Oak Lawn Spartans Come From Behind in 10-7 Win Over Reavis In IHSA Game At Wrigley Field

OAK LAWN, IL—The Oak Lawn Spartans made baseball memories to last a lifetime in Sunday's game against the Reavis Rams played on the storied turf at Wrigley Field. The Spartans got the rare opportunity to play an Illinois High School Association game on Wrigley Field following a Chicago Cubs game. The day did not disappoint.

The Cubs came back after being five runs down to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, then two hours later, Oak Lawn rallied from down five runs to defeat Reavis, 10-7.

It was a doubleheader for the ages.

“I thought the Cubs really created a memorable experience for the players, coaches, and fans from both sides,” Oak Lawn head coach Bill Gerny said. “It was nice to see all the players and their families smiling and creating memories.”

The high school baseball teams and 2,000 Oak Lawn and Reavis faithful fans attended the Cubs game, and then they followed it up with a game of their own. The Spartans even toured the Cubs’ bullpen and clubhouse as part of the experience.

As for the high school game itself, it lived up to the anticipation.

Oak Lawn senior John Olejniczak made his season debut on the mound after suffering a knee injury early in the football season, and he threw a 1-2-3 first inning. However, with a different pitcher taking the mound each inning, the Spartans fell behind, 5-0.

They may have been down, but they were not out.

The Spartans eventually rallied for a 10-7 victory. Senior centerfielder Jack Dempsey was 2-for-4 with a triple, four RBIs, and a run scored. Senior first baseman Aiden Schopper was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs. Senior Eli Kulpinski laid down a flawless squeeze bunt to push across an important insurance run late. Every player of the 24 that was on the Oak Lawn roster for the game got on Wrigley Field and played a role in the win.

Players, coaches, families, Oak Lawn administrators, Oak Lawn staff members, and OLCHS alumni will remember this special day with the Cubs for a long time.

~ Contributed by Brian Frangella, OLCHS Feature Writer