CHAMPAIGN — Teutopolis will soon hang another banner inside J.H. Griffin Gym.
It’s just not the shade of color the Wooden Shoes baseball team had hoped for.
It’s a tradition at T-Town High School to display state banners in navy blue for anything but a first-place finish. The baseball team finished runner-up at the Class 2A State Final Tournament on Saturday at Illinois Field on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign after a 5-4 walk-off loss to Springfield (Sacred Heart-Griffin).
The Shoes had chances throughout the game but couldn’t come up with enough big hits in the end, something T-Town has done a lot this postseason, to walk away with the program’s fifth state championship.
Dawson Hoene led off the game by getting hit by a pitch.
Davin Worman tried to bunt Hoene to second, but his attempt was popped into the air before being caught by Griffins’ catcher Mike Groesch.
Mick Niebrugge singled after that, advancing Hoene into scoring position with one out.
Jason Kreke struck out swinging and Carter Hoene grounded into a fielder’s choice, retiring the side.
SHG right fielder Drew Ward drew a walk to start the bottom of the first.
He later stole second base before center fielder Ty Springer popped out to Dawson Hoene at short.
First baseman Andy Antonacci drove the fifth offering from Gavin Addis over the left-field fence for a two-run home run and put the Griffins in front, 2-0.
Groesch grounded out to second after that and Carson Buttler popped out back to the pitcher’s mound for the final out of the inning.
Henry Thompson doubled to begin the top of the second.
He didn’t advance another base, as starter Will Pennell struck out the next three batters.
Addis worked a scoreless bottom of the second.
Dawson Hoene grounded out and Worman struck out in the top of the third.
Niebrugge drew a walk after Pennell continued to work inside several times.
Kreke was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second.
Carter Hoene popped out to Groesch in foul territory, ending the frame.
Tommy Lauterbach singled in the bottom of the third.
Ward then grounded into a 4-6-3 double play and Springer struck out to retire the side.
T-Town took the lead in the top of the fourth.
After Thompson flew out, Deters singled to left. Addis then drew a walk.
Aidan Niemerg flew out to right field.
Dawson Hoene was then hit by a pitch to load the stations.
Worman then hit a grounder to third. The fielder fired the ball well out of reach of the first baseman, allowing all three runs to score. Dawson Hoene advanced to third on the error.
Niebrugge popped out to Groesch in foul territory, ending the inning.
SHG tied the game on an Austin Rutter single in the bottom of the fourth.
Rutter was caught stealing second base, though, as Kreke fired a dart to Dawson Hoene for the inning-ending out.
Thompson hit a two-out single in the top of the fifth. Deters singled, pushing Thompson into scoring position.
Teagan Pals struck out swinging, though, ending the threat.
Addis worked his second scoreless frame in the bottom of the fifth.
Niemerg singled to open the top of the sixth. He later advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Dawson Hoene pushed Niemerg to third after reaching on a bunt single.
Worman singled past the pitcher, allowing Niemerg to score, and put the Shoes back in front, 4-3.
Niebrugge then lined out to center and Kreke flew out to center.
Carter Hoene reached on an error, but there was some confusion between third and home, as Dawson Hoene and Worman were both standing on third before Dawson was tagged out.
“Ball in the infield there, we were trying to be aggressive,” head coach Justin Fleener said. “How do you tell someone not to be aggressive all the time? If the ball goes over [the fielder’s head], it looks great and he’s going to score from first base. Just another baseball play happens.”
The Griffins tied the game once again in the bottom of the sixth.
Ward lined out to short to start the frame.
Springer and Antonacci were then hit by back-to-back pitches.
Groesch then flew out to center, allowing Springer to tag up from second and move to third. Antonacci remained at first.
Butler then singled to left field, scoring Springer.
Rutter then flew out to limit the damage.
Ward threw a scoreless top of the seventh.
Dylan Clow flew out to Cooper Tegeler in left field for the first out in the bottom of the seventh.
Tegeler struggled to find the ball in the lights before making the catch.
Will Coady then hit a deep fly-ball in the same direction. Tegeler couldn’t locate the ball amidst the bright lights and rain falling until the end. He tried to make the catch but ended up missing it, allowing Coady to move to third.
All of a sudden, the Shoes were in unfamiliar territory, as the winning run was on third with no outs.
“I think he just got above the lights out there,” Fleener said. “It was hard to get a read on it. It’s a play he wishes he could make. Baseball happens. We feel awful for him, but he’s got teammates he can lean on to support him.”
Lauterbach took a strike on the first pitch he saw from Addis.
He then tagged the next offering past a diving Deters at third and into left field, winning the game for SHG.
T-Town left 10 runners on base and were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. The Griffins were 4-for-9.
“I just think we missed some opportunities. They made good pitches when they needed to,” Fleener said.
Addis allowed six hits, five runs (four earned) and one walk to three strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Fleener said he did what the coaching staff asked of him — the junior gave his team a chance.
“I thought Gavin did a fantastic job,” Fleener said. “He did what we asked him to do — go out there and give us a shot.”
Thompson and Deters were both 2-for-4 at the plate for T-Town.
The Shoes finished the season with a 30-6 record.