The postseason for high school baseball hits the elite eight as the Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional features two teams back in this game for the first time in over 20 years. Ten-seeded Waubonsie Valley makes its first appearance since 2005 while looking to continue its Cinderella run to the state series for only the third time in program history. The Warriors shut out Downers Grove North to win the sectional title. The Normal Community Ironmen are the opponent for Waubonsie, a team that is back in this baseball game for the first time since 2004, when they fell in the State quarterfinals to eventual State Champions Niles Notre Dame. The Ironmen knocked off O’Fallon to win the sectional title. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
The Warriors throw Seth Gilliland on the mound for the first time this postseason, but he gets a brutal welcome from Gavin Micheals. The Cincinnati commit rips this hit out to center which takes a huge boucne off the wall, resulting in a triple for Micheals. He scores on an rbi groundout from Lucas Beaty to give the Ironmen a 1-0 lead after the first.
Seth Gilliland and Luke Klunke throw the heat
Gilliland cools off the Ironmen bats with a punchout on Brady Burkhart to keep it a one-run game through two innings.
Warriors with a runner on after a Connor Beren walk, but Max Heineman chucks his throwdown to Micheals at second to tag out the base runner.
That fuels pitcher Luke Klunke, who catches Ryan Lucas looking for strike number three to end the top of the fourth.
Gilliland continues doing his thing as he tallies another punchout to keep the pitcher’s duel going.
However, in the fifth inning, the other Gavin, Gavin Swartz, gets a huge bounce on a base hit, resulting in a single.
Gavin Swartz gets some much-needed insurance for the Ironmen
After a sac bunt and a wild pitch, up steps Brady Burkhart. Despite grounding out, Swartz comes home, and the Ironmen lead 2-0 heading to the sixth.
Josh Hung is hoping to help the Warriors, and it looks promising as he lines a one-out single up the middle of the diamond.
Waubonsie loads them up with a walk from Danny McGuigan and a single from Shane Torres with Lucas up again. But Klunke, Heineman, and Swartz connect on the big time 1-2-3 double play to end the inning and stop the threat.
Two outs in the seventh, but the Warriors are not giving up because Connor Beren pokes a liner into shallow left-center to bring the tying run to the plate.
Normal Community moves to the IHSA baseball state series
An Owen Roberts hit by pitch and a base hit from Hiroshy Wong loads the bases up again. The Ironmen call up Lucas Beaty to relief.
Beaty throws to Josh Hung and gets a favorable strike three call on the corner, and that’s the ball game. Normal Community baseball takes down Waubonsie Valley 2-0 and moves to the state series, where the Ironmen face Libertyville in the semifinals. Waubonsie Valley ends its historic postseason run with a final record of 23-12. The Warriors pitching staff gave up only four runs in five postseason games.
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