Baseball: Bryan Wiener delivers, Mundelein edges Palatine
Palatine's Eric Scheuermann (25, Right) was called safe at third under the tag of Mundelein's Mitchell Schulewicz (8) during the fourth inning of Wednesday's sectional game played at Glenbrook South High School. | Brian O'Mahoney~for Sun-Times Media
Updated: May 30, 2012 9:38PM
Mundelein senior center fielder Bryan Wiener certainly picked a good time for his team’s first walk-off hit of the season.
His bases-loaded, two-out game-winning single up the middle — on a 2-2 pitch from Bradley University recruit Eric Schuermann — propelled the top-seeded Mustangs to a dramatic 3-2 win in Wednesday’s IHSA Class 4A Glenbrook South sectional semifinal.
Wiener fouled off three tough pitches in a row before sending everyone home.
“It’s unbelievable,” Wiener said. “Last inning, bases loaded, two outs ... battling back foul ball after foul ball and then getting the hit right back up the middle. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
With the victory, the Mustangs (34-4) advances to Saturday’s sectional championship game, against the winner of Thursday’s other semifinal matchup between seventh-seeded Stevenson and No. 13 seed Highland Park. Their 34 wins are the most in school history.
“That was a great at-bat by Bryan,” Mundelein coach Todd Parola said. “I mean he saw fastballs, and he was right on them. He saw curve-balls, and he was able to foul them off. I thought the longer the at-bat, the bigger the advantage went to Bryan.”
Wiener had also already homered to left field off Schuermann to lead off the top of the fourth inning, which at the time broke a scoreless tie.
An RBI groundout by designated hitter Jordan Bregenzer following Wiener’s longball gave Mundelein a 2-0 lead after four innings. Ryan Borucki, who had reached on double, scored from third on the play.
But the Pirates (18-20) fired right back, scoring two of their own in the top of the fifth. Palatine took advantage of a pair of walks by Langlie (4.2 innings pitched, hit, two runs, five walks, two strikeouts) to open the frame, when Langlie balked home Mike Czarnik with runners on second and third and one out.
Kurt Becker’s RBI single three batters later tied the game 2-2, which was followed by another walk, ending Langlie’s day.
But Mundelein reliever Zach Pawlowski limited the damage and stranded the bases loaded by striking out the only hitter he faced.
The Mustangs then turned to their comeback kid: Borucki.
The senior left-hander, who was pitching in just his third game since March (elbow injury which was thought to need Tommy John surgery), held Palatine scoreless in the final two frames to pick up his first victory in more than two months.
Borucki, who has committed to Division I Iowa and been told by several scouts he may still be picked in the first five rounds of the June 4 Major League Baseball amateur draft, was helped out in a big way by Thomas Gandolfi in the top of the seventh.
With one out and a runner on second, the junior made a sensational diving catch in the gap in left-center field on a ball laced by Schuermann.
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