West Aurora Baseball and Neuqua Valley meet up for an IHSA Regional Semifinal at Waubonsie Valley. Neuqua comes in as the 14 seed, facing the 3 seed West Aurora. The Blackhawks enter tonight’s game having won nine of their last 11 games. Neuqua has Josh Repmann on the mound, while West Aurora goes with Zach Toma. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Colton Maita and Jorden Castillo help give Neuqua Valley baseball a 2-0 lead in the first
We’ll pick things up in the top of the second with Colton Maita at the plate, and he drives this one deep to left field. It sails over the left fielder’s head, and that allows Maita to cruise into second base and advances Kiet Truong to third. Only one out for the Wildcats.
The next batter is Jorden Castillo with runners on second and third. Toma throws a wild pitch, and that will allow Truong to come across the plate to score the first run of the game. 1-0 Wildcats
Later on in the bat, Castillo hits a shallow fly to center field. Mason Atkins makes the catch, and Maita decides to test his arm. The throw is close, but Maita slides in just before the ball arrives, and Neuqua takes on another run. The Wildcats put up two runs in the second inning.
West Aurora baseball adds a run in the first before Neuqua regains a two-run lead
Now, in the bottom half of the inning, this is Eliseo Liscano at the plate. He drives the ball to opposite way and it is misplayed by Castillo in right fielder. It gets away from him, and that will allow Liscano to motor all the way around to third base. The leadoff hitter is aboard for the Blackhawks in the second.
The next batter for West Aurora is Jake Niedzwiedz. He takes this one the opposite way as well, right over the second baseman’s head. Castillo scores easily from third base, and it’s now a 2-1 game with no outs in the inning.
Later in the inning, Elijah Campos is at the plate with runners on first and second. He hits a sharp grounder to Mike Langan at short, he flips it to Maita at second for one, and then over to Truong at first for the double play. Neuqua escapes the inning with a 2-1 lead.
Fast forward to the top of the fourth inning, Owen Shannon is up with the bases loaded. The pitch from Toma runs inside, and that gets a piece of Shannon. He’ll head to first, and that sends Sam Widloe to score from third base. The Wildcats tack on a run; they’re up 3-1 after three and a half innings.
Blackhawks score four unanswered runs to win the IHSA Regional Semifinal
In the bottom half of the inning, Briaden Williams is in the box with the bases loaded. He hits a grounder to the left side and just sneaks by the Wildcat infield. Henry Hinkle and Chase Yusi come across the plate, and West Aurora has tied the game at three.
Later in the innings, Toma is at the plate with runners on first and third. He takes a big swing and drives it into the gap in right center, and it gets down. Elijah Campos scores from third, and Mason Atkins comes around to score from first base. The Blackhawks pitcher drives in a couple of runs, it’s now 5-3 West Aurora.
We’re now in the top of the sixth inning, and Toma has found his rhythm. He’s facing Jack Mackey here with the bases empty, and he gets him to swing through this pitch.
In the bottom half of the inning, Ryan Buns is in to pitch against Niedzwiedz with two runners on, and he gets him looking at this pitch for the strikeout. With that, the Wildcats have one half inning to close the 5-3 gap.
Toma is just one out away from the complete game with Joe Barkley at the plate. He hits a grounder to Campos at shortstop, and he throws him out to end the game. West Aurora wins the game 5-3, advancing to the regional final against Waubonsie on Saturday!
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.
