CHAMPAIGN — Don’t tell Louisville residents that the third-place game doesn’t matter.
Because it does.
That was clear on Saturday morning when North Clay filled the seats at Illinois Field for the third-place game of the Class 1A State Final Tournament against Jacksonville (Routt). The Cardinals won the game, in five innings, 10-0.
“Not a lot of people can say they ended their season on a win,” senior Cody Zimdars said. “It was pretty nice.”
North Clay started the game with a three-run first inning.
Jack Compton popped out to the shortstop to start the frame. Cayden Craig then hit a double to right field.
Ian Jones then flew out to left field.
Carder Walden was intentionally walked after that. Zimdars then drew one.
Craig scored the first run after a balk by the Rockets pitcher before Trenton Ingram singled to center field, scoring Zimdars and Walden.
Brodie Adair, who courtesy ran for Ingram, advanced to second base after a wild pitch. Trevan Sidwell was then hit by a pitch before Ben Czyzewski drew a walk to load the stations.
Cooper Lewis then flew out for the final out of the inning.
Compton, who took the mound for his final start in a North Clay jersey, yielded a base hit to Talon Thompson to start the bottom of the first.
Two batters later, the Cardinals got out of the inning after Bryson Mossman grounded into a double play that was initiated by Zimdars, the team’s shortstop.
North Clay added six more runs in the top of the second.
Compton singled to left field. Craig reached on a fielder’s choice after Routt got the force out at second base.
Jones then drew a walk, as did Walden.
Zimdars then plated two runs on a single.
Ingram then flew out to right field.
Sidwell drew a walk.
Czyzewski got in the scorebook after a two-run single to center field that scored Zimdars and Walden.
Lewis followed with a base hit. Compton then scored two more runs on a single. He tried to stretch the single into a double but was tagged out at second base, ending the inning.
Compton allowed another hit in the second inning.
The Cardinals got a leadoff walk from Craig in the top of the third. The Rockets worked around that, though. Jones flew out, Craig was caught stealing second base and Walden grounded out to second.
Compton worked a scoreless third.
Ingram and Sidwell hit back-to-back singles to start the fourth.
Both runners moved up one base after a wild pitch.
Chad Hosselton then hit an RBI single to center field, scoring Ingram, to push the lead to 10 runs. The hit left the fans in a frenzy as they all cheered for Hosselton, who was greeted at first base by assistant coach Adam Cox.
“I’ve never had a moment like that,” Hosselton said. “Coming into the game at that moment, I was nervous, but I had to put the ball in play to score a run.”
Compton worked another scoreless fourth inning.
He walked Kale Reich in the bottom of the fifth, before Dalton Brown singled to left field.
Compton exited the game to a standing ovation before Cox and head coach John Frech each embraced him. He transitioned to center field, his secondary position, and Sidwell relieved him. Compton allowed three hits and one walk to two strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. He faced 16 batters and threw 47 pitches.
“It was great to get the start today and have this team behind me,” Compton said. “I love every single one of them. Coming off the field, it was sad; I was teary-eyed.”
Sidwell yielded a single to Jacob Brown to load the bases.
He then got Gavin Post and Thompson to each strike out. Sidwell yelled after the final punchout.
“I was trying not to walk the last guy and had to get in the zone,” Sidwell said. “I got the job done.”
Sidwell finished the game allowing one hit to two strikeouts over 2/3 of an inning. He faced three batters and threw 11 pitches.
Sidwell transferred to North Clay before the school year. He spent the first three years at South Central.
“It was awesome,” said Sidwell on his time with the Cardinals. “I played travel ball with a bunch of these guys. I’d talked about transferring and I finally did it my senior year. Getting close to all of these guys and playing with them was a surreal experience. I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else.”
Ingram had two hits, two RBI and one run scored for NC.
The program means everything to him.
“It’s all about the name [on the front] and the people you play for,” he said. “It’s all amazing.”
Compton had two hits and two RBI.
Craig had one hit (one double) and two runs scored. He transferred from Clay City following the co-op between the two schools three years ago.
“My time as a North Clay Cardinal has been great,” Craig said. “I’ve gotten close with all of these guys. As soon as I came here from Clay City, they brought me in and treated me just like one of them.
“We’re all a team. There are no individuals out here. We’re all one. We’re all a family.”
Zimdars had one hit, two RBI and two runs scored.
“I’ve enjoyed playing with all of my guys, all of my friends, that I’ve had since kindergarten,” Zimdars said. “The friendships that I’ve built have been great.”
Jones and Sidwell each had one hit and one run scored. Czyzewski had one hit, two RBI and one run scored. Lewis had one hit and one RBI.
Walden had two runs scored.
He always knew this group was capable of getting back to the state tournament. They proved him right.
“We knew we had the talent to get here,” Walden said. “It was all about putting in the work and effort.”
North Clay ends the season with a 36-4 record, but, more importantly, the Cardinals leave with more memories that will last a lifetime.