Collin Monroe’s late squeeze gives Reed-Custer thrilling sweep of Coal City

BRAIDWOOD – Reed-Custer senior first baseman Collin Monroe is a three-sport athlete, but unlike several of his Comets classmates, doesn’t have plans on playing college sports. He’s one of thousands of student-athletes that just plays sports for the love of the game and the memories with friends.

And in Tuesday’s home game against Illinois Central Eight Conference rival Coal City, Monroe helped make one of the most memorable moments he and his teammates will have.

With runners on the corners and one out in the bottom of the fifth inning of a 3-3 game, Monroe executed a beautiful squeeze bunt that brought home Alex Bielfeldt for the go-ahead run that proved to be the difference in a 4-3 Comets win.

After a 3-1 win in 10 innings at Coal City Monday night, Reed-Custer (14-10, 5-7 ICE) earned its first sweep of the Coalers (16-11, 7-5) in four years, ending a funk of five losses in six meetings between the two.

"Any role [head coach Jake Evans] needs to put me in, I’m happy to be there," Monroe said. “Winning is the best thing in the world, so if that’s the spot I’ve got to be in, that’s what I’ll do.”

Bielfeldt, who delivered the go-ahead two-run double Monday and tied things at three Tuesday with another two-run double two batters before Monroe, had total confidence in Monroe being able to deliver in a big moment.

"I had so much faith in him getting it down," Bielfeldt said. " ... He’s one of the grittiest players I know. He does a good job going out there with a strong mentality."

Much like Monday’s extra-inning affair, Tuesday’s game was neck-and-neck throughout. The Comets struck first when Luca Trucano hit what first appeared to be a ground ball foul of the first base line, but after Coalers first baseman Ethan Olson fielded, bobbled and then threw the ball back to pitcher Connor Henline, Trucano was ruled safe at first, with Monroe scoring from third.

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Reed-Custer's Alex Fierro, left, applies a late tag on Coal City's Lance Cuddy at home plate during a game at Reed-Custer Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (Mason Schweizer)

The Coalers quickly replied when Gabe McHugh’s single brought Lance Cuddy in just half a frame later, and then with nobody out in the fifth, Gavin Berger sent Comets starting pitcher Jacob Reardon’s 2-2 offering the other way for a two-run double to right field.

Reardon, who allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts in four-plus innings, was relieved by Landen Robinson, who retired the next three Coalers to strand Berger at second in the first of his three scoreless innings.

In the bottom of the fifth, Robinson was hit by a pitch and Alex Fierro singled to put a pair on for Bielfeldt, who sent them both home with his equalizing two-bagger. After Brady Tyree’s single moved Bielfeldt to third, Monroe pushed the first pitch he saw down the first base line and was rewarded for his efforts by being ruled to have evaded Olson’s tag attempt.

"He’s our guy that just does all the stuff that doesn’t get any recognition: scooping balls out of the dirt at first to save runs, he had two sacrifice bunts last night and laid down a perfect safety squeeze tonight that turned out to be the game-winning run," Evans said of Monroe. “I’m just so proud of the effort of guys like that.”

While the Comets enjoyed their season sweep, the Coalers saw their second game in as many days escape from their grasp. They got timely hits from McHugh and Berger and got an admirable complete game from Henline, who allowed three earned runs on eight hits and four strikeouts. But after opening the spring red hot, Coalers coach Greg Wills has seen the team come back to earth a bit lately.

“I thought [Reed-Custer] played really, really well in this series,” Wills said. “They outplayed us, maybe, but that’s part of baseball. If you play long enough, things go up and down. We were swinging it really well to start the year and scoring runs, and now we’re kind of scuffling a bit, but we’ll figure it out.”