Baseball: Jack Nilles walk-off home run sends Willowbrook into sectional final

BARTLETT – Jack Nilles hadn't batted in three weeks.

Nilles is the last batter in the fourth group in Willowbrook's batting practice. The casual observer wouldn't know the difference.

One swing was all he needed to vault Willowbrook 6-5 to the Class 4A Bartlett Sectional final in stunning fashion, launching a walk-off pinch-hit home run to right field to lead off the bottom of the seventh.

Nilles exploded around the basepaths in elation. His teammates eagerly waited to mob him at home. He pitched last Saturday at the regional final, but was designated hit instead.

The first pitch Thursday, he let go off the outside corner. He fouled the second offering back. The third: "just squared it up".

"I was looking for a low inside pitch there, hoping for a fastball," Nilles said moments after being doused by his teammates in a blue Gatordade bath to match the color of his jersey.

"I'm shaking right now. I'm just super excited. I'm so happy; this is awesome"

Nilles said the moment was the biggest moment of his varsity career.

Glenbard East (25-13) won its first regional title in 13 years last weekend. Rams starting pitcher Taylor Westerhoff, who went the distance, threw a fastball on the decisive pitch.

"[I] saw the ball flying in the outfield [and] lost all feeling in my body," Westerhoff said.

The game started poorly for Willowbrook sophomore pitcher Dax Meyer.

Westerhoff poked an RBI double to start the scoring in the first, and then Jeremy Johnson launched a three-run homer to blitz Willowbrook for four runs.

"I knew that if I could keep them at five, my team could put up more cause that's kinda been the story all year. We'd been waiting for our inning," Westerhoff said.

Willowbrook (19-12) had a response waiting in the half inning.

Sam Tumilty led off with a double, advanced on a ground out and scored on Jack Hines' RBI single.

Sam Pelsor hit a single, and Mason Kamp later walked to load the bases with two outs.

Trevor Jalosznski erased the deficit with one swing, pounding a grand slam to give Willowbrook a 5-4 lead.

"Our kids have really bought into the idea [of] 'Hey, I'm gonna come back from it; I'm gonna overcome it. I'm super proud of them," Willowbrook coach Vic Wisner said.

Glenbard East's Jack Crackle hit a tying solo homer in the fourth, but both teams struggled to bring across the crucial run. Crackle almost hit another homer in the sixth, but it was caught near the wall.

The Rams had a golden opportunity to take the lead in their half of the seventh, as Will Brown walked and Jimmy Cotteril executed a perfect bunt single to reach first. With no outs, Jack Oberli popped out.

On the ensuing play, Ben Campos hit a grounder, where the the out was forced at second; Campos safe at first, but Crackle made a heads-up throw home to get Cotteril at the plate.

Glenbard East had no second-guesses on the decision to send him home.

"That's how we play," coach Joel Pelland said. "We play aggressive and we're going to make teams make plays. We're going to keep pushing the pace of the game, and that's who we are. To lose our identity in a big situation is not what I was planning on doing."