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The Skyline basketball and football teams know all about final fours, but on Wednesday night for the first time in the school’s history, the baseball team clinched a birth to state.
The Tigers jumped out to a big early lead and held off host Lincoln to win their Class 2 quarterfinal game, 11-4.
“My pitchers did a good job of doing their job, staying strong, not getting flustered and doing something Skyline’s never done before,” said Skyline sixth-year head coach Brett Bybee.
Bybee’s father played for the last Skyline team to reach a quarterfinal in 1969.
This time around, the Tigers jumped out early and never looked back.
Gage Gunter took the very first pitch of the game and doubled into the left field gap. Trevor Russell, who had a team-leading three hits, followed with a bunt single. Two batters later Brant Gideon singled home the first run. A pair of misplays led to two more Skyline tallies.
“We can give excuses all day long, but really defensively that just killed us,” said Lincoln head coach Will Lynde, who was seeking the team’s third straight final four appearance.
Lincoln (24-5) burned its top two pitchers in Monday’s sectional win over Concordia, including ace Corbin Reece and sophomore Jackson Beaman, who left early with an elbow injury.
Grant Eifert got the start in this one. He was solid all year with an ERA near one, but lasted just one inning before being relieved by a slew of seldom-used Cardinal pitchers.
Skyline erupted for eight runs in the 2nd inning against a trio of Lincoln pitchers.
Shawn Crawford singled home the first run of the frame. Mason Lile, the hero of Monday’s sectional, followed with a two-rbi double to make it 7-1. Gideon and Paden Hodges followed with RBI doubles of their own. Bryndon Carter singled home a run before Crawford came up again, capping the big inning with a two-run single.
“We try to hit first pitch a lot,” said Gideon. “We were very aggressive early on and I think we did a good job hitting our pitches in the zone.”
“Once that one-hole gets on everybody starts rolling,” said Russell. “It just feels good.”
Skyline, who beat Lincoln by five runs earlier this season at their field, didn’t score again, but had all the run support they needed for starter Trevor Russell, who pitched the first three-and-a-third innings, allowing just one run.
Russell was relieved by Gideon in the fourth; a much earlier call than expected, but one that proved effective.
“When we called his number he said yes sir and went out there and did his job,” said Bybee. “He had to go a little longer than usual, but he was a workhorse and put it away for us.”
Lincoln senior Dominic Simmons was outstanding in relief. The center fielder is normally the Cardinals’ sixth or seventh option, but held Skyline in check for the second half of the game.
Fellow senior Derek Stephens capped off his impressive career by driving in a pair of runs in the 6th inning.
Next up for Skyline (25-5), the Class 2 semifinals, Monday, 4:00 pm in O’Fallon against Valle Catholic (23-9); ironically the school they’ve met several times in the state football playoffs.
For this group, it doesn’t matter who they play, they’re just glad to still be playing and breaking new ground for the program.
“It means a lot,” said Bybee. “These boys worked really hard for several years. These seniors when they were freshman had some rough seasons and had to work some things out, but they got some things figured out and got it done.”
“We put in tons of work in the offseason and we deserve it, that’s for sure,” said Lyle. “We were all young, no seniors, put in tons of work and it turned out, that’s for sure.”
