East Peoria falls on heartbreaking walk-off in 3A state semifinals
- Gavin Russell
- Jun 12
- 5 min read
JOLIET — Bright and early Friday morning, a sea of East Peoria maroon and gold made their way to Slammer Stadium in Joliet.
It was a historic day for the Raiders as they made their first state appearance since 1974 and Chicago Catholic League powerhouse St. Rita was the next in a long line of tests the Raiders have had during the postseason.
After both pitchers, East Peoria’s RJ Duncheon and St. Rita’s Sullivan Kazee headlined the show in a pitcher’s duel that came down to the wire, but ended in heartbreak for the Raiders.
The Mustangs managed to get a leadoff double in the bottom half of the seventh that would eventually be driven around to score by junior Frank Garofalo to win a Class 3A state semifinal 2-1.
Despite the loss, East Peoria head coach Matt Plummer still continues to find appreciation for every moment along the way.
“Auggie [Lohnes] said it best the other night, ‘Not everybody gets to play a full 42 game [season]” Plummer said. “There’s only two teams that get to win their last game with those 42 and we still have a chance to do that.”
East Peoria still has one more game on the books, a chance to bring home third place in Saturday’s Class 3A third-place game against Crystal Lake South. The Raiders know there’s lessons to be learned from the loss before playing together one final time.
“I feel like if we made a mistake, it was not learning from our last win in dominant fashion and that was just being loose.” Plummer said. “We’re going to move forward like men and we’re gonna be better off for our losses.”
For the majority of the matchup, baserunners came at a premium for both teams. Each team had an early opportunity to get on the board but left men on base until the Mustangs broke the seal in the third.
St. Rita centerfielder Jayden Hawkins was ruled hit by pitch despite objections from East Peoria that the ball had not clipped the batter. The Mustangs would get good baserunning from Hawkins, taking second on a steal and third on a wild pitch, although beforehand he was nearly picked off at second. A sacrifice fly would end up being sufficient to bring him home.
East Peoria struggled to find opportunities on offense with just one hit through five innings, although they did manage to get baserunners via walks and hit batters. Yet, Kazee managed to keep the Raiders at bay with a superb pitching effort of his own.
All the while, Duncheon was able to recalibrate and began dominating on the mound after giving up the game's first run. Duncheon set down nine of the 10 batters he faced in the middle innings and ended up striking out eight total on the day.
His biggest moment of the day by far came late in the game, but it wasn’t on the mound.
With the Raiders trailing 1-0 in the sixth, outs dwindling and two strikes at the plate, Duncheon got every last bit of a Kazee pitch, hitting it a solo home run the opposite way and bringing the large contingent of Raider fans to their feet.
With the score tied, East Peoria was unable to keep the offensive momentum going in the seventh, giving way to the Mustangs for a chance to walk it off. Jayden Ibarra hit an opposite field double giving the Mustangs a rare opportunity with a man in scoring position.
East Peoria secured one out on a sacrifice bunt from St. Rita but it wouldn’t be enough as a single would score a runner from second base.
Defeat is not something the Raiders have faced much lately as their first loss since May 23rd at Mt. Zion.
“Playing the game of baseball is a beautiful game and we got a chance to be here,” Duncheon said. “You’re blessed with the game and we’re blessed to be here. We didn’t win but like coach [Plummer] said we still have another chance to get a W.”
There will be plenty of moments for reflection after one last opportunity for a very memorable group of seniors. But the success and impact from East Peoria athletes in the class of 2026 has already left its stamp.
“It means the world that you have everybody else behind you… like in basketball, whenever we had a sectional run that was really good, it brought the whole community together,” Duncheon said. “Now with baseball making a state run, I feel like it just went on and kept going throughout the whole community.”
For many of the East Peoria players, they’ve seen incredible support this season in the variety of sports they’ve played. For star shortstop Jackson Ahrens there was a lot of emotions to take in just being able to play in a moment like this.
“This is what you have played for since you're a little kid,” Ahrens said. “ I stepped back before the first pitch and I was like the whole community is here and I don’t think East Peoria’s had that probably since they were here 52 years ago.”
Plummer has developed many notable players in his days at East Peoria. The relationships he’s built are innumerable and the memories over the years are certainly priceless, but the 2026 group has earned a special place in the longtime coach’s heart.
“Our coaching staff has given the [seniors] everything we could. We’ve been to three major league games, and taken two trips to Georgia. These are things I've never done before in my career but I did it because they’ve earned it,” Plummer said.
Nine seniors are set to depart after this season and Plummer is just two years away from retirement. Although a special chapter of East Peoria baseball history is closing, he knows the future is blindingly bright for so many of his seniors, especially Duncheon and Ahrens.
“I believe RJ [Duncheon] earned his signing bonus in the draft after today, Jackson [Ahrens] is the most unbelievable five tools I've ever seen.” Plummer said. “I believe I'm gonna be buying tickets to see these guys play someday.”
Ahead of the Saturday third place game, the Raiders will collect themselves and cherish every second, hoping to leave Joliet with a win.
“I think just savoring every moment and just being with all of our friends we grew up with. We’re just out there having fun and that’s the main thing,” Ahrens said.
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