Summer baseball: St. Charles East lands championship with victory over Lake Park

Next man up. It is a mantra that motivates the St. Charles East baseball team and helped the Saints earn hardware.

St. Charles East defeated Lake Park 9-4 Wednesday night to win the Phil Lawler Summer Classic championship at North Central College in Naperville.

Lake Park took a 4-1 lead into the top of the fourth inning. With the momentum swinging in the Lancers direction, the Saints showed resilience, tying the game at 4 on a 2-run single from Antonio Perez.

St. Charles East was far from done. Senior Ryan McGrew ambushed a first-pitch fastball with two on and two out. The Saints bench erupted as the ball sailed over the fence in left, giving St. Charles East a 7-4 lead.

McGrew praised teammate Dylan McCabe for warning him about the first-pitch heater.

“I love these guys like brothers,” McGrew said. “I’m so close to all of them. I’d do anything for them.”

After a walk and a hit by pitch to start the third, Lake Park executed on the bases and at the plate. The Lancers scored four after a sacrifice bunt and two successful hit and runs. Senior Jason Keefe gave the Lancers the 4-1 lead.

Lake Park battled through the summer after graduating 20 players from the spring.

“Obviously, we’ve got a lot to work on, even though we were in the championship game,” said Lake Park coach Dan Colucci. “But, hey, winning games is always a positive thing. It gives you something to build on next year.”

Senior Drew Zolna entered the contest after the Saints built the 7-4 lead. After allowing the first hitter to reach, Zolna set down eight Lancers in a row. The right-hander used a three-pitch mix to keep hitters off balance.

“I really wanted to hit the outside zone and not let them just get the barrel,” Zolna said. “I threw my changeup a lot to keep them off balance, especially the top of the order.”

The St. Charles East bench brought consistent energy no matter the score.

“This team always has the mantra of next man up,” said Saints coach Derek Sutor. “It’s a different guy every day. And that’s the game. Some days you’ve got it and some days you struggle. But the thing about this team is they count on their teammates to pick them up.”

In Wednesday’s semifinal matchups, Lake Park beat Downers Grove South 9-6. The Saints defeated New Trier 15-0 in their semifinal contest.

“This team is young, they’re hungry and they’re ready to make their mark,” Sutor said.