Baseball: Lockwood pitches Libertyville into Class 4A state championship game
It was déjà vu all over again for Libertyville.
And it worked out again for the Wildcats.
Libertyville scored a run on an error to third base in its final at bat. The Wildcats went on to score another huge run and then held on to beat Normal Community 2-1 in 8 innings Friday in the Class 4A state semifinals at Slammers Stadium in Joliet.
Libertyville (35-4) will meet McHenry in Saturday’s state title game at 7 p.m.
“Obviously, it is hard to get here,” Libertyville coach Matt Thompson said. “Just getting here is one thing and you dream of making the final. We told the kids to go out and have fun. And they did.”
With both teams entering the game with 15 shutouts, it was no wonder that the game went to the eighth inning with no score.
Mason Strader was hit by a pitch to lead off for Libertyville in the eighth. Quinn Schambow then got a one-out single to put runners on first and third.
Josh Holst followed and was able to put the ball in play with a hit back to the pitcher. Strader got hung up between home and third, but when the throw went to third, it was misplayed and Strader scored.
The play brought back memories from Libertyville’s 1-0 sectional win over Prospect when the Wildcats scored the winning run on a throwing error in the bottom of the seventh.
“We were going to be aggressive on a ground ball,” Thompson said. “He (Strader) was and then got caught up. He hustled back and put the pressure on. Obviously that was the difference because the ball got away from the third baseman.”
Carson Holmes, whose brother Aidan flew in from Seattle to watch, then singled to right to score Schambow with a very important insurance run.
“I was struggling the whole game,” Holmes said. “I just took a deep breath. We are all here for a reason. I was there for a reason. I just sat the fastball and drove it the other way.”
Chase Lockwood, who pitched all 8 innings, got two quick outs in the bottom half of the inning. But a hit batter and a throwing error scored a run for Normal (35-5) and had the tying run at third. Lockwood took little time between pitches and got his seventh strikeout of the game to clinch the win.
“In the pen, I threw my first pitch and it was exactly where I wanted it,” said Lockwood, who has never pitched 8 innings in a game before.
“I thought to myself that these hitters don’t have a chance. I had a lot if confidence in myself and the guys behind me. My pitching coach came up to me. Before he could say anything I said ‘I’m going.’ I didn’t want to give them a chance to take me out.”
Thompson said there was no thought of pulling Lockwood.
“He was pitching great,” Thompson said. “In his last outing he didn’t have his best stuff. We went to the pen a bit earlier. But we could tell he had his best stuff tonight.”
Libertyville had opportunities to score in the third and fifth. But the Wildcats came up empty.
In the third, after Trevor Wallace was hit by a pitch, Cole Lockwood and Schambow both singled sharply to fill the bases. But Normal pitcher Gavin Schwartz beared down to strike out the next two batters to end the threat.
In the fifth, Harris singled to lead off the inning. He then scampered his way to third on a swinging bunt by Strader. But a pair of fine defensive plays by Normal accounted for the finals two outs to strand Strader.
Libertyville also turned away Normal on a pair of scoring opportunities.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Ironmen loaded the bases with two outs. Chase Lockwood induced a grounder to his brother Cole Lockwood at short, who tossed to Wallace at second for the easy force.
In their next at bat, Schwarz walked and made his way to third with two outs. Pinch hitter Drew Stevens hit the ball up the middle. Cole Lockwood got a small part of his glove on it and deflected to Wallace who quickly threw to first for the out.