O’Fallon’s Quintal shuts down Granite City
Christian Gooden/Post-Dispatch | O'Fallon pitcher Miles Quintal (center) is congratulated by teammates after pitching a complete game Wednesday in a sectional semifinal game against the Granite City at Edwardsville.
EDWARDSVILLE — When it comes to big-game pitchers, O’Fallon righthander Miles Quintal was the answer Wednesday.
Quintal, a senior, tossed a complete-game five-hitter and Sam Summerlin, Cal Stierwalt and Quintal each drove in runs to lead the Panthers to a 4-1 triumph over Granite City in the Illinois Class 4A sectional semifinal at the Edwardsville Sports Complex.
O’Fallon improved to 24-13 and will meet Minooka (31-7) in the sectional finals Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria. Granite City ended its season at 26-10.
“In a big game like this, you can’t really die down,” said Quintal, who improved to 8-2 by striking out 10 and walking one intentionally from 97 pitches. “I was just trying to locate on the corner and throw my curveball for a strike. It’s fun to play against them. It’s fun to play against Jake. It’s just a battle.”
The Panthers beat the Warriors three times this season and Quintal won them all. He shut out Granite 2-0 on April 1, beat the Warriors 10-5 on May 18 and gave up one run Wednesday.
That run was a line drive home run by University of Louisville signee catcher Jake DePew, the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year and a sure-shot high draft pick in next week’s amateur draft. It was his 13th homer of the season, to go along with 41 RBIs. It also was DePew’s third homer in his last seven plate appearances against Quintal.
But the run, which came in the top of the fourth, was the only one the Warriors would score against Quintal.
The Panthers, who have defeated Granite City 15 straight times since 2004, plated two in the bottom of the second from four straight two-out singles off righthander Cody Daily (7-3). Cody Seeburger started things when he reached on a swinging bunt down the third base line. Justin Busekruse followed with a single to right as Seeburger stopped at second.
Summerlin singled to center scoring Seeburger as Busekruse stopped at second. Stierwalt followed with a single off the glove of diving second baseman Tyler Lignoul as Busekruse reached home.
Those runs would have been enough for Quintal despite allowing DePew’s smash.
The Warriors put runners on base in five of the seven innings.
In the sixth, Granite City had runners at first and third with two outs, but Quintal struck out Matt Burton swinging. O’Fallon answered with two runs in its half of the sixth on a single by Seeburger and an error and three walks off reliever Jeremy Portwood.
In the seventh, the Warriors had runners at second and third with nobody out, but Quintal struck out Brett Pearman, Dylan Sykes and Lignoul all swinging.
