Benet explodes late to beat Cary Grove in the IHSA Baseball State Semifinals

For the first time in program history, Benet Academy is playing in the IHSA Baseball 3A State Semifinals, as they take on Cary Grove. The Redwings have outscored their opponents 31-7 in the playoffs, but now face another explosive offense in the Trojans. Cary Grove enters with a plus-30 run differential and is coming off a 9-2 win over St. Patrick in the Super-Sectional. Benet punched its ticket with a 6-3 win over Washington and looks to carry their groove into the state semi. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.

Rain is coming down hard as we get underway, and Benet sends out Northwestern commit Jake Rifenburg, who’s been lights out all year, holding a 0.89 ERA and 80 strikeouts across 55 innings. Cary Grove counters with Kaden Norman, who enters with a 2.28 ERA and 37 Ks over 46 innings.

Benet Academy’s Nate Cerocke starts the afternoon by scoring a run in the first before Cary Grove responds with two runs in the bottom half

Benet’s Nate Cerocke leads off with a single up the middle.

Merrick Sullivan follows with another base knock, pushing Cerocke to third.

After a Luke Wildes walk, Josh Gugora grounds into a fielder’s choice, but it gets the job done—Cerocke scores to give Benet a 1-0 lead in the first.

Bottom half now. Two outs, bases loaded for Trojan Francis Panko. He ropes one into left, and both Brock Iverson and Ricky Barnes score to give Cary Grove a 2-1 lead after one inning.

Bottom 2, Benet shows off some nice defense. First with this snag by catcher, Dom Tomala, who tracks it down well in foul territory. Then, Charlie Taczy tries a bunt down the third baseline, but Sullivan is there to make the play, quickly firing to first for the second out. Rifenburg finishes the inning with a strikeout, as we head to the third with the Trojans up 2-1.

Redwings plate three runs with two outs in the third inning of the IHSA Baseball State Semifinal

Back up is Cerocke, and he rips a leadoff double into the gap.

With two outs, Gugora delivers a clutch RBI single—Cerocke scores to tie the game at 2.

After a Quinn Rooney single, Ethan Mendez steps up and smacks a grounder past short. Gugora scores, and Mendez is fired up as Benet jumps in front 3-2.

Next, Luke Stachowiak hits a chopper to first. The throw is off, and Rooney scores. Mendez sprints home, slides in, and avoids the tag! Benet plates three runs with two outs to lead 5-2.

Cary Grove cuts into Benet’s lead and ties it up at 6-6 in the sixth inning

After some strong defense and pitching from both sides, we head to the fifth. Rifenburg picks up strikeout number three, fanning Iverson for the second out.

But Cary Grove responds. After a double from Barnes, Oskar Freund sneaks a single up the middle—Barnes scores to cut it to 5-3.

More trouble for Benet as Evan Frangiamore laces another RBI single right back up the middle. Freund scores, and it’s a one-run game after five innings.

Now in the sixth, and Schaefer gets the offense going. He drives one deep to left, off the warning track! Pinch runner Luke Doyle comes around to score, and Benet stretches the lead to 6-4.

But Cary Grove won’t go away. With Ben Clevenger now pitching, Iverson rolls one to right to score Taczy. Then Barnes—already with two hits—smokes another into the outfield. Jacob Duvall scores, and just like that, we’re tied 6-6.

Benet baseball soars to five runs in the seventh to beat Cary Grove in the State Semifinals

Benet turns to Lucas Kohlmeyer on the mound, and with two on and one out, the Redwings turn a huge double play! Mendez to Cerocke to Rooney, who digs it out at first! That play keeps it tied going into the seventh.

Wildes leads off the final frame with his first hit of the day after three walks.

Then, after Gugora walks, Rooney steps up and crushes one into the gap in right center! Wildes and Gugora score, and Rooney motors into third with a two-RBI triple to put Benet up 8-6!

Next up is Mendez, who drops one into shallow center—Rooney scores again, and the Redwings lead 9-6.

Mendez comes home moments later on a wild pitch, and Benet has hit double digits.

Cerocke started the day with a hit, so it’s fitting he caps it off with one more. His RBI single scores Schaefer to make it 11-6 and that’s the final score! Benet baseball closes it out with a 1-2-3 seventh inning to take down Cary Grove and advance to the 3A State Championship game. They’ll take on St. Lawrence, with one program guaranteed to win its first-ever state title.