WASHINGTON — Dalton Oakman was already a strike-thrower for East Peoria on Friday nights.
But the two-year starting quarterback took the mound for the Raiders and threw strikes on a Wednesday night to pitch his team to a 1-0 victory over Metamora in the IHSA Class 3A Washington Sectional semifinals at Brian Wisher Field.
“There’s no way I ever would have pictured this,” said Oakman, still on the field after East Peoria celebrated with a game-ending, slick double play to escape a jam in the seventh. “I came into this season thinking I just wanted to come back to baseball, play with my friends, and now here we are. This moment is incredible.”
East Peoria (25-13) moved on to the 11 a.m. sectional title game Saturday at Washington. Dunlap (30-7) reached that sectional title game with an 11-7 win over Joliet Catholic in its semifinal on Wednesday night.
Oakman, a senior, tossed a complete-game shutout, scattering six hits while walking two and striking out three. The left-handed starter out-dueled Metamora right-hander Stephen Petri, who allowed six hits over six innings and struck out eight.
But Oakman got some defensive help that proved crucial. Twice Metamora ran itself into inning-ending double plays.
Eli Martin drove in the game’s only run in the bottom of the first with a single. Oakman threw 97 pitches on the way to the finish line after that, while Metamora stranded 11 runners.
In the critical seventh, Metamora made one last push, loading the bases with one out and East Peoria clinging to that 1-0 lead.
Oakman’s pitch to shortstop Mason Sauder was hit sharply to East Peoria shortstop Jackson Ahrens, who made a terrific stop, ran over to the bag, and relayed to first to end the game. Ahrens was spiked on the play, bloodied above the ankle by Petri as he barreled in from first base.
“He not only fields it, but instead of giving it to someone else he keeps it and takes the bag himself, steps on it, launches it, gets both outs,” Oakman said. “Then he gets his ankle cut, it’s a gash. He’s a dog.”
From under center to center of the diamond
Oakman is a multi-sport athlete who played baseball when he was younger. But he hadn’t played since junior high before this season. He opted to come out for the team.
“When he didn’t come out last year, I told him not to bother because I didn’t think there was any chance that he would be able to help us on the mound without being tested in high school baseball at all,” East Peoria head coach Matt Plummer said. “But when we saw his first bullpen over the winter, it took three pitches for (injured East Peoria player Auggie Lohnes) to say, ‘Coach, we found our Wednesday guy.’ “
East Peoria already had an ace for weekend games in R.J. Duncheon, a senior headed to Illinois State.
The Raiders needed a No. 2 starter for their midweek games, usually played on Wednesdays.
The Wednesday guy stood on the mound … Wednesday … and got the job done in the IHSA playoffs.
“Turns out Auggie was right,” Plummer said. “This was a pitching rematch between Oakman and (Petri) from a game over in Metamora earlier this year, and it was a 1-0 game then, too. Petri deserves a tip of my cap, because what a battle this was today, what a competitor.”
East Peoria had Martin, a freshman, warming up in the bullpen in that seventh inning, but the team stuck with Oakman to the end.
“Martin was eager to get in there,” Plummer said, grinning. “But no one was eager for the lefty (Oakman) to get out of there.”
A baseball future
Oakman threw for 1,650 yards and 19 touchdowns during his senior season with East Peoria on the football field.
He also qualified for state as a wrestler. Next fall, he will play football at Monmouth. But he’s also decided to play baseball, too.
“My thoughts today were to throw strikes, and let our guys do what they do defensively,” Oakman said. “It came together great. It was amazing.”
So which delivered the bigger thrill, Friday or Wednesday?
“Oh this moment today, it was nerve-wracking,” Oakman said. “And it was bigger for sure.”
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: ‘Incredible’: East Peoria pitcher quarterbacks team to IHSA baseball playoff win
Reporting by Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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By Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star | USA TODAY Network
