The baseball games between Triton College and South Suburban College have produced many memorable moments over the years. However, the April 17 meeting at Symonds-Puckett Field may go down as one of the widest and most unexpected endings in the history of one of the best rivalries in the Region 4. Trojans freshman
Joe Selby became an unlikely hero by blasting a three-run walk-off tenth inning homer to center field to give Triton a dramatic 6-3 victory over their arch-rivals from South Holland.
One day before his 19
th birthday, the Trojans second baseman-turned-emergency-pitcher from Romeoville High School was calmer than you'd think, considering he had just slugged the first home run of his competitive baseball career, at a time when Triton desperately needed such heroics.
"I thought it hit the top of the fence," said Selby, not greedy at all had he got a mere extra-base hit to drive in the game-winning run after a hard-fought game in which each team almost grudgingly scored a run at a time before going to extra innings.
"I'm not stunned at all," he added. "I know what I can do."
What led to the rally was almost as unlikely. With Bulldog reliever Joseph Tor pitching, shortstop Donovan Noble dropped
Tommy Benson's (Chesterton, IN) infield popup. Benson then stole second.
Matt Flaherty (Lake Zurich) then walked before Selby connected.
Selby was fresh from a scoreless top of the tenth on the mound, called into service with the Trojans short on healthy pitchers.
"I'm more proud of my pitching," Selby said. "I had not pitched a whole lot (in high school or at Triton)."
The game kicked into a red-hot emotional gear during Selby's stint. Noble had reached first and tried to steal second. He was called out on a close play. South Suburban head coach Steve Ruzich went out to argue, apparently claiming shortstop
Thomas Schroeder missed the tag.
Then in the bottom half of the frame prior to the Selby home run, Ruzich shared his displeasure with the home plate umpire after Flaherty took a close 3-2 pitch outside to draw the free pass. Five pitches later, Selby would send his team home for the long late-Saturday afternoon ride. As the celebration ensued on the infield, the teams exchanged words as the benches cleared. Eventually tempers died down.
"It's stuff that has happened for years," Triton head coach
Harry Torgerson said of the heated rivalry.
Triton (19-11) had huge motivation on its side. Only six days previously, South Suburban (25-12) had annihilated the Trojans at Bulldog Stadium 25-1 with an eight-run fourth and 11-run fifth.
"We didn't do anything well that game," Torgerson said. "We know we're a good ball club and better than what we showed against them the first time."
So did Selby, which is why his trot around the bases was especially satisfying.
"This felt good after getting smoked," he said.
Torgerson pulled out all the stops to win.
Schroeder (St. Charles East), the first reliever used after starter
Sebastian Benz' (Weston, FL) two-run yield over the first five innings, loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. He then traded places with shortstop
Jerimiah Cangelosi (Pataskala, OH). Cangelosi got Nick Fies swinging, then induced Nick Scrappo to hit an inning-ending grounder to Schroeder.
Triton pitching quieted top Bulldogs hitter Tommy Windt, also the starting pitcher. Windt came in with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs with a .421 average.
In the sixth, Flaherty tagged Windt for a towering homer that stayed fair down the left-field line. Benson tied the game at three against Windt with an eighth-inning double to plate home
Adam Pottinger (Deerfield).
The next chapter of the rivalry will resume May 14 and 15 when South Suburban will host the Region 4 Division I baseball tournament.
Follow Triton Athletics on TwitterÂ
@TritonTrojans1Â or on InstagramÂ
@Triton_College_Athletics
(Story by tritonathletics.com contributor George Castle)
Â
Â
