Entering its IHSA Class 3A supersectional against Crystal Lake South at Wintrust Field in Schaumburg, June 9, the Fenwick High School baseball team had scored at least 10 runs in five of its six previous games.
But the Friars could manage only five hits against Gators’ starting pitcher Michael Silvius and also squandered a pair of prime scoring opportunities. That, along with committing four errors, spelled a 4-0 season-ending defeat.
“All season, we knew what (Crystal Lake South) was capable of; we knew they could hit,” said Fenwick coach Kyle Kmiecik. “We wanted to stay within striking range all game and we did and gave ourselves a chance. But that’s a good team. Give a lot of credit to (Silvius), he did a really good job making pitches when he needed to.”
Bobby Milder took the hill to begin the game for Fenwick (15-21). He allowed at least one runner in each of the first three innings but escaped with no damage. A nifty 4-6-3 double play turned by Gio Rangel, Johnny Buchman, and Jeremy Munoz ended the third.
“I was trying to pound the zone, let them hit it, pitch to contact,” Milder said. “My defense was doing everything it could back there.”
But the defense betrayed the Friars in the fourth. Milder hit Nick Stowasser with a pitch to begin the frame. Wes Bogda laid down a bunt that third baseman Jimmy Bonakdar fielded. But his throw to Munoz at first went wide for an error to put two runners in scoring position.
Then Silvius helped himself with a single to left which scored Stowasser and gave CLS the lead. Milder struck out Ryan Morgan, but Michael Rathjen hit a sacrifice fly to plate Bogda and raise the Gators’ advantage to 2-0.
Fenwick seemed poised to respond in the bottom of the inning as Ethan Gonzalez and Munoz led off with base hits. But Silvius induced Elliot Bastedo to hit into a 4-6-3 double play, and Luca Ponzio bounced out to third.
“We put some good swings on (Silvius),” Milder said, “but he pounded the zone and did what he had to. He neutralized any threat we put against him.”
In the top of the sixth, Silvius led off with a single, and pinch-hitter Reed Mitchell followed up with a single to end Milder’s day. Jack Fagan entered the game in relief of Milder, and Rathjen beat out a bunt to load the bases for CLS with no outs.
Morgan struck out, but Fagan uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Silvius to score and make the score 3-0. But Buchman helped Fagan get out of the inning without further damage by making a terrific over-the-shoulder catch in short left-center.
Milder went five-plus innings and allowed three runs – only one earned – on nine hits.
“Bobby was phenomenal,” Kmiecik said. “He’s had a rough year, not what he wanted to statistically, but for him to show up on a big stage like this, we knew he was capable and we’re very proud of him.”
With one out in the bottom half, AJ McConnell doubled and Gonzalez walked. But again, Silvius was able to escape as Munoz struck out looking and Bastedo flew out to Bogda in left.
“Crystal Lake was solid, we just couldn’t get the bats going,” Ponzio said. “We’ve been putting up eight, 10 runs per game and we get here today, it was a rough day. But that’s baseball.”
In the seventh, Stowasser reached on a Buchman fielding error. Then Bogda hit a dribbler in front of the plate. Gonzalez fielded it, but his throw sailed past Munoz and down the right-field line to score Stowasser.
Bonakdar doubled with two outs in the bottom half, but Silvius ended the game with a strikeout of Buchman.
Although Fenwick’s season ended a win shy of the state finals, something the program has never accomplished, both Milder expressed his appreciation for the grit the Friars displayed down the stretch.
“I’m very proud of the way we battled all year,” Milder said. “We faced a lot of adversity playing in the (Chicago Catholic League) Blue; that conference is a gauntlet. But we battled and kept fighting, and I’m proud of my guys, my brothers. Fenwick baseball has really changed my life.”
Like Milder, the loss marked Ponzio’s final time wearing a Fenwick uniform. But he’s bullish on the program’s future.
“We’ve got to keep battling. I’m done, but there’s a lot of young guys on this team who are hungry and they’re gonna come for it next season,” Ponzio said.