Limjoco, Palatine look bright

Charlie Limjoco didn't see any bright side to a sudden delay in Thursday night's Cook County American Legion baseball tournament.

The Palatine pitcher couldn't see much of anything with a 2-run lead in the bottom of the seventh inning against Elk Grove. Neither could anyone else as all the lights went out at Rec Park's Lloyd Meyer Field in Arlington Heights.

As players and fans milled around in the darkness, the lights started to come back on and play resumed after a 17-minute delay.

And Limjoco was beaming about it after the right-hander went the distance as No. 4 Palatine (26-13) pulled a 6-4 shocker in 10 innings over No. 2 Elk Grove (33-5).

"If we would have had to play (today) I would have been so mad," Limjoco said of the delay that threatened to suspend the game. "I was pumped when the lights went on and we were ready to play."

Limjoco scattered 8 hits and had pinpoint control of his fastball, curveball and changeup. He had 8 strikeouts and 2 walks as 81 of his 128 pitches were strikes.

And his third hit of the game and stolen base set up the Blue Jays' 14th win in 15 games as 2 runs scored on the game's only error with two outs in the 10th.

Palatine will play at 7 p.m. today at Rec Park against No. 3 Wilmette (37-7) and is guaranteed of playing for the title on Saturday.

"He was still feeling really strong and he's gritty," said Palatine coach Jeff Ryder. "I've never seen him show this much emotion on the field ever. He really wanted this win."

Wilmette beat Northbrook 8-3 in an elimination game. Elk Grove plays today's 3 p.m. elimination game against top-seed Arlington (36-9), a 13-3 winner in seven innings over No. 7 Mount Prospect.

"He kept us off-balance all day," Elk Grove coach Brian Mucha said of Limjoco, who retired 14 of 15 hitters after Chris D'Angelo's RBI single in the second. "He was around the plate and that's what you've got to do."

Palatine tied it on Chad Treutler's RBI single in the third and scratched out 2 runs in the fifth off Elk Grove's Grant Monroe.

Limjoco got out of the bizarre seventh after David Drew's one-out single and the power outage. But Kevin Osmanski blasted a tying 2-run double to the left-field fence in the eighth.

Limjoco stranded the winning run at second in the ninth. Matt Gailey's one-out single started the Palatine 10th and Monroe left with the bases loaded after throwing 144 pitches (95 strikes).

Scott Hojnacki got Alex Fett to hit a slow roller to third that was misplayed. Limjoco finished it with 2 strikeouts and a diving play by second baseman Matt St. John.

So is Palatine a team of destiny as it tries for its first County title since 1997?

"That's what it's feeling like," Limjoco said. "We're the underdogs."

Arlington 13, Prospect 3: Kyle Henning and Matt Lorenz combined to throw 6 innings of scoreless relief for Arlington. Kyle Gaedele doubled, tripled and had 2 RBI and Jason Ganek had 3 hits and 2 RBI.

Wilmette 8, Northbrook 3: Wheeling graduate Bryan Chalekian had 2 hits as Northbrook was eliminated.