rivalry in high school. Today, we know the school as Central A&M. Years ago, it was Assumption vs. Moweaqua. I was a Comet from AHS and still have memories of playing basketball and baseball against those dreaded Indians from seven miles up the road.
I’m sure there are similar rivalries throughout Illinois. But here in Effingham County, there is one that’s second to none.
We know it as Teutopolis vs. St. Anthony. Some refer to it as the Cross Creek Rivalry.
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