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St. Laurence Wins Sectional Championship Over Brother Rice

June 4, 2016

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor – Illinois/Wisconsin

St. Laurence 4, Brother Rice 3

CHICAGO, IL –The magnitude of this matchup was palpable from the get go as St. Laurence (31-8) and Brother Rice (35-4) filled the overcast late morning air with an intensity felt all the way around the jam-packed facility at St. Rita. The teams were set to meet for the third time this season, Brother Rice taking the first two contest. This time the loser would go home for the summer, the winner, a Sectional Championship.

St. Laurence jumped on Brother Rice right away in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter, Tom Farrell jumped on the first Jack Nelligan offering of the ballgame for an opposite field single. Anthony Rios quickly followed Farrell with a sacrifice bunt, moving Farrell into scoring position for freshman Matt McCormick. Four pitches later, McCormick dropped a clean single into left field for the first run of the game and a quick 1-0 Viking lead.

St. Laurence starter, junior LHP Jimmy Burnette, established his mid to upper 80’s fastball early and often escaping a first inning bases loaded, one out jam to keep the Vikings on top by one.

Brother Rice went rather quietly in the second and third frames, but Burnette ran into trouble again in the fourth.

A leadoff walk and a sac bunt attempt that went for a hit started Brother Rice’s best scoring opportunity of the day. With runners on second and third and nobody out, pinch-hitter Jake Ridgway grounded to shortstop Brian Lyle. Ridgway reached on a fielders’ choice, scoring Ryan Kutt from third as Lyle’s attempt to nab the back runner at third failed. Andy Lopez then struck an RBI single down the line in right giving the Crusaders a 2-1 lead. Brother Rice finished up their fourth inning rally as Ryan King cashed in Ridgway from third with a sacrifice fly to left.

St. Laurence, unfazed by the momentum shift, quickly responded with a three-run rally of their own in the top of the fifth. Back-to-back singles to center by John Peterson and Tom Farrell started the inning for the Vikings. Head Coach Pete Lotus, again called on Anthony Rios to lay down another successful sacrifice bunt, giving the Vikings a second and third situation with one out for their best hitter, Matt McCormick.

After a Brother Rice mound visit is was clear the Crusaders weren’t going to give in to McCormick, as Nelligan missed with a breaking ball that went to the backstop, scoring Peterson from third. McCormick worked an eight pitch at bat into a hit by pitch that set up a first and third situation for the Vikings.

Coach Lotus pressed the right buttons again, setting up what looked like a designed first and third play that the Crusaders failed to execute scoring Farrell from third and leaving the pinch runner Tim Molloy safe at second base. With the game tied at 3-3, Jimmy Burnette served a one-out RBI single to center giving the lead back to St. Laurence 4-3.

With nine outs remaining for Brother Rice to even the score, Viking relief pitcher Joe Vascik held off the Crusaders for the last three innings. Brother Rice had their best chances but just couldn’t cash in. With a first and second, one out rally in the sixth, Ryan King scorched a line drive up the middle that was snagged by Vasick, doubling off the runner at first base. Then in the seventh Vasick had to go through the heart of the Brother Rice order. With two outs Andrew Dyke coaxed a walk, later stealing second, putting the tying run in scoring positon. But Vasick got Ryan Kutt to swing over the top of a breaking ball, ending the Crusader season and clinching a Sectional Championship for St. Laurence.

St. Laurence advances to Super-Sectional action on Monday at Standard Bank Stadium, for a 7:30 pm date with the winner of Plainfield North and Neuqua Valley. 

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