Seventh-inning rally lifts Maroons to first sectional title since 2017
Jun. 4—Close
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Central's Kevin Lehr (17) holds up there Sectional plaque as the team celebrates in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's T.J. Pipkins (48) tags out Rochester's Adan Nieves (22) in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Torion Rhone (6) yells as he comes in to the dugout after scoring as a pinch runner in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's head coach John Staab celebrates with the fans after Central won 4-2 in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023.
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Central's Carter Bleakney (26) heads to third as he drove in the winning run in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Kevin Lehr (17) goes for the ball as Central's Charlie Hobbs (11) backs up in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Kendall Crawford (23) slides into second base in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's players welcome a run home in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's T.J. Pipkins (48) goes up for the ball as Rochester's Jorey Myron (13) tries to beat it to base in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Max Quirk (22) pitches in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Luke McClure (13) bats in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Carter Bleakney (26) reacts on third base as he drove in the winning run in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central celebrates their win in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Kevin Lehr (17) holds up there Sectional plaque as the team celebrates in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's T.J. Pipkins (48) avoids the tag as he heads to home plate in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Chase Bartlett (27) celebrates with fans in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central with the plaque in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Mitchell Crompton (7) gets back to first in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Mitchell Crompton (7) beats the throw on a steal at second in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's T.J. Pipkins (48) slides into second as Rochester's Tyson Binion (11) waits for the ball in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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Central's Owen Hobbs (36) pitches in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
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PHOTO GALLERY: Champaign Central wins sectional title
Champaign Central beat Rochester 4-2 to win the Class 3A Lincoln Sectional baseball championship on Saturday, June 3, 2023.
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Central's Kevin Lehr (17) holds up there Sectional plaque as the team celebrates in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's T.J. Pipkins (48) tags out Rochester's Adan Nieves (22) in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Torion Rhone (6) yells as he comes in to the dugout after scoring as a pinch runner in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's head coach John Staab celebrates with the fans after Central won 4-2 in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Carter Bleakney (26) heads to third as he drove in the winning run in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Kevin Lehr (17) goes for the ball as Central's Charlie Hobbs (11) backs up in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Kendall Crawford (23) slides into second base in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's players welcome a run home in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's T.J. Pipkins (48) goes up for the ball as Rochester's Jorey Myron (13) tries to beat it to base in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Max Quirk (22) pitches in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Luke McClure (13) bats in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Carter Bleakney (26) reacts on third base as he drove in the winning run in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central celebrates their win in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Kevin Lehr (17) holds up there Sectional plaque as the team celebrates in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's T.J. Pipkins (48) avoids the tag as he heads to home plate in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Chase Bartlett (27) celebrates with fans in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central with the plaque in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Mitchell Crompton (7) gets back to first in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Mitchell Crompton (7) beats the throw on a steal at second in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's T.J. Pipkins (48) slides into second as Rochester's Tyson Binion (11) waits for the ball in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
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Central's Owen Hobbs (36) pitches in the 3A Lincoln Sectional final vs. Rochester on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Central won 4-2.
* Robin Scholz/ The News-Gazette
LINCOLN — Carter Bleakney had the chance to reach base in the most painful of ways late in Saturday's Class 3A Lincoln Sectional championship game at Mike Curry Field.
The Champaign Central baseball sophomore took a pitch up and in from Rochester junior pitcher Tyson Binion in the top of the seventh inning, with a runner on second base and the score tied at 2.
Bleakney pulled away from the ball, stumbling out of the right-handed batter's box.
Maroons first-base coach Ken Crawford expressed a bit of frustration upon seeing this, wanting Bleakney to wear a pitch to help the team's cause.
"Oh, he did?" Bleakney said when informed of this tidbit. "I just saw it coming at my face. So, natural instinct, I got out of the way."
Bleakney, Crawford and everyone else associated with Central wound up pretty happy with how Bleakney's at-bat worked out.
Bleakney slugged Binion's very next pitch into the left-center field gap, scoring senior Kendall Crawford with the go-ahead run. Bleakney's clutch triple helped the Maroons outlast the Rockets 4-2 and win their first sectional plaque since 2017.
"Words can't describe it," said Bleakney, who also caught all 14 innings across Central's sectional victories versus Chatham Glenwood and Rochester. "I saw a fastball in, and I was able to trust my hands. I just got it elevated a little bit."
Junior T.J. Pipkins followed Bleakney with a single through a drawn-in Rockets infield, scoring junior courtesy runner Torion Rhone for a bit of insurance.
Once Binion escaped the top of the seventh, it was up to senior pitcher Max Quirk to wrap up a season-continuing win for the Maroons (26-10).
Quirk induced a pair of well-struck flyouts to right field from the bats of freshman Jorey Myren and senior Mason Wheeler.
Quirk then struck out Binion looking, sending all of Central's athletes flooding into the middle of turf infield.
They screamed, high-fived and hopped into back-bumps and chest-bumps within their all-white uniforms, the jerseys of which bore the phrase "The 'Paign" across the front.
Champaign baseball certainly was well-represented on a warm, sunny morning and early afternoon.
"Feels good. Feels real good," said John Staab, Central's 22nd-year coach who earned his second career sectional win leading the program. "Our kids just hung in here like they've done the last two, three weeks, kept grinding and found a way. Very satisfying."
The Maroons and Rockets (20-16-1) were evenly matched throughout Saturday's battle, with neither side leading by more than one run until Central's seventh-inning surge.
"Just baseball, right?" Rochester coach Matt Carlson said. "Couple different things didn't bounce our way. ... It is what it is."
The Rockets went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning when junior Parker Gillespie logged a bunt single and later scored on a bunt groundout from junior Adan Nieves, both against Maroons senior starting pitcher Owen Hobbs.
Central tied the score at 1 in the top of the third on a Crawford single and stolen base paired with an RBI single from senior Mitchell Crompton, all against Rochester sophomore starter Eli Carlson.
Crompton began the game with a first-pitch single off Eli Carlson, and he sacrifice-bunted Crawford to second base in the top of the seventh, as well.
"It's amazing. It's surreal. I can't believe it," Crompton said. "Credit to (Eli Carlson), he was mixing it pretty well. It's huge to find that first-pitch fastball when it's in the zone and just hit it."
The Rockets regained their edge at 2-1 in the bottom of the third on three consecutive singles from Wheeler, Binion and junior Jack Swaney, the last of which drove in a run versus Hobbs.
Central again replied quickly, when junior Chris Timmons singled home Pipkins in the top of the fourth for the 2-2 tie.
"They just battle," Matt Carlson said of the Maroons. "Their shortstop made a couple good plays. I thought the pitchers threw strikes and were competitive."
The shortstop in question was junior Charlie Hobbs, who came up with a pair of leaping web-gem catches while ranging into short left field on two Rochester line drives.
Each occurred with a Rocket on second base, in the third and fifth innings, and Charlie Hobbs made the second play despite fouling a ball off the underside of his right knee in a prior at-bat.
Adding to Central's stout defensive output were Owen Hobbs picking off Binion at first base and senior second baseman Kevin Lehr laying out to snare another Rochester liner — both in the third inning.
The Maroons' refuse-to-say-die demeanor, according to Staab, stems from them receiving a No. 2 seed in the Class 3A postseason. News Staab's players initially didn't respond quite so well to.
"When the seeds came out for the regional, our kids were not happy about it. ... It affected their play for a week or two," Staab said, referencing a five-of-six losing skid between May 6 and May 15. "After we got over that, won the (Big 12) conference and got some momentum again, our kids played with a chip on their shoulder and proved a lot of people wrong."
Crompton said that chip has existed since before playoff seeds were unveiled.
"The whole season, that's always been the motivation. We've always been looked past," Crompton said. "Coming out here, it's always been motivation to do the best we can."
Maroons catcher Bleakney knows no one will be looking past Central's pitching corps as the Class 3A postseason continues.
The trio of Quirk, Crawford and Owen Hobbs combined to allow seven hits — all singles — and five walks while striking out 18 batters in 14 innings of work during this sectional.
"They've all been good, starting off with Kendall against Chatham," Bleakney said. "We got (lightning delayed), and he was sitting in the dugout and he's still locked in after that 30-minute delay, still throwing strikes.
"Owen was able to keep us in the game (Saturday), and then Max came in and shut it down for us."
Central advances to Monday's Class 3A Decatur Super-Sectional against Effingham (21-15), starting on 6 p.m. Monday at Millikin's Workman Family Baseball Field. The Flaming Hearts defeated Mt. Vernon 6-3 in another of Saturday's sectional finals.
Among those on Effingham's roster is senior Josh McDevitt, a future Missouri baseball player. Staab acknowledged McDevitt's low-90 miles per hour pitches as his athletes posed for photos with their freshly earned sectional plaque.
This wasn't mentioned out of fear.
"We've had as rough a road as anybody to get to this point, so we're battle-tested," Staab said. "We'll show up and be appreciative of the chance."
