O’Fallon baseball team drops state semifinal game in extra innings

Roselle (Lake Park) third baseman Giacomo Fanizza had one hit and a run scored before the eighth inning of Roselle’s IHSA Class 4A semifinal game with O’Fallon Township High School.

His second hit of the afternoon ruined the Panthers’ bid for a spot in the championship game. Fanizza singled to left to drive home Tommy Klco from third with two out, propelling Roselle to a 6-5 walk-off eighth-inning win over O’Fallon on Saturday afternoon at Dupage Medical Group Field in Joliet.

“It was definitely a punch in the gut and the kids, they’ve never been there (to state) before, and then when it went to extras with our pitching I thought we’d have a shot to kind of take it and it just didn’t work out,” O’Fallon coach Joe Bauer said.

Both teams got their bats going in the third inning as O’Fallon scored three runs in the top half and Roselle answered with two in the bottom half.

Garrett Meyer had the big bat for the Panthers, going 3-for-3 with a run scored.

OTHS tied the score at 5-5 in the top of the seventh with a pair of runs as designated hitter Connor Patton and first baseman Jack Wade each scored on a wild pitch to force extra innings.

In the bottom of the eighth, Fanizza came through with the game-winner to left after Klco had singled, advanced to second on a throw home, and stole third.

Mike Larson started for the Panthers and went five innings. Brandon Haake pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief.

This story was originally published June 19, 2021 at 3:27 PM.