Parkview Takes Game 1; Storms Take Game 2

has won many games on its last at-bat during its illustrious baseball history. Jack Esmonde's game-winning hit may have been a new one.

Esmonde's blooping hit between the pitcher's mound and second base with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning plated the winning run as the Panthers came back for a 5-4 win over visiting Mill Creek in Game 1 of a weather-delayed Class AAAAA semifinal series Monday at Parkview.

The win gave Parkview a 1-0 lead in the series, which is scheduled to continue Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Parkview.

Monday was originally scheduled as a double-header, but Game 1 was delayed for nearly two hours heavy rain from thunderstorms. And after thunder was rumbling in the distance as Esmonde stepped to the plate for the final time, it was decided that Game 2 would be re-scheduled. A third game, if needed, will follow.

In the seventh, Esmonde, who also was credited with the pitching win in relief of starter Matt Olson, made just enough contact on a pitch from Mill Creek's Shane Seckinger to loop the ball over pitcher and in front of second baseman Dillon Kokinos. As Esmonde stretched for the bag, Kokinos threw low and past the first baseman. He was safe and Parkview won.

"When it was in the air, I was hoping it would drop and I would get a chance to get there," Esmonde said. "When I was stretching out, I saw it was a bad throw, so I knew I'd make it."

Depending on the eye of the beholder it was either an infield hit or a throwing error.

"Either way, we won the game and that's all that matters," said Esmonde, who said he got fooled on the pitch. "Sometimes it falls that way."

Parkview trailed 4-3 entering the seventh, but tied it on a wild pitch before Esmonde's hit.

"Jack came in and did a great job of pitching," said coach Chan Brown, referring to Esmonde's relief effort that included shutting the door on Mill Creek after it took the lead with three runs in the fifth off Olson. "Obviously, it was good to see him get the win for us."

Mill Creek scored a run in the first on three hits, but Parkview took a 3-1 advantage in the third. Two came on double by Olson and another came on Jarrett Freeland's double.

Olson was 2-for-2 with two walks, Josh Hart went 2-for-3 and Esmonde was 3-for-4 for Parkview.