Senior shortstop Andrew Speh predicted the exact sequence of events for Stagg.
Before adding to his personal highlight reel, Speh relayed his thoughts to junior reliever John Skordas — saying exactly how his 11th inning at-bat was going to turn out for the Chargers.
“He threw me a first pitch curveball my previous time up,” Speh said of Marist’s pitcher while describing the lead-up to his dramatic ending. “I’ve gotten that from lefties the whole year.
“I told John, ‘If he throws me a curveball, I’m swinging at the first pitch and taking it over the wall.’”
Move over, Nostradamus. Speh followed up his words with action, hitting a two-run homer to lift the host Chargers to a 9-7 upset Thursday in a Class 4A Stagg Regional semifinal in Palos Hills.
Senior catcher Brody Jeffers totaled three hits, three runs and two RBIs for the 12th-seeded Chargers (9-27), who play at 10 a.m. Saturday against second-seeded Lincoln-Way West (28-7) for the regional title. Sophomore infielder Dominic Talaga also drove in two runs.
Junior starting pitcher Ryan Lawlor knocked in three runs and sophomore outfielder Tommy Hosty hit a two-run homer for seventh-seeded Marist (20-14-1).
Batting leadoff, Speh took full advantage of his extended opportunities. He finished 3-for-6 with three runs and three RBIs. On the winning homer, Speh launched that first pitch to center.
And he was pumped up afterward.
“How you picture Andrew is how he is,” said Skordas, who pitched the final six innings and struck out nine, offsetting eight hits. “He got the adrenaline super high for everyone with that home run.
“He’s the best teammate imaginable. He’s there for you when you make your worst plays and he’s there when you make your best plays.”
Skordas then struck out the side in the 11th, including the final two batters as Marist stranded runners at first and second. It came after the RedHawks rallied from three different deficits.
Jeffers acknowledged the two-run cushion allowed the Chargers to breathe and relax even as Marist, which came back by scoring a tying run in the seventh, was threatening again.
“Seeing the ball fly over the fence in a moment like that was amazing,” Jeffers said of Speh’s homer in the top half of the inning. “He’s been one of my best friends for four years now.
“He just has this ability to pick everybody up, even if he’s not having his best game.’’
It was Speh’s fourth homer of the season.
“I never had more than one home run in a season until this year,” he said. “I’ve definitely gotten stronger throughout the year. I haven’t won a playoff game in all three years I’ve been on the varsity. This is the coolest moment I’ve had.
“I couldn’t have asked to do it with a better team.”
Speh also shared the moment with his younger brother, Evan, a sophomore center fielder.
Andrew, a year-round athlete, is a standout hockey player for the Orland Park Vikings. He’s set to attend Minnesota, with the goal of playing junior hockey at the club level for two years as the necessary progression to make the Golden Gophers’ team.
A defenseman in hockey, Speh is the Chargers’ defensive anchor at shortstop.
“We had a neighbor who played hockey, so I grew up playing that,” Speh said. “My parents always said I was better at baseball growing up.
“I could never let go of hockey. It’s fast, physical and just so mentally tough.”
The mental demands of both sports have paid huge dividends, especially dealing with adversity. Facing the prospect of playing his final baseball game, Speh wasn’t going to give an inch.
“Nobody thought we were going to win this game,” Speh said. “They didn’t even throw their best guy against us. You can’t beat this, extra innings, at home, and we were the lower seed.
“We just knew we were going to win this game.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
