Shepard pitcher Zach Cosme will always get reminded of the grounder that eluded his grasp.
The sophomore right-hander came up with the best performance of his career Monday, marred only a shot by senior outfielder Kristopher Silva that got past him for Eisenhower’s lone hit.
“Thinking back, I wish I’d just stuck my glove out in that situation and got a throw to first base,” Cosme said. “I just tried to strike out as many people as possible and get that complete game.”
Cosme got that job done in a Class 4A Providence Regional quarterfinal Monday, striking out nine and walking two while allowing just that hit by Silva in the fifth inning of a 5-0 win in Palos Heights.
Junior outfielder Anthony Loughran, junior designated hitter TJ Georgis and senior infielder Ben Grady drove in runs for the Astros (11–20), who play second-seeded Providence (26-8) at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in a regional semifinal.
Sophomore pitcher Fabian Barcena went toe-to-toe with Cosme, striking out four for Eisenhower (2-25). He allowed only two earned runs on three hits and six walks.
Cosme (4-3), however, had enough support for Shepard’s third win this spring over the Cardinals. The Astros scored 27 runs to sweep the two-game conference series from Eisenhower in April.
“Zach really set the tone for us,” Loughran said. “He has pitched this way the whole season for us. He steps up, has great composure, and is always under control.”
Shepard managed only three hits in scoring one run through three innings. With the offense trying to find itself, Cosme was unfazed by the pressure.
The 6-foot-2 Cosme has the size, length and frame to achieve the necessary velocity and the touch for the right location. His fastball has been timed at just under 80 mph.
“I just had to step up and really throw the ball well because we were struggling generating runs,” Cosme said. “I thought my fastball was really working well.
“They couldn’t really catch up to it, and that also set up my curveball.”
Most impressively, Cosme has made the big move from playing on the freshman level last spring.
“He was timid at the start of the year,” Shepard coach Frank DiFoggio said. “He is a sponge who soaks up everything. My freshman coach told me last year to watch out for him.
“He was raw, but he was very coachable, he listened and he learned. He has jumped up two levels, and he has come in, adapted and learned from his mistakes.”
From his earliest starts at the beginning of the season, Cosme has figured out how to slow down.
Live in the moment.
“The first few games, the pace was just way faster than what I saw last year as a freshman,” he said. “I’ve learned to calm down, relax and breathe. Now, I feel calm, almost better than normal.”
Cosme also played center for the Astros on the lower levels in basketball.
“Playing basketball really helped with my stride,” he said. “I can get farther out, but those are the pitches and I can use that to generate more speed and speed.”
As one of four sophomores playing prominent roles, Cosme knew this season was likely to be unpredictable. But the playoffs have beckoned, with another chance to succeed.
“You can’t live in the past or worry about what happened before,” he said. “Today was the start of our new season and we are going to make the most out of it.
“When I first started pitching when I was about 8 or 9, I wasn’t that good right away. I felt better and better the more I stuck with it.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
