High school baseball: Huntley rallies twice to stun McHenry

McHENRY – Huntley shortstop Jordan Goldstein came up twice with his team’s season hanging on his at-bat and tried to focus on one thing – having fun.

“If the season was going to come down to that, I wanted to be that last guy,” Goldstein said. “I wanted to have fun. It’s either make the last out or get the next guy up.”

Goldstein singled in the seventh with two outs against McHenry to save Huntley’s season. He then drew a bases-loaded walk an inning later, again to tie the score, and set up Kamrin Hoffmann’s moment to be the hero.

Hoffman, a left-handed hitter, drilled a shot into left-center and ran to first base before being mauled by his teammates. Hoffmann’s hit capped an improbable four-run rally and gave the Red Raiders a 6-5 walk-off win in eight innings and lifts them into Saturday’s 11 a.m. championship game at the Class 4A McHenry Sectional at Petersen Park.

Hoffmann had a chance to end the game an inning earlier, but the Warriors’ Joe Kaminski struck him out on his 100th pitch of the game, leaving Goldstein at second. Hoffmann did not miss on his second chance.

“My mind’s thinking a lot of crazy things. I was just trying to stay focused, drive the ball to a gap, and that’s what I did,” Hoffmann said. “We never stop. We keep going, no matter what, that’s what we keep doing.”

It was a game befitting the Fox Valley Conference’s best two baseball teams, taking eight innings to decide a winner and two dramatic comebacks by Huntley (30-6).

McHenry (26-11) scored three in the top of the eighth inning, with sophomore Nolan Shannon ripping a two-RBI double, and Chase Grasso following with an RBI single.

It looked bleak for Huntley as McHenry went to closer Dylan Honkala. When the first three runners reached base, Warriors coach Brian Rockweiler brought in shortstop Owen Patzin to pitch.

“If somebody would have told me we were going to need three outs, I’d take those guys (Honkala and Patzin) any day,” Rockweiler said. “We felt good, but we knew (Huntley) wasn’t going to quit. What a great game. Both teams.”

Huntley started its rally when Matt Rodriguez reached on an error, Hunter Rumachik doubled and A.J. Henkle singled, both getting RBIs. Patzin struggled to find the strike zone, throwing 11 balls on 12 pitches before getting Davis Pasco on a strikeout for the second out.

Goldstein worked a full count, then took ball four high to force in the tying run before Hoffmann finished the comeback.

“We’ve come back a few times this year,” Raiders coach Andy Jakubowski said. “We said, ‘Give us an opportunity. Get us a couple base runners on and get the tying run to the plate. Let’s see what happens.’ I’m more or less at a loss for words. I’m proud of our guys for fighting and believing. And not quitting.”

STAR OF THE GAME

Jordan Goldstein, Huntley, sr., SS

Goldstein knocked in the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh with a single, forcing extra innings. He then drew a bases-loaded walk to send in the tying run again in the eighth inning before Kamrin Hoffmann’s walk-off single.

THE NUMBER

9: Batters who came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Red Raiders scored four runs to win.

AND ANOTHER THING...

Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski used Nick Laxner in relief, but Laxner threw 29 pitches, so under the IHSA pitch count rules he is available to start Saturday. “I don’t even know what we’re going to do on Saturday," Jakubowski said. "We get an opportunity to practice tomorrow.”

Huntley 6, McHenry 5 (8 inn.)

McHenry 001 010 03 – 5 9 1

Huntley 100 000 14 – 6 9 1

WP: Grant Yakimisky (1/3IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K). LP: Patzin (2/3IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 3BB, 1K).

Top hitters–McHenry: Joe Kaminski 1-4 (2B, R), Jake Evans 2-4 (2B, R), Nolan Shannon 3-4 (2B, 2RBIs, R), Garrett Gillund 1-2 (HR, RBI, R). Huntley: Goldstein 1-3 (2RBIs), Kamrin Hoffmann 2-5 (2B, GW RBI), Matt Rodriguez 1-3 (2B, RBI), Hunter Rumachik 1-3 (2B, RBI, R).