Maly, Joliet Junior College baseball survive twice in 10 innings

JOLIET – Looking at Saturday strictly from the standpoint of wins and losses, Joliet Junior College enjoyed a beautiful day Saturday.

The Wolves, the No. 1 seed in the NCJAA Region IV sectional they are hosting this weekend, scored two walk-off victories, both in 10 innings.

Colton Trager’s sacrifice fly knocked in the game-winner as JJC (32-23) edged Harper, 3-2. A few hours later, Minooka graduate Brennan Polcyn cracked a walk-off single to end a slugfest, a 14-13 victory over Rock Valley.

JJC (32-23) will face Harper in the championship game at noon Sunday, with the “if needed” game to follow immediately. The winner advances to the Region IV championship series next weekend at Schaumburg.

Trevor Maly (Minooka) finished both games and earned two victories. He worked the final three innings against Harper (14-31), allowing one hit and no runs while striking out three. Against Rock Valley (12-38), he again went three innings and allowed one hit and no runs, striking out one.

“Two wins in one day, yeah, that’s a first for me,” Maly said. “It didn’t matter to me if they needed me to pitch in both games. You just have to have nerves of steel. I’m used to closing out games. I’m doing that a lot here, and I did it for four years in high school. If they need me [Sunday], I’ll be fine.”

Maly said Polcyn used to call him “Rubber Arm” in high school because of his ability to pitch every day, as needed.

Maly’s effort, along with the Wolves’ 24-hit second game, were bright spots on a day where JJC coach Wayne said, “I really didn’t enjoy either game. I didn’t like what was going on either game.”

The Wolves had 11 hits against Harper but only one from the third through the seventh innings. Trager doubled and Polcyn singled in the second inning, and both scored on Cameron Bass’ two-out single to tie it at 2. That would be the last of the scoring until JJC pushed across the game-winner in the 10th.

David “Duke” Hill (Providence), who had two hits in the opener and four in Game 2, had a chance with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth but lined hard to left field.

In the eighth, Trager tripled with one out and King put on the suicide squeeze. But Polcyn, who also had six hits on the day, got a pitch at about eye level, missed the bunt attempt and Trager was hung out to dry. As luck would have it, Polcyn ripped a double to left on the next pitch.

“That pitch was really high,” Polcyn said of the suicide attempt. “It was a bad pitch to try to bunt.”

The Wolves finally got the job done in the 10th. TJ Condon (Minooka) singled, Ron Sessler (Lockport) received an intentional walk and Jake Drada sacrificed and reached on an error to load the bases with nobody out. Trager, who had three hits, then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, with Condon sliding home safely with the walkoff run.

“The lefty [Harper start Chris Simon] had us off balance,” Polcyn said. “We aren’t used to that slow pitching.”

Thomas Goodyear (Romeoville) started and went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He yielded two hits and no runs over his final six innings and was the recipient of excellent defensive support. Hill made a diving catch in the right-center field gap and shortstop Jeff Duschene (Lockport) and third baseman Polcyn both flashed the leather.

The second game was entirely different.

“The first game, you have to give their pitcher credit,” King said. “This one here [Game 2 against Rock Valley] was ugly.”

JJC trailed 3-0 early, led 5-3, was tied at 5 and led 9-5 after a four-run fifth inning. Rock Valley rebounded with seven runs in the sixth to lead 12-9. Sessler homered in the bottom of the sixth to make it 12-10. Rock Valley added a run in the eighth and the Wolves matched that in the bottom of the inning on Condon’s double and Drada’s RBI single.

Still trailing 13-11 entering the bottom of the ninth, JJC got off the deck. Duschene and Bass singled and with two outs, Condon singled in a run to make it a one-run game. Sessler singled to right-center to tie it, and Condon was flying, attempting to score the game-ender from first. He was cut down on a close play at the plate to force extra innings.

Drada singled in the 10th, Trager sacrificed and Polcyn’s single down the third-base line ended it.

“That’s the Minooka boys coming through,” Maly said of Polcyn’s heroics.

Polcyn closed the Rock Valley game with four hits and three RBIs. Hill chipped in four hits and two RBIs. Condon and Bass had three hits and drove in two. Drada and Duschene also had three hits and Sessler and Josh Snead added two hits.

“They threw a lot of fastballs,” Polcyn said of the Rock Valley pitching. “That was more to our liking.”