Goss: Plainfield South baseball completes area grand slam

About six weeks ago, we were marveling at the Joliet area’s success in the spring high school baseball season.

Providence won an unprecedented third straight Class 4A championship. Lemont claimed its second 3A crown in three years. Reed-Custer gave longtime coach Jerry Cougill the ultimate goodbye present as the Comets won the 2A title in his final season before retiring.

Well, now we have completed a 2016 grand slam. That’s right, Plainfield South, under coach Phil Bodine, finished its march to the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Phil Lawler Summer State Tournament championship with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Brother Rice at Boomers Stadium in Schaumburg.

The title game was unique. It was completed in a shade over 95 hours. That’s because the game was suspended in the bottom of the third inning last Thursday night because of a nasty storm that rolled through. It was picked up Monday evening.

Bodine pointed out on Thursday that having to suspend the game changed the momentum and complexion. He wasn’t complaining, just stating what the effect could be.

On the other hand, both schools regained the services of front-line players who had been out of state with their travel teams. After the Cougars wrapped up the title, Bodine noted, “Their coach (John McCarthy) and I talked before the game that this worked out kind of neat, with both of us getting guys back who were away with travel teams.”

For South, that meant inserting center fielder Marco Escobar and shortstop Nick Mayerhofer into the lineup. Escobar made the 24-hour drive back from Fort Myers, Florida. Mayerhofer caught the red-eye plane from Arizona on Monday so he could get to Boomers Stadium in time for the resumption of the title game.

“God bless Nick Mayerhofer for getting back early from Arizona,” Bodine said. “And Marco told me he would run here if he had to.”

Both made contributions that figured in the outcome. Escobar delivered a game-tying single after Antonio Gutierrez launched a long two-out double in the fifth inning. Mayerhofer was a vacuum at shortstop, making multiple good plays, especially charging slowly hit ground balls.

His efforts helped make a winner of right-hander Austin Marozas, who pitched a complete game, albeit over two days in a 95-hour period.

“No chance I was going to miss this game,” Mayerhofer said. “I play with Elite. Our team actually had been eliminated in Arizona, but I was getting back here no matter what.

“We now have confidence heading into next season. Last year, when we made the supersectional (the Cougars lost, 4-3, to Providence at the University of Illinois) we were a little inexperienced.”

“This really sets the tone for next season,” Escobar agreed.

Right fielder Nick Enloe said that regardless of what happens from here on, the euphoria of Monday night is a permanent memory.

“We’ll have all the confidence in the world next year,” he said. “But regardless of what happens next spring, we will remember this moment for the rest of our lives.”

Among the fans on hand Monday were some of Bodine’s ex-players at South. Former ace pitcher Shane Ritter, who is entering his sophomore season at Iowa, was among those supporting the Cougars.

“I’m jealous that I’m not out there with those guys,” said a smiling Ritter, who went 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 27 innings for the Hawkeyes this spring.

“We’re still a young school,” Bodine said. “We are finally getting kids back to support us who played for us previously. That’s what happens when you get the program going to where you want it.”

Winning the summer is a wonderful experience.

In addition to South holding off Plainfield Central’s late rally in the Lockport Regional final, Bodine pointed out, “We beat Joliet Catholic, Providence, Brother Rice, Naperville Central, St . Charles North and Lyons in the tournament. Those are great programs.

“This means a lot to me personally because Phil Lawler gave me lessons in college when I was pitching at UIC, and coach (Bill) Seiple taught me a lot.” Lawler and Seiple, of course, are responsible for making the summer tournament the success that it is.

It’s a long way off, but imagine what winning next spring would mean to South. You look at what the Cougars will have back, keyed by two ace pitchers in Marozas and Konnor Ash and a solid defense led by Mayerhofer, and you have to believe they can be a factor in 4A. Meanwhile, congratulations one more time to Bodine and his team for completing our 2016 grand slam.

– Dick Goss can be reached at dgoss@shawmedia.com.