Springfield, Ill. - Pregame nerves. Mid-game stress. Post-game jubilation. A lot can happen when it comes to postseason play. That would be the case for the Illinois Central College baseball team (24-33), who took a pair of games from John Wood and Lincoln Land at the Region 24 "Group C" Tournament to advance to the Group C Final on Friday at 11:00am, which will be a rematch against John Wood. The Cougars won a wild walk-off 12-inning game with John Wood to start (5-4), before taking down Lincoln Land (6-5) in the finale. 

GAME 1 | ICC COUGARS 5, JOHN WOOD 4 (12 inn.)
Away they went. John Wood would be the first to the scoreboard on an RBI single in the top of the first. In the bottom half - walks were drawn by both Bryce Bishop and Tyler Bishop, but they'd both be stranded. 

As much drama as the day would ultimately have, it was still a high-quality day for Jacob Castleman. Castleman got his first game stat line sparked by hitting a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the second to tie the game up. Consecutive singles from Kannon Kleine and Ashton Horchem would follow, as well as Luke Doty drawing a walk all collectively loaded the bases with one out. Alas, a pair of flyouts kept the game where it was at that 1-1 tie. 

The Cougars would find their way back to the run column when Castleman got another RBI on a single and Kannon Kleine was behind him with an RBI sacrifice fly for the game's first multi-run lead. 

Both teams would have one 1-2-3 inning each, before John Wood cut it to a singular run on a successful sacrifice bunt in the fifth. ICC nearly responded right away, but singles from Castleman and Kleine were stranded. 

John Wood stranded two as well. The Cougars went 1-2-3. With, at the time, not much game left, John Wood took their second lead of the game on an RBI double and an RBI single, both within three pitches of each other, going up 4-3 on ICC after six and a half. Little did anyone know, the game was far from over, literally and figuratively speaking. 

The Blazers would get uncomfortably close in the eighth, with a double and a pair of walks loading the bases, albeit with two outs on the board as well. Blake Norton would come up with a critical strikeout to keep the deficit at one run. 

ICC, meanwhile, got Nick Piazza into scoring position on a double, but he would be stranded. John Wood would get the go-ahead run all the way to third on a fielder's choice in the ninth, but he would be stranded as well. To the bottom of the ninth they went. 

A Bryce Bishop leadoff triple and Tyler Bishop RBI single had the Cougars feeling good in the bottom of the ninth. For one, it was now a brand new ballgame, tied 4-4, and the walkoff run was on first. Second, all with just one out. Ah, but a double play would follow, and a potential walk-off would have to wait. 

The Cougars limited the Blazers in the 10th, including a pair of strikeouts from Cole Thomas to keep the game at 4-4. ICC stranded a single in the bottom of the 10th. We'd need an 11th inning. 

John Wood got one to reach on an error, but that runner would get no further than first. The Cougars would go 1-2-3 in the bottom half. We'd need a 12th inning. 

In the top of the 12th, the Blazers got quite close - again. After a leadoff single, that single would eventually get over to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. Yet after Cole Thomas found himself amidst a 3-2 duel with two outs, a ball in play would ultimately be brought in by Ashton Horchem out in left field to keep the tie in tact. 

Ramping up the drama, the Cougars got a Griffin Roesch double with one out in the 12th. There's the game-winning run. Nobody knew it yet, but there it was. Earning the respect of his previous plate appearances, Jacob Castleman was intentionally walked. Kannon Kleine reached on an error. Again, still with just one out, the Cougars had now loaded the bases. The odds were in their favor, but there was a popout. 

Now, with two outs, hoping to not need a 13th inning, the game was placed into the hands of one Nick Piazza. Ahead in the count at one point (3-1), it would eventually become a full count for Piazza. On the first pitch of that full count, Piazza lined one just foul down the first base line, with all three runners already on their way before contact. 

Would the Cougars do it again? That's exactly what happened. This time, Piazza grounded one up the middle, Griffin Roesch would score, and the Cougars would take their first postseason game as a 5-4, 12-inning, walkoff victory. 

COUGAR HITTING
Luke Doty | 1 walk
Bryce Bishop | 1 triple, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
Tyler Bishop | 1 single, 1 RBI, 2 walks
Kyle Mack | 1 walk
Griffin Roesch | 1 double
Jacob Castleman | 2 singles, 1 home run, 2 RBI, 1 walk
Kannon Kleine | 3 singles, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base
Ashton Horchem | 1 single, 1 stolen base
Nick Piazza | 1 double, 1 RBI walk-off single
Noah Campbell | 1 hit by pitch

COUGAR PITCHING
Gus Lucas | 6 innings, 6 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts
Kyle Miller | 1.2 innings, 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, 1 strikeout
Blake Norton | 0.1 innings, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
Cole Thomas | 4 innings, 2 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts

GAME 2 | ICC COUGARS 6, LINCOLN LAND 5
The nightcap would ultimately not need a walkoff, but it certainly had its fair share of drama. Both sides would struggle to find the scoreboard early, with two Lincoln Land singles and a Logger having reached on a dropped third strike being the only base-runners through the game's first two innings. 

ICC would draw first blood in the 'true road' matchup in Springfield, when Ashton Horchem doubled, and Nick Piazza, after his game one heroics, got an RBI sacrifice fly for a 1-0 advantage. 

That lead would swell, too, with the top of the fourth proving crucial toward a Cougar victory. A Tyler Bishop RBI single, Jacob Castleman RBI double, and Griffin Roesch RBI sacrifice fly would all power ICC to a 4-0 lead after three and a half innings. 

Lincoln Land would answer in the next half inning on an RBI sacrifice fly of their own, but the Cougars seemed to remain in control. Now, the scoreboard went dormant in both directions, but perhaps that was okay - after all, the Cougars led by three at that point. Not over yet, but a cushion is a cushion. 

Between the top of the fifth and through the top of the seventh, one Logger single and a Griffin Roesch walk were the only baserunners for either side. 

Here comes the scoreboard, again, though. Lincoln Land made it a two-run game on an RBI groundout. 

The Cougars got into a golden spot in the top of the eighth. Bryce Bishop walked. So did Noah Campbell. Tyler Bishop singled. That loaded the bases with just the one out. Despite a strikeout, the Cougars got one run across before the inning ended. A ground ball to the shortstop evaded a Cougar, but a pump fake scored one run. A throw home got away from the catcher and went back to the backstop - another run. With just one inning to go, ICC was in prime position. 

It almost slipped away. A walk, single, RBI single, error, and two-run single brought the Loggers all the way back from down four to down just one. With two outs, though, Gavin Thompson got to an 0-2 count, and drew a flyout to Bryce Bishop in right field to preserve the lead for the time being. 

The Cougars, however, went 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth. The door was open. The Loggers needed just one run to force extra innings, one run to walk off ICC. They would get neither. After the inning's leadoff hitter reached on an error, it all went south, just not for the Cougars. A bunt attempt to get the game-tying run into scoring position would make too much contact and go sky-high, be brought in by Gage Burdick just off the mound, and he'd fire it over to Tyler Bishop at first base for a potential game-saving double play. 

Burdick would get to a 2-2 count with the Loggers down to their last chance. He'd freeze the final batter of the game for Lincoln Land to get a strikeout looking and give ICC a thrilling 6-5 win to advance to the "Group C" Final tomorrow morning. 

COUGAR HITTING
Bryce Bishop | 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 1 stolen base
Noah Campbell | 1 walk
Tyler Bishop | 2 singles, 1 RBI
Kannon Kleine | 1 single
Jacob Castleman | 1 single, 1 double, 3 RBI
Griffin Roesch | 1 RBI, 1 walk
Ashton Horchem | 1 double
Nick Piazza | 1 RBI

COUGAR PITCHING
Gavin Thompson | 8 innings, 7 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
Gage Burdick | 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Region 24 "Group C" Championship
vs. John Wood Blazers (26-30)
Saturday, May 11th - 11:00 AM
Claude Kracik Field - Springfield, Ill.
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