Roller coaster season is just beginning, but Lake Zurich’s Alex Toth has already experienced an up-and-down ride this spring.
The sophomore third baseman knew he had to stay the course after starting the season 0-for-30 and being demoted to the junior varsity team.
“It wasn’t the best feeling,” Toth said. “There were for sure some discouraging times, but I really never told myself that I wasn’t good. I always kept it positive and tried to battle my way through.
“Now look where we’re at. I’m out here doing my job, and it feels good.”
Since Toth was brought back to the varsity team this month, his job has revolved mostly around playing good defense and supplying a little offense at the bottom of the order. But he provided more than a little during the eighth-seeded Bears’ 9-4 win against ninth-seeded Warren in the Class 4A Fremd Regional semifinals in Palatine on Thursday.
Batting ninth, Toth drove in three runs, including two on a single up the middle to spark a game-changing six-run fourth inning for Lake Zurich (24-11), which will play top-seeded Fremd (27-4-1) in the regional championship game at 11 a.m. Saturday. His clutch hit wiped away the Blue Devils’ 2-0 lead and gave his teammates a jolt of momentum.
“That was a huge at-bat,” Lake Zurich senior outfielder Cash Kaczmarek said. “It got us right back in the game. It’s not normal for a sophomore to come up this big in a playoff game.”
Toth doubled his RBI total for the season with that hit off Warren junior starter Braylan McCarthy.
“I wanted to focus on the game not being too big — just do my job, get on base,” he said. “I was thinking just to have a good at-bat and get to the next batter — provide what I can for the seniors.
“Rounding first after that hit, I was almost a little relieved, but it felt great.”
Toth tacked on another run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to center field off Warren sophomore reliever Mason Palmer, driving in senior shortstop Dylan Fogelsong, who led off the inning with a single.
“I had faced him (Palmer) before in a conference game, so I knew what he had, and I again just had to do a job,” Toth said.
Kaczmarek, a Wisconsin-Oshkosh commit who went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and three RBIs against the Blue Devils (20-15), understands what Toth has gone through this season.
“It’s definitely been a mental battle for him, and I’ve been there and done that,” Kaczmarek said. “It’s tough being younger on varsity seeing great pitching. But every day, his at-bats get better, and it showed here.”
The Bears’ six-run inning was all that senior right-hander Josh Marzec needed. He allowed one earned run on three hits and struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 7-2 as Lake Zurich won for the 11th time in 13 games.
Toth’s contributions haven’t been overlooked.
“He’s gotten mentally tougher and matured over the year,” Lake Zurich coach Mike Manno said. “Anybody who starts 0-for-30, that can really weigh on you. He’s just gone with the process of working hard. I always say the kids that work hard, good things happen for them. I think that’s where he’s at at this point. He didn’t look like a sophomore today.”
Toth, who gives some of the credit to his travel coach, Anthony Drago, has often been a middle-of-the-order hitter in the past. He has noticed pitchers are approaching him differently at the bottom of the order.
“You’re not going to see much off-speed there, so it’s being ready for the fastball,” Toth said. “I’ve honestly liked hitting in the nine spot. It’s motivation for me, too, because they’ll say I’m an easy out. I’m making sure I’m a tough out.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
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