When the postseason started, Lincoln-Way Central’s baseball team was seeded eighth in the Class 4A Lincoln-Way Central Sectional.

But a funny thing happened on the way to a quick exit that generally comes to lower-seeded teams. The Knights caught fire, won three straight games and found themselves playing in the sectional championship game.

Unfortunately for the Knights, the magic ran out Saturday as Sandburg picked up a 7-1 win to secure the title and advance to Monday’s Crestwood Supersectional against Mt. Carmel, an 11-1 winner over Brother Rice in the Brother Rice Sectional.

Sandburg got on the board in the top of the second when, with two outs, Jake Tomczak doubled and teammate Nick Seaman followed with a triple to right to bring him home. Seaman then scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 Eagle edge.

Sandburg starting pitcher Peter Jurcenko then went to the mound and retired Lincoln-Way Central on four pitches, bringing the Eagles back into the dugout still riding the momentum of their previous at-bat.

They made the most of it, loading the bases with no outs. Giovanni Longo singled to right to make it 3-0 before a ground-rule double to right by Dominic Diamond scored two more. Quinn Durkin then singled to left, bringing home the final two Eagle runs.

The Knights looked like they would start to get back into it in the top of the fourth when they loaded the bases with no outs. Luke Tingley reached on a throwing error, followed by an infield single by Connor McCabe (3 for 4, RBI) and a single by Daniel Houston. Unfortunately for Central, Jurcenko struck out the next two hitters before inducing a flyout to escape further damage.

The Knights avoided the shutout in the fifth when a single by McCabe brought home John Gutierrez.

“What I’ll remember most about this season is just being with the guys all year,” Tingley said. “We had a great run, really showed up in the playoffs and were the last Lincoln-Way school standing, which does feel good.

“This group of seniors tried our best to lead the way and show the younger guys what it takes to get to this level in the playoffs. They have a good springboard into next year.”

Tingley is part of a group of seniors - along with Brady Rossa, Nicholas Bartkus, Nolan Bartkus, Dev Sharma, Grady Flannigan, David Schultz, Vince Bello, Shawn Mowry, Noah Sloane, Alex Panos, Novak, Austin Welsh, McCabe, Jack Skorpinski and Devan Lovingfoss - that left the program in better shape than they found it.

“We played a very tough schedule,” Lincoln-Way Central coach Ryan Kutt said. “Besides our conference, which is one of the best in the state, we also scheduled non-conference teams like Minooka, Brother Rice and Mt. Carmel, which are all playing for sectional titles. We wanted to show our kids that they need to expect to play at that level on a daily basis.

“The kids stayed with each other all year, and when they played at that level, we were capable of big things. Today just wasn’t our day.”

Kutt also had high praise for his coaching staff - Mike Manns, Job Gunderson, Mike Buckley, Josh Mutter, and Pat Michalak.

“I hope our kids realize how fortunate they are to have the assistant coaches they have,” Kutt said. “The amount of time and effort that the staff put in amazes me when I witness it.

“Those guys understand that there are still things to learn in this game and they put the time in to learn them and get us to another level.”