Another close loss leaves C-G 4th

Cary-Grove senior catcher Luke Mottashed (right) hugs coach Don Sutherland after the Trojans' 3-2 loss to O'Fallon in the IHSA Class 4A Baseball State Tournament third-place game Saturday at Silver Cross Field in Joliet. Cary-Grove, which will lose 13 seniors to graduation, finished 31-10 this season. (Justin Edmonds – jedmonds@nwherald.com)

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JOLIET – In the end, all Cary-Grove could do was tip its cap to O’Fallon pitcher Miles Quintal and the Panthers’ defense.

Quintal did not allow a runner to reach base in the final four innings, and his team provided air-tight defense to defeat the Trojans, 3-2, in the IHSA Class 4A Baseball State Tournament third-place game Saturday at Silver Cross Field.

C-G averaged nine runs a game in its previous 10 games but managed only four hits off Quintal (11-2), three of which came in the third inning when the Trojans scored their two runs. C-G lost by the same score to New Trier, the eventual state champion, on Friday.

“[Quintal] kept us off-balance with his breaking ball, and we hit some balls hard, but their outfielders made some great catches,” Trojans coach Don Sutherland said.

The Trojans (31-10-1) worked two infield hits and Chris Waylock’s RBI single for two runs in the third and a 2-1 lead. Waylock scored the second run when Panthers first baseman Kyle Stanton bobbled a lob throw from Quintal that would have been the third out of the inning. C-G’s Kegan Mascarella was running hard and called safe after the bobble.

O’Fallon (32-10) came back in the fifth to score twice with a walk, a hit batter and an error. With runners on first and second and one out, C-G third baseman Stuart Gaulke could not come up with a chopper that scooted through to left field, scoring a run.

“I was charging the ball. I definitely misplayed it,” Gaulke said. “I should have waited back and got a big hop, but I was charging and wanted to get the guy at first. It was slow and choppy and came above my glove.”

C-G pitcher Matt Nelsen (11-1) suffered his first varsity loss since his sophomore season. Nelsen allowed six hits and two earned runs in five innings. Brian Marquis threw two scoreless innings to finish.

Gaulke looked like he might break up Quintal’s string in the bottom of the seventh when he lined a shot to the outfield, but center fielder Nick Johnson made a diving grab to take away a hit.

“Even when we got down, I felt pretty good because we were striking the ball well today,” O’Fallon coach Jason Portz said. “We’re a solid club that plays good defense and has been able to get timely hits.”

Quintal, a junior, struck out four, walked one and retired the last 13 batters he faced. Mascarella was the last Trojan to reach base.

“I just tried to get ahead early and work my off-speed stuff,” Quintal said. “Coach called a lot of good pitches. The umpire had a pretty low zone, so I kept it low and tried to get them to hit it on the ground.”

C-G’s season was its best in school history; the Trojans never had been to the state tournament before.

“It’s not like we beat ourselves out here,” catcher Luke Mottashed said. “We played as well as we could.”

The two runs in the semifinal and championship games tied the lowest total of the season for the Trojans.

“They were both 3-2 games, and in both cases the other team made diving catches,” Sutherland said. “If those get through, they’re both a different game. That’s how close it is, how fragile this game is.”