Baseball: St. Charles North rallies in 7th inning to give coach Todd Genke 500th win

ADDISON – St. Charles North baseball coach Todd Genke may have added a few more gray hairs Wednesday afternoon.

The top-seeded North Stars (26-5) watched No. 16 Glenbard West stage a four-run rally to take a 7-6 lead in the top half of the seventh inning during their Class 4A Addison Trail Regional semifinal clash.

Slightly stunned, the North Stars regrouped and put together a comeback of their own.

After Trevor Lambel’s RBI single tied the game at 7-7, Jake Kujak followed with an infield single before senior shortstop Jackson Spring delivered the game-winning RBI single to left, sending courtesy runner Ty Koziol diving head-first across home plate during the North Stars’ 8-7 victory.

“I briefly talked with Coach (Genke) about what the plan was going in,” said Spring, who went 2 for 4 with a walk, run scored and stolen base from the leadoff spot. “We were in a good position (runners on first and second with one out).

“Coach said, ‘If you see one you like, go after it,’ so I was ready to hit. It feels great.”

Genke, who has guided the North Stars to nine regional titles and five 30-win seasons, including a second-place state finish in 2019, recorded his 500th career win (500-174-4) in a most memorable way.

“To get it in that fashion, I certainly won’t ever forget it,” said Genke, whose team will face either Addison Trail or Glenbard East in Saturday’s 10 a.m. regional championship.

“It was a little more drama than I was looking for.”

St. Charles North began the game with a four-run first, as Spring, Mike Buono, Ty Heimbuch, Colin Ryder and Parker Reinke opened with consecutive singles before Keaton Reinke smashed a two-run triple to right-center field.

“The game started exactly the way we wanted it to,” Genke said. “We got a lead and had Josh (Caccia) on the mound.”

The North Stars’ ace right-hander worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts before giving way to reliever Liam Ruane with runners on first and second in the fourth. Ruane retired the final out to keep the Hilltoppers off the board.

“It’s always a tough decision – do you leave him in there or do you take him out,” Genke said. “We have a lot of confidence in our arms that we threw today. That was the right thing for us to do at that moment.”

Buono and Kujak delivered RBI singles to extend the North Stars’ lead to 6-1 after five innings before the Hilltoppers made things interesting.

Max Hetlet’s RBI double and Luke Ebl’s RBI single highlighted Glenbard West’s two-run sixth, closing the gap to 6-3.

In the seventh, a fielder’s choice grounder left the Hilltoppers down to their final out.

After a walk to Nico Ruoti, Eric Lowrie lined a two-run double to left-center to make it 6-5. Following an infield single and walk, Ebl’s two-run, ground-rule double to right put the Hilltoppers in front for the first time 7-6.

“All year long, that’s kind of our M.O.,” Glenbard West coach Andy Schultz said. “They fight and fight. At that point, you’re feeling confident, but you know you still have to get three more outs.”

Trailing 7-6, the North Stars displayed some fight of their own.

“Even when we’re down, you can’t lose composure,” Genke said. “Keep the belief. In the playoffs, you’re going to get everybody’s best shot. You survive and advance – literally.”

As for his 500th win?

“Number one, it means I’m old,” Genke said. “It’s not about me, it’s about all the great kids we’ve had come through our program. I’m proud of it but it’s about the kids, it’s about our coaches, it’s about our school and community.

“But it’s also very special.”