Athletic contests between OPRF and Fenwick High Schools tend to be highly competitive, with many going down to the wire. Friday night at Triton College, the Fenwick baseball team scored eight consecutive runs after falling behind early and appeared to have things under control. But OPRF staged a dramatic late rally over the final two innings to pull out a 9-8 victory.
“Nowhere I’d rather be than with this team,” said OPRF senior second baseman Brady Green, whose two-out, two-run single gave the Huskies the win in walk-off style. “When we’re down, we’re up. This team’s always having a good time and sticking together, and I’d die for this team.”
OPRF (16-7) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on RBI singles from Green and George Holland off Fenwick starting pitcher Bobby Milder, with Green tallying the third run on a double steal.
But Fenwick (10-11) responded with three runs of its own in the second as Ethan Gonzalez had an RBI single and Jeremy Munoz a two-run double off OPRF starting pitcher Daniel Kane. The Friars took a 4-3 lead in the third as Bryan Tunison drew a bases-loaded walk with one out, but Kane struck out Gonzalez and Munoz to minimize the damage.
Milder, meanwhile, settled in after his shaky first inning and retired 13 consecutive batters. He went five innings and allowed four runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
“Bobby really stepped up for us tonight,” said Fenwick coach Kyle Kmiecik. “He’s got a lot of really good stuff. We wanted to mix up pitches and keep [OPRF] off-balance, and he did a great job for the most part.”
In the fifth, Fenwick staged a two-out rally. Munoz walked and Johnny Buchman reached on a throwing error by OPRF third baseman Johnny Nelson. Then Josh Morgan belted a three-run homer to left field, giving the Friars a 7-3 lead and sending their fans into pandemonium.
“Our bats have been coming alive the last couple of weeks and we continued that tonight,” Kmiecik said.
Fenwick appeared to solidify its hold on the game when back-to-back doubles by Ryan Lazewski and Anthony Henderson to start the sixth raised the lead to 8-3. But OPRF started to rally in the bottom half as Timmy Leark led off with a walk, one that ended Milder’s evening and brought in Luke Hickey from the bullpen. Singles by Nelson and Ethan Moore plated Leark, but Nelson was thrown out trying to get to third.
After Green walked, a throwing error by Lazewski on Holland’s grounder to third scored Moore. A sacrifice fly by Oliver Puntillo scored Green to make the score 8-6.
In the top of the seventh, Darren Law came out of OPRF’s bullpen and struck out Gonzalez, Munoz, and Buchman in order.
“It’s something that’s probably overlooked by the general fan,” OPRF coach Kevin Campbell said. “[Law] came in and struck out three, and that gave us all the momentum.”
Oak Park and River Forest’s Joseph Leshnock (8) puts the ball in play against Fenwick during the Crosstown Classic game at Triton College Friday, May 2, 2025 in River Grove, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Fenwick’s pitcher Bobby Milder (7) delivers a pitch against Oak Park and River Forest during the Crosstown Classic game at Triton College Friday, May 2, 2025 in River Grove, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Oak Park and River Forest’s third baseman Johnny Nelson (4) leaps up tring to make the catch on the hit by Fenwick during the Crosstown Classic game at Triton College Friday, May 2, 2025 in River Grove, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Fenwick’s Ethan Gonzalez (23) is greeted by his teammates after scoring a running and tying the score at 3 against Oak Park and River Forest during the Crosstown Classic game at Triton College Friday, May 2, 2025 in River Grove, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal) 
Oak Park and River Forest’s Timothy Leark (1) slides into home plate giving the Huskies an early 1-0 lead over Fenwick during the Crosstown Classic game at Triton College Friday, May 2, 2025 in River Grove, IL. (Steve Johnston/Wednesday Journal)
In the bottom half, Liam Cahill came in to try to save the game for Fenwick, but hit OPRF leadoff batter Peter Ferren with a pitch. Pinch-hitter Xavier Martin lasered a double into the right-field corner to bring home Ferren and cut the Friars’ lead to 8-7.
Julian Garcia-Bariel came in to run for Martin. Leark flied out to left, then Nelson walked. Moore’s groundout advanced Garcia-Bariel and Nelson to set up Green’s two-out single which set off a jubilant celebration among the players, coaches and the OPRF Dog Pound student section.
“I just wanted to see the ball and make it super-simple,” said Green, a Bucknell University commit. “It’s the best feeling in the world and probably the greatest moment in my life.”
“Brady’s the guy. He’s a three-year varsity player,” Campbell said. “We’ll put the whole team on his back in any situation. He had a great at-bat and got one he could barrel up down the line, and that’s the end of the story.”
While OPRF was thrilled, it was a tough loss for Fenwick. But Kmiecik felt the Friars played well and will learn from the defeat.
“At the end of the day, you can’t make mistakes against good teams,” he said. “Good teams take advantage of them, and that’s what [OPRF] did. “Our guys are disappointed, but as coaches we see the big picture in this. One game doesn’t define a team, so I’m hopeful and confident we’ll learn from this and continue to get better.”