Yancik tosses complete game, cracks two-run double, RBI single, in Tigers' state baseball semifinal win

Brent Feeney, Sports Writer

Jun 10, 2017 6:55 AM Jun 11, 2017 8:09 AM

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JOLIET – Edwardsville baseball coach Tim Funkhouser perhaps put it best.

“Today was kind of a summary of what he's done for us,” Funkhouser said.

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“He” happened to be Andrew Yancik, who threw a complete game and had a two-run double and a bases-loaded RBI single to score another run to help his Tigers get past Burbank St. Laurence 3-1 in an IHSA Class 4A state semifinal game at Joliet's Silver Cross Field Friday evening, sending EHS into tonight's final against Crystal Lake South – 9-3 winners over Winnetka New Trier in the other semifinal game Friday – with a state championship on the line. The game is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. today, following the third-place game between the Trevians and Vikings.

Edwardsville improved to 34-7 on the year in heading to the final, while the Vikings were eliminated at 35-6.

“In the first (postseason game against Alton), he hit a three-run homer to really put us up,” Funkhouser said. “He's been right to that pitch count (the IHSA pitch-count rule invoked this season) and just making pitches; today, he was just able to execute the plan and his balls were really riding away. That's tough against to hit against.

“I've seen those guys hit and they take so many good at-bats; I thought the big out against (the Vikings' Matt) McCormick with one out and the game in reach of being tied (after Johnny Peterson had singled and stole second in the bottom of the sixth with the Tigers up 3-1) if he hits it out. Sure enough, he hits a fly ball and (Will) Messer makes a great play on a wayward position – we were positioned in the gaps – and we had to go a long way to make that play.”

Edwardsville kept the Vikings from manufacturing runs throughout the game, something Viking coach Pete Lotus thought was key. “We didn't get a leadoff guy on until (Peterson) in the sixth inning,” Lotus said. “Obviously down by two there, our game has always been built on being aggressive and running; when you don't get leadoff guys on and you're chasing two, it makes it a little harder. We're always going to stay aggressive; that's why we were trying to steal in that inning, try to cut it to one run.

“Obviously, if you don't get guys on really early in the inning, that stuff makes it hard. We pride ourselves on some of those little things, like stealing bases and bunting; it just wasn't there for us today.”

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Edwardsville finally broke on top in the fourth when, with two out, Messer singled and Dalton Wallace drew a walk to put runners at first and second, with Blake Burris being inserted as a courtesy runner for Wallace. Yancik then stepped up and laced a double to bring home both Messer and Burris to put EHS up 2-0; the Vikings countered with a run in the bottom of the inning when Peterson singled and went around to third on a two-base error; Yancik struck out McCormick and got Jimmy Burnette to ground to second, but Zack Verta singled in Peterson to cut the lead to 2-1.

Edwardsville got some breathing room in the sixth when Joel Quirin doubled with one out and Messer reached base on an error to put runners at first and second; Wallace then coaxed out a walk to load the bases to bring Yancik up.

Yancik then singled home Quirin for another run, with Messer being thrown out at the plate, but that was all Yancik needed, thanks to Messer's sparkling catch after Peterson's leadoff single in the sixth, with Yancik dismissing Burnette and Verta by strikeout to end the inning and getting Justin Rios and Gage Olszak to ground back to the box for the first two outs of the seventh. Tim Molloy kept St. Laurence alive with a double, but Yancik got Brian Lyle to ground to second to send EHS to the final.

Both Yancik and Quirin had doubles in the game, with Yancik going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Quirin going 1-for-3 with a run scored; Dylan Burris was 1-for-4 for EHS, while Messer was 1-for-3 with a run scored and Daniel Reed was 1-for-3. Verta was 2-for-3 with a double for the Vikings, while Molloy was 1-for-2 with a double and Peterson went 2-for-3 with a run scored. McCormick was 1-for-3 and Burnette had a RBI.

Yancik got the win, striking out six and walking none while conceding an earned run on six hits; Angel Sandoval took the loss, going five innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits while striking out five and walking one.

The Tigers are now in a situation they haven't faced since 2002 – playing for a state championship, having last reached a final that time in the old two-class system; the Tigers fell to Orland Park Sandburg in the 2002 Class AA final.

“Our guys, I'm so impressed with the way that our guys have handled their practice and preparation,” Funkhouser said of the Tigers heading into the final. “It just shows the maturity and leadership – they're focused on the intent.”