Patience Pays Off For Rocks
Rocks go up 7-0, get tied at 7-7, wins 14-7 over Ottawa at LP Regional Championship ...
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At Peru (5/29/10)
Class 3A Regional Final
Rock Island 14, Ottawa 7
Key: AB-H-R-RBI
Ottawa (7) – Andrew Mathis
cf 5-1-1-0, Nathan Greene 2b-
p 4-2-1-0, Andrew Baudino
ss 3-1-1-2, Austin Simundza
1b 4-1-1-1, Neil Hanley c 3-1-
0-0, Sean Tellefson cr 0-0-1-
0, Mark Hernandez lf 4-2-1-0,
Michael Hermosillo rf 3-0-1-2,
Andrew Amm dh 4-1-0-1, Matt
Lambert p 0-0-0-0, Jordan
Jansen 2b 0-0-0-0, Jordan
Smith p 0-0-0-0, Chris
Harsted 3b 4-2-0-1. Totals 34-
11-7-7.
Rock Island (14) – Nathan
Gray cf 3-1-1-2, Josh Keim p
3-2-0-5, Matt Johnson cr 0-0-
2-0, Mike Wieland c 4-1-0-1,
Cameron Ruiz cr 0-0-1-0,
Brian Bell ss 3-2-1-3,
Cameron Mandell 1b 5-1-1-0,
Matt Beam 2b 3-2-2-1,
Christian Cottingham lf 0-0-0-
0, Andrew Carr rf 4-0-0-0,
Chris Suhr lf-2b 1-1-3-0,
Jacob Scudder 3b 3-2-3-2.
Totals 29-12-14-14.
Ottawa 000 160 0 - 7 11 4
RI 052 034 x - 14 12 4
LOB - Ottawa 9, Rock Island
8. 2B - Keim, Scudder. 3B -
Baudino, Keim. SAC - Suhr.
SF -Hermosillo. HBP -
Baudino (by Keim), Gray (by
Lambert), Wieland (by
Greene), Scudder (by
Lambert). WP - Kime,
Lambert, Greene. PB -
Greene, Smith. CS - Bell,
Carr.
Ottawa ip r er h bb k
Lambert 2.2 7 7 6 4 3
Greene (L, 5-2) 2.1 3 3 3 3 4
Smith 1.0 4 4 3 1 1
Rock Island
Keim (W, 8-0) 7.0 7 3 11 1 3
Records: Rock Island (31-4),
Ottawa (18-13).
Class 3A Regional Final
Rock Island 14, Ottawa 7
Key: AB-H-R-RBI
Ottawa (7) – Andrew Mathis
cf 5-1-1-0, Nathan Greene 2b-
p 4-2-1-0, Andrew Baudino
ss 3-1-1-2, Austin Simundza
1b 4-1-1-1, Neil Hanley c 3-1-
0-0, Sean Tellefson cr 0-0-1-
0, Mark Hernandez lf 4-2-1-0,
Michael Hermosillo rf 3-0-1-2,
Andrew Amm dh 4-1-0-1, Matt
Lambert p 0-0-0-0, Jordan
Jansen 2b 0-0-0-0, Jordan
Smith p 0-0-0-0, Chris
Harsted 3b 4-2-0-1. Totals 34-
11-7-7.
Rock Island (14) – Nathan
Gray cf 3-1-1-2, Josh Keim p
3-2-0-5, Matt Johnson cr 0-0-
2-0, Mike Wieland c 4-1-0-1,
Cameron Ruiz cr 0-0-1-0,
Brian Bell ss 3-2-1-3,
Cameron Mandell 1b 5-1-1-0,
Matt Beam 2b 3-2-2-1,
Christian Cottingham lf 0-0-0-
0, Andrew Carr rf 4-0-0-0,
Chris Suhr lf-2b 1-1-3-0,
Jacob Scudder 3b 3-2-3-2.
Totals 29-12-14-14.
Ottawa 000 160 0 - 7 11 4
RI 052 034 x - 14 12 4
LOB - Ottawa 9, Rock Island
8. 2B - Keim, Scudder. 3B -
Baudino, Keim. SAC - Suhr.
SF -Hermosillo. HBP -
Baudino (by Keim), Gray (by
Lambert), Wieland (by
Greene), Scudder (by
Lambert). WP - Kime,
Lambert, Greene. PB -
Greene, Smith. CS - Bell,
Carr.
Ottawa ip r er h bb k
Lambert 2.2 7 7 6 4 3
Greene (L, 5-2) 2.1 3 3 3 3 4
Smith 1.0 4 4 3 1 1
Rock Island
Keim (W, 8-0) 7.0 7 3 11 1 3
Records: Rock Island (31-4),
Ottawa (18-13).
By Cody Cutter
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Publisher
PERU - As a pitcher for his Rock Island Rocks, Josh Keim likes it when his offense puts up
big numbers.
Especially when someone connects for two extra-base hits and drives in five runs.
Saturday was a day that Keim didn't have to look too far for support. That performance
was his at the plate, supplementing his complete-game effort on the mound in leading the
Rocks to a 14-7 Class 3A Regional Championship win at Kolanowski Field in Peru.
The Rocks (31-4) started the game on a 7-0 run in the first three innings, bolstered by a
Kime double, only to see that lead slip away as the Pirates (18-13) fought back to tie the
game at seven after their half of the fifth inning. Momentum in a seven-run comeback can
lead to disappointing outcomes most of the time, but the Rocks kept their composure and
considered it a 0-0 game at that point.
“We went out with the same approach that we came in the game with: hit good pitches,
take balls, work the counts and put the ball in play,” Kime said. “We've done that all year.
We felt pretty confident even when they tied it, our lineup has produced runs all year and
we just want that same approach.”
They simply responded by doing what they did to start the game: put up another 7-0 run
to end the game, with a Kime triple bolstering that run.
“There was never a sense of panic in the dugout,” said Rock Island coach Andy Campbell.
Rock Island's explosive offense took off in the second inning when they scored five runs
off Ottawa starting pitcher Matt Lambert. Brian Bell walked to begin the Rocks' half of the
inning, followed by singles by Cameron Mandell and Matt Bean, whose hit scored Bell.
After Chris Suhr walked to load the bases, Lambert beaned Jacob Scudder to plate
Mandell. Nathan Gray then walked to bring in Bean.
Now with a lead to work with the next time he takes the mound, Kime was the next Rock to
come to the plate. He hit a bases-loaded double down the left field line to bring in Suhr
and Scudder. Kime notched his third RBI by drawing a bases-loaded walk in the third
inning. That, along with an RBI single by Suhr gave the Rocks a 7-0 lead heading into the
fourth inning. The Pirates cracked the scoreboard in that fourth with a sacrifice fly by
Michael Hermosillo to plate Neil Hanley, who led off the inning with a walk.
Ottawa's comeback bid began to take shape in the fifth inning as the Pirates took
advantage of three Rock errors. Andrew Mathis advanced to second base on a a putout
overthrow by Bell at shortstop to lead off the inning. No. 3 hitter Andrew Baudino drove in
both Mathis and Nathan Greene, who singled. Baudino was brought home by Austin
Simundza when Bean bobbled the groundball hit to him at second base. The third error
occurred when Simundza was brought home as Hermosillo hit a ball to Scudder at third
base that he couldn't get a grip on.
“We were able to put the ball in play, and we made them play defense,” said Ottawa
coach Don Heaberlin. “When they started kicking the ball around, it was just a matter of
continuing to keep it going.”
After three consecutive singles in the same inning, all three runners were stranded as
Ottawa popped up two balls to end the inning.
“Who knows, we may come through with a bleeder like (Rock Island) did on a couple of
occasions, it could have changed the momentum even more,” Heaberlin said.
Any disappointment in the mind of Kime ended quickly. With Suhr and Scudder on base
with one out in their half of the fifth, Kime connected on a 1-2 pitch by Greene – who
replaced Lambert in the third inning – towering into right field. The ball landed just outside
the reach of a diving Hermosillo, as well as the outfield fence, but was far enough to drive
in the two baserunners.
“At first I kind of thought it was gone – it would have been my first (home run) of the year,”
Kime said. “It was a 1-2 count and (Green) threw two changeups to start off the at-bat. I
was thinking changeup and he came with a fastball, middle-in, and I just hammered it to
right field. The swing felt great and gave us some momentum. We just carried from that
point.”
Just a couple of feet between the ball and the glove could have prevented the Rock
comeback from happening, according to Heaberlin.
“The bottom of that inning when they scored all of their runs to go back ahead when we
tied it up was huge,” he said. “We had a pick off at second base go bad. Although
Hermosillo had the layout down the right field line, we catch that and we pick the guy off,
they don't score a run in that inning.”
Bell had two RBI singles, and one each from Nathan Gray and Mike Weiland afterward to
help Rock Island get to 14 runs.
Kime only allowed one Pirate hit from that point on, retiring the final three batters of the
game on six pitches. He threw just 61 pitches on the afternoon, 44 of them in the fifth
inning, and struck out two while giving up 11 hits. He was 0-for-4 at the plate in
Wednesday's game against Geneseo. Today he went 2-for-3 with two walks.
“I worked hard in BP this week,” Kime said. “I just wanted to get good pitches and good
counts. I was anxious. In big games like this, you can't take at-bats for granted. What I was
trying to do was help my team out.”
Bell, Bean and Scudder also had multiple-hit games for the Rocks. Greene, Chris Harsted
and Mark Hernandez had multiple-hit games for the Pirates. Greene took the loss, striking
out three and walking two while allowing three runs. Ottawa missed out their first Regional
title since 1998-99.
“We were expecting more, but as the season progressed we found out that we weren't as
good as we should have been offensively, and that was our downfall – even today,”
Heaberlin said. “Not being able to get even a ground ball with less than two outs to get a
runner in from third base. That's basically how our entire season was.”
The Rocks move on to Wednesday's East Peoria Sectional semifinal against Streator (28-
6), 10-0 winners over Pontiac in the Morris Regional that same afternoon.
“We got to the sectional last year and kind of dropped it,” Kime said. “We want to go in
there and we want to prove to our team, and everyone who's following us and supporting
us, that we can get to the championship this year.”
Cody Cutter is Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat. He can be reached at
Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our Message
Boards!
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Publisher
PERU - As a pitcher for his Rock Island Rocks, Josh Keim likes it when his offense puts up
big numbers.
Especially when someone connects for two extra-base hits and drives in five runs.
Saturday was a day that Keim didn't have to look too far for support. That performance
was his at the plate, supplementing his complete-game effort on the mound in leading the
Rocks to a 14-7 Class 3A Regional Championship win at Kolanowski Field in Peru.
The Rocks (31-4) started the game on a 7-0 run in the first three innings, bolstered by a
Kime double, only to see that lead slip away as the Pirates (18-13) fought back to tie the
game at seven after their half of the fifth inning. Momentum in a seven-run comeback can
lead to disappointing outcomes most of the time, but the Rocks kept their composure and
considered it a 0-0 game at that point.
“We went out with the same approach that we came in the game with: hit good pitches,
take balls, work the counts and put the ball in play,” Kime said. “We've done that all year.
We felt pretty confident even when they tied it, our lineup has produced runs all year and
we just want that same approach.”
They simply responded by doing what they did to start the game: put up another 7-0 run
to end the game, with a Kime triple bolstering that run.
“There was never a sense of panic in the dugout,” said Rock Island coach Andy Campbell.
Rock Island's explosive offense took off in the second inning when they scored five runs
off Ottawa starting pitcher Matt Lambert. Brian Bell walked to begin the Rocks' half of the
inning, followed by singles by Cameron Mandell and Matt Bean, whose hit scored Bell.
After Chris Suhr walked to load the bases, Lambert beaned Jacob Scudder to plate
Mandell. Nathan Gray then walked to bring in Bean.
Now with a lead to work with the next time he takes the mound, Kime was the next Rock to
come to the plate. He hit a bases-loaded double down the left field line to bring in Suhr
and Scudder. Kime notched his third RBI by drawing a bases-loaded walk in the third
inning. That, along with an RBI single by Suhr gave the Rocks a 7-0 lead heading into the
fourth inning. The Pirates cracked the scoreboard in that fourth with a sacrifice fly by
Michael Hermosillo to plate Neil Hanley, who led off the inning with a walk.
Ottawa's comeback bid began to take shape in the fifth inning as the Pirates took
advantage of three Rock errors. Andrew Mathis advanced to second base on a a putout
overthrow by Bell at shortstop to lead off the inning. No. 3 hitter Andrew Baudino drove in
both Mathis and Nathan Greene, who singled. Baudino was brought home by Austin
Simundza when Bean bobbled the groundball hit to him at second base. The third error
occurred when Simundza was brought home as Hermosillo hit a ball to Scudder at third
base that he couldn't get a grip on.
“We were able to put the ball in play, and we made them play defense,” said Ottawa
coach Don Heaberlin. “When they started kicking the ball around, it was just a matter of
continuing to keep it going.”
After three consecutive singles in the same inning, all three runners were stranded as
Ottawa popped up two balls to end the inning.
“Who knows, we may come through with a bleeder like (Rock Island) did on a couple of
occasions, it could have changed the momentum even more,” Heaberlin said.
Any disappointment in the mind of Kime ended quickly. With Suhr and Scudder on base
with one out in their half of the fifth, Kime connected on a 1-2 pitch by Greene – who
replaced Lambert in the third inning – towering into right field. The ball landed just outside
the reach of a diving Hermosillo, as well as the outfield fence, but was far enough to drive
in the two baserunners.
“At first I kind of thought it was gone – it would have been my first (home run) of the year,”
Kime said. “It was a 1-2 count and (Green) threw two changeups to start off the at-bat. I
was thinking changeup and he came with a fastball, middle-in, and I just hammered it to
right field. The swing felt great and gave us some momentum. We just carried from that
point.”
Just a couple of feet between the ball and the glove could have prevented the Rock
comeback from happening, according to Heaberlin.
“The bottom of that inning when they scored all of their runs to go back ahead when we
tied it up was huge,” he said. “We had a pick off at second base go bad. Although
Hermosillo had the layout down the right field line, we catch that and we pick the guy off,
they don't score a run in that inning.”
Bell had two RBI singles, and one each from Nathan Gray and Mike Weiland afterward to
help Rock Island get to 14 runs.
Kime only allowed one Pirate hit from that point on, retiring the final three batters of the
game on six pitches. He threw just 61 pitches on the afternoon, 44 of them in the fifth
inning, and struck out two while giving up 11 hits. He was 0-for-4 at the plate in
Wednesday's game against Geneseo. Today he went 2-for-3 with two walks.
“I worked hard in BP this week,” Kime said. “I just wanted to get good pitches and good
counts. I was anxious. In big games like this, you can't take at-bats for granted. What I was
trying to do was help my team out.”
Bell, Bean and Scudder also had multiple-hit games for the Rocks. Greene, Chris Harsted
and Mark Hernandez had multiple-hit games for the Pirates. Greene took the loss, striking
out three and walking two while allowing three runs. Ottawa missed out their first Regional
title since 1998-99.
“We were expecting more, but as the season progressed we found out that we weren't as
good as we should have been offensively, and that was our downfall – even today,”
Heaberlin said. “Not being able to get even a ground ball with less than two outs to get a
runner in from third base. That's basically how our entire season was.”
The Rocks move on to Wednesday's East Peoria Sectional semifinal against Streator (28-
6), 10-0 winners over Pontiac in the Morris Regional that same afternoon.
“We got to the sectional last year and kind of dropped it,” Kime said. “We want to go in
there and we want to prove to our team, and everyone who's following us and supporting
us, that we can get to the championship this year.”
Cody Cutter is Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat. He can be reached at
Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our Message
Boards!
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