Tommy Kemp with Game-Winning RBI Single; Hilltoppers Win WJOL Tournament, Plus a Weekend Recap

The Don Ladas WJOL Memorial Baseball Tournament was held this weekend. Every year at the end of March, eight Joliet Area teams compete in this in-season tournament: Joliet Catholic, Joliet West, Joliet Central, Providence Catholic, Lincoln-Way West, Lockport, Plainfield Central, and Minooka.

The semifinals and championship game were pushed back to Sunday due to poor weather. Lewis University hosted the semifinal games, and Duly Health and Care Field (The Joliet Slammers' Stadium) hosted the championship.

Thursday, I was at Joliet West for the first round. The Tigers, behind a stellar pitching performance by lefty Conner Hogan, defeated Lincoln-Way West 6-1. Hogan pitched 6 shutout innings and struckout 6 batters. In the other first round games Plainfied Central beat Lockport 11-9, Minooka blewout Providence 15-3, and Joliet Catholic beat up Joliet Central 10-0.

In the first semifinal, the Tigers played conference rival Plainfield Central, and did not get the same result they got Thursday. The Wildcats took out the Tigers 10-0 in 6 innings. Phillip Carlton went 4/4 with a homerun, double, and 3 RBI. Taylor Kujak went 3/3 with 2 doubles, and Ryan Perry pitched a complete game 4-hit shutout with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts.

Joliet Catholic and Minooka played in the second semifinal which resulted in a similar outcome. After a 2-out solo homerun by Indians third baseman Andrew Forillo, the Hilltoppers scored 7 runs in the bottom half of the 1st inning. Indians starting pitcher Ryan Kuchar left the game without recording an out. The Hilltoppers would add a run in the 4th inning, and three runs in the 5th inning to win it 11-1 in 5 innings. Hilltopper freshman shortstop Lucas Simulick hit the game-ending 2-run double. Lefthander T.J. Schlageter gave up an earned run in a complete game. He gave up 4 hits, had 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts.

In the championship, the Hilltoppers got off to a 1-0 lead after one inning when rightfielder Trey Swiderski hit a 2-out RBI single.

Flashforward to the 3rd inning where Hilltopper lefty Jake Gimbel appeared to have struckout the side, but a throwing error by Jimmy Sharp kept the inning alive and the Wildcats would score 5 unearned runs. The Hilltoppers answered in the bottom half of the inning with 4 runs of their own to tie the game up at 5.

The game would stay tied at 5 until the bottom of the 6th inning. Second baseman Tommy Kemp hit a go-ahead RBI single with 1 out to put the Hilltoppers ahead. Aidan Hayse, who came in to pitch in the top of the 6th, finished off the Wildcats in the 7th and earned the win in the 6-5 Hilltopper victory.

Swiderski went 3/4 with a double and 3 RBI. Kemp went 2/3, and first baseman Jake Troyner and centerfielder Brett Hulbert each went 1/3. Gimbel pitched 4 innings, gave up all 5 unearned runs, had no walks, and 4 strikeouts. Hayse went 2 innings, gave up 1 hit, walked 2, and struckout 4.

Wildcats first baseman Colin Bailye went 1/4 with a 2-run double. Phillip Carlton went 1/2 with an RBI single and 2 walks. Taylor Kujak went 2/4 with a double. Cory Brock pitched 3 innings of relief, gave up an earned run, had a walk, and 2 strikeouts.