Eder's Walk-Off Homer Wins It For Lake Zurich In Quarterfinals

Sean Eder had already hit a three-run homer for Lake Zurich in the bottom of the second. That blast had put the Bears on the board after they spotted Barrington a six-run lead, cutting the Broncos' advantage in half. It allowed the Bears to gain some traction in mounting what would turn out to be a huge comeback. But Eder was just getting started.

When he led off the bottom of the seventh, Eder said he was just thinking about getting on base. His game-winning walk-off home run off relief pitcher Maxwell Redpath gave Lake Zurich a dramatic 9-8 win, allowing them to advance to the semifinals round of the playoffs against Mundelein on Wednesday.

“I knew this kid (Redpath) had a looping curveball, so that’s what I was looking for,” said Eder. “But the fist pitch was a fastball, and the second pitch was also a fastball. When I hit it, I knew it was gone.”

Eder’s towering shot to deep right field was a no-doubter the moment he connected, as teammates spilled out of the dugout practically at the ding of the bat. Not bad for a guy who hits in the seven-spot. Eder is 12-for-15 over his last five games.

“Yeah, I’ve just been in a groove, seeing the ball really well,” said Eder.

“I don’t want to move him up in the lineup, out of the seventh spot, because that’s where he’s been hitting so well lately,” said Bears Coach Gary Simon.

Lake Zurich starting pitcher Ben Gullo had an uncharacteristically rocky outing, but that was probably a result of not being well-rested.

“I know he didn’t sleep well last night,” said Simon, “and he had a nosebleed before the game. I think that might have had to do with nerves.”

After getting two of his three outs on strikeouts in the first inning, Gullo was hit hard in the second.  Jake Broughton led off with double to deep center, and Chris Coco legged out a single, advancing Broughton to third. Redpath, who caught for the Broncos until he relieved starter Greg Gerrard in the sixth, then walked to load the bases.

After Jack Kurcab struck out, Ricky Alfonso walked, forcing in Broughton. A passed ball allowed Coco to score, advancing the runners to second and third. Moments later, a wild pitch scored Redpath for a 3-0 Broncos lead. After John O’Connell walked and stole second, Eddie Szarkowicz relieved Gullo with just one out in the inning.

Following Macray Poidamani's ground out, Aaron Foley doubled, driving in a pair of runs. After Doug Beath walked, Broughton, batting for the second time in the inning, reached on an error by third baseman Parker Asmann, scoring Foley. Coco, the eleventh batter of the inning grounded to short to force Broughton at second for the final out.

The Bears came right back with three runs in the bottom of the second, thanks to Eder’s three-run blast. After Mike Schnur walked, Mark Dorfman reached on a force out. Catcher Jeremy Reusch then singled past first base to set the stage for Eder’s blast to left-center.

Lake Zurich could have done more damage in the inning, as Gullo singled to short, John Orlando bunted for a hit, and Zach Till reached on a fielder’s choice when Orlando evaded the tag going into second. But Mitch Tuthill struck out and Asmann flied to shallow left to end the threat.

The Broncos tacked on another run in the third. With two outs, Alfonso singled off Parker Asmann and O’Connell pounded a long RBI double to the gap in left-center, upping Barrington’s lead to 7-3.

The Bears got the run back in their half of the third when Mark Dorfman homered deep to left-center. The Broncos regained their four-run lead in the fifth, when Redpath singled up the middle and was moved over to second on Kurcab’s sacrifice bunt. After Alfonso struck out, O’Connell powered a double to deep center, driving in Redpath for an 8-4 Barrington advantage.

The Bears tied it up with a big four-run sixth. After third baseman Jacob LaRue walked with one out, pinch hitter Anthony Drago homered over the right field fence. Till then singled past short and Tuthill walked. Redpath then moved from behind the plate to the pitcher’s mound in relief of Gerrard.

Parker Asmann reached on an error, scoring Till. Schnur then hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Tuthill with the tying run.

Parker Asmann, who pitched the last five innings in relief, got stronger as the game progressed. He struck out two batters in the seventh inning, setting the stage for Eder’s walk-off heroics.

“Without Parker coming in and doing a good job for us, we probably don’t have a chance of getting back into the game,” said Simon.

The Bears’ record is now 16-16; after compiling a 4-12 record during the first half of the season, they’ve gone 12-4 since then.

“I kept telling my players early in the season when we weren’t winning a lot, it isn’t how you start, it’s how you finish,” said Simon.

Bears Pause: Asmann gave up two runs on six hits over five innings, with six strikeouts and one walk. Eder was 2-for-4 with two homers and four RBI. Mark Dorfman reached base three times with a fielder’s choice, home run and walk, and Jeremy Reusch had a pair of singles. Lake Zurich hit a total of four homers, including Drago’s.

Next Up: Lake Zurich plays Mundelein at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in Barrington in the semifinals. The Mustangs beat the Bears in their conference home-away matchups early in the season.