Dane Chock missed the entire baseball season, with the exception of one varsity at-bat and another in a reserve game, and then his year got worse last week.

His Uncle Ray died.

So before Chock and his Crystal Lake South teammates faced the host school in Saturday’s Class 3A Grayslake Central Sectional final, the strapping senior first baseman took a walk to the outfield and touched the “RAY” in GRAYSLAKE CENTRAL on the fence.

Chock’s emotions ran even higher as he stood on first base in the bottom of the sixth, after his fielder’s choice in a pinch-hit role led to the top-seeded Gators scoring the go-ahead and final run in their 3-2 win over the third-seeded Rams.

“He was with me in that big moment,” Chock said of his Uncle Ray. “All the emotions came out.”

South’s second late-game rally in as many Saturdays earned the Gators (28-9) a berth in Monday’s 5 p.m. Schaumburg Supersectional against Fenwick (14-20) at Wintrust Field. It’s South’s first sectional title since 2022, when it finished fourth in Class 3A.

Tanner Maurer retired Grayslake Central (28-9) in order in the seventh to earn the win. He pitched three innings in relief of lefty starter Devin De Loach, who struck out four, including the side in the first, and allowed only two hits in four scoreless innings.

“It’s a great team,” said Gators third baseman Michael Silvius, who homered in Wednesday’s sectional semifinal against Deerfield and had the game-tying single in the sixth Saturday. “This is probably one of the favorite teams I’ve ever been on. We all got each other’s backs. If one person gets down, we pick them right back up. I was telling Tanner [Maurer] the whole time, ‘You’re the best player on this field.’ He got us three quick outs [in the seventh], and we got out of this game with the championship.”

South faced a 2-1 deficit after the Rams scored two runs in the fifth on the same play. Beckham Stone’s safety squeeze scored Bryce Carlson, who had greeted Maurer with a leadoff single, and Jayson Domerchie raced home on a throwing error.

But like they did in their regional-final win, when they scored twice in the seventh to walk off Carmel, the Gators rallied.

Jackson Lee (2 for 3) led off the South sixth with a base hit against new pitcher Rocco Rand. Rand had relieved sophomore starter Beau Barrows, who allowed only one unearned run in five innings, while striking out one. The crafty Barrows had pitched a complete game in the Rams’ regional-final win over Prairie Ridge.

“It was the same deal,” South coach Brian Bogda said of Barrows. “He got in on people’s hands, went away. He competed his butt off and did a great job.”

Barrows was efficient, using a two-seam fastball and a changeup, which induced a lot of soft contact, in a 62-pitch effort.

“I thought in the fourth inning, his stuff wasn’t as sharp, but he gave us five,” Rams coach Troy Whalen said. “Maybe I send him out there to start the sixth. I mean, that’s why I get paid the big bucks. I made the call, and [South] got a couple of good hits.”

Wes Bogda’s one-out single advanced Lee to second, before Silvius muscled a fastball on the inner half into left-center, tying the score at 2-2.

“I knew they were going to attack me, and I was hungry for a hit,” said Silvius, who got hit in the arm and walked in his first two at-bats. “My teammates got on base and did the job, and now it was my turn to do my job.”

With John Morgan due up with Bogda on second base and Silvius on first, Brian Bogda called on the left-handed-hitting Chock to pinch hit against the righty Rand.

“He’s looked good in batting practice,” Bogda said of Chock. “He was a key performer for us last year. I just felt he had a chance to get a ball out in the outfield and maybe score a run. We trust Johnny [Morgan]. We like what he’s doing, but I just felt like the lefty bat is something different there.”

Chock tore the meniscus in his left knee in late December and had surgery about two weeks later. The full reconstruction caused the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder to miss hockey and cut into his baseball season.

“It was really tough battle, for sure,” Chock said. “But my teammates and all my family and friends had my back, and that made it a lot easier for me to come back. I’m thankful for Coach Bogda’s trust in me to pull through in that big moment.”

Chock swung at the first pitch he saw from Rand and bounced a hard-hit ball up the middle. Second baseman Carson Woods grabbed it and touched the bag for the inning’s second out, but his throw pulled first baseman Stone off the bag. Chock arrived at first almost simultaneously and knocked the ball out of Stone’s mitt, and Bogda raced home with the go-ahead run.

Whalen didn’t argue the call.

“I think it was a bang-bang play,” Whalen said. “I didn’t think there was any maliciousness there, and I think the umpire would have seen that if that was the case.”

Chock couldn’t help but think about his late uncle as the play transpired.

“I knew my uncle was with me the whole way through there,” Chock said. “The trust that my team had in me that I could pull through there was really touching to me. And then all the fans, my friends ... when they called my name to hit, they were all cheering. It was really a great moment.”

Silvius couldn’t have been more thrilled for his teammate.

“He’s been eager to get out there,” Silvius said of Chock. “He’ll take batting practice with us. He finally got his chance, and he showed what he’s capable of. I’m really proud of him.”