Minooka wins thrilling contest of titans over Lincoln-Way East in extra innings

FRANKFORT – Baseball games don’t get much more anticipated than the one Friday between Lincoln-Way East and Minooka.

The Griffins entered the contest on an eight-game winning streak with only four losses. Minooka had won 11 in a row before falling to Plainfield North on Thursday, but that was just its third loss of the year.

A game with two teams this talented could only be settled in extra innings.

With things tied up, Minooka scored four runs in the eighth inning to get an 11-7 victory.

Minooka (24-3) featured a potential MLB draft pick in Michigan State signee CJ Deckinga, along with a pair of NCAA Division-I commits in Zane Caves (Michigan State) and Brayden Zilis (Illinois State). Though he wasn’t throwing, Lincoln-Way East ace Jack Bauer has made national headlines with his 102 mph fastball.

The game was every bit the powerhouse matchup it was billed as. There were 21 hits on offense and five pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts. Big plays by Isaac Goddard and Rhett Harris in the eighth lifted the Indians a day after they lost in in nine innings.

“We’ve both had really good seasons up to this point,” Minooka coach Jeff Petrovic said. “I think we expected a different looking game than this. I think you would’ve expected a 3-2 game, and it ended up being a different style.

“We hurt ourselves by putting guys on base with walks and hit by pitches. We left some guys on base, but Isaac came up with a big hit in the end.”

Minooka had plenty of offensive firepower early. Jason Duy’s two-out RBI single to score Zilis and Rhett Harris gave the Indians a 2-0 lead in the first. That edge became 3-0 in the third when Harris’ RBI double scored Deckinga.

The Griffins wouldn’t go quietly. Jaden Henry’s triple in the bottom half scored Danny Mackey before MJ Schley scored Henry on a single to cut it to 3-2. They tied it in the fourth on Mackey’s double to score Charlie Cosich.

Minooka appeared to regain control in the fifth as Harris, Carter Lennington and Duy each put up RBIs to take a 6-3 lead, putting Lincoln-Way East on its heels. That was short lived as RBIs by Casey Mikrut, Cosich and Rocco Triolo gave Lincoln-Way East its first lead of the game at 7-6.

Zilis ripped a two-out triple in the top of the sixth, scoring on an error the same play to tie the game. Lincoln-Way East got a runner to third base in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t bring him home as the game headed to extras.

With two outs in the top of the eighth, the Griffins intentionally walked Deckinga with Noah Pharo on third. Isaac Goddard made them pay with a triple, scoring both, and Harris hit a home run right after to make it 11-7.

Zilis was 3 for 5 with three runs while only giving up one hit with five strikeouts in three innings of relief on the mound. Harris was 3 for 3 with four RBIs and Duy was 2 for 4 with three RBIs. It was Goddard, though, who came up with the timely hit in the end.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play as hard as I could and get on base,” Goddard said. “We were swinging a lot harder and attacking more today.”

Lincoln-Way East (21-5) had opportunities to win the game, but came up just shy in the end. Cosich led the seven players with hits, going 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs. The Griffins will have a short turnaround with a game at Andrean on Saturday.

“We just have to go out and battle,” coach John McCarthy said. “I thought they were a worthy opponent. Well coached, strong defensively, strong at the plate, strong on the mound. It was a matter of trying to compete, stay with them and find ways to win. We had a shot there, we just couldn’t finish.”

Minooka will be back in action Saturday against Lincoln-Way Central.