By Mike Clark
Long after the final score of Monday’s Public League/Catholic League All-Star Game has been forgotten — the Catholic League won 8-2 — one play will live on in the memory of everyone who was at Guaranteed Rate Field.
It happened in the top of the seventh.
The Catholic League had a run in with the bases loaded with none out.
A Catholic Leaguer hit a sinking liner to short left-center and Brooks left fielder Gelyn Boling laid out to make a highlight-reel diving catch.
That was just the beginning, though.
Boling fired the ball to Kennedy second baseman Michael Gallas, who tagged the bag for the second out. Gallas then threw to Young third baseman Cole Hockman, who stepped on that base for the third out.
One pitch, three outs and one priceless memory for the Public League trio.
“The last play (before that), I bobbled it and I was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to make this play for my team,'” Boling said. “So I gave it all and just went for it. Dove, caught it and then I was like, ‘I gotta shoot it to (second) as fast as possible to get the triple play.”
Over at second, Gallas was amazed by Boling’s grab.
“When (the Catholic Leaguer) hit the ball, I thought for sure it was gonna drop,” Gallas said. “(But) it kept carrying and I saw him dive (and throw) and I was like, ‘Oh (man), I gotta catch this. I gotta be at second.'”
Gallas got the out at second and knew immediately the play wasn’t over yet.
“I threw it to third,” Gallas said. “I was so nervous I was gonna hit the runner because he was dead in the middle (of the path from second to third).”
Hockman, like Gallas, was amazed by Boling’s catch.
“Off the bat, I ran into position for a throw home because I thought it was a hit for sure,” Hockman said. “And then I saw him lay out and catch it and I was like, ‘Oh, I gotta get back to third.’ And we had both runners dead to rights, so it’s easy from there.”
Especially for him.
“I didn’t really have to do much,” Hockman said. “Just catch the ball, step on third and I was seeing everyone jump around fired up. It was really cool.”
So cool that Gallas will be talking about it for a long time.
“It’s gonna be something I can brag about to all my friends, my kids, my grandkids,” he said. “That’s a one-in-a-life experience right there.”
Lane’s Sean Freeman, who was the Public League head coach for the game, was as awed as everyone else by what his team pulled off.
“I haven’t seen a triple play in — I can’t tell you the last time,” he said. “So that’s a special moment those kids won’t forget. I’m glad they all got to take part in that.”
Ditto for playing in a MLB ballpark.
“Growing up in the city, you look at Guaranteed Rate and Wrigley, coming to games here,” Hockman said. “And then to actually set foot on the field is really special.”
The Public League had other highlights as well.
In the fourth, Kenwood’s Savion Flowers singled, stole second and scored on a single by Payton’s Anthony Dorn. In the seventh, Brooks’ Miguel Preston was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on Boling’s single.
Photos by Hannah Henderson/OSA
Photos by Jim Vincent/OSA
Photos by Ashley Harris/OSA
Photos by Margo Grogan/OSA
