No. 19 Mount Carmel Wins Big Over Montini

No. 19 Mount Carmel played host to Montini on Saturday morning in a Chicago Catholic League cross-over game. The Caravan wasted little time scoring, putting up two runs in the second, five in the third and three more in the fourth, eventually winning 10-0 in five innings. 

The inning that broke the game open for good the Caravan was the five-run third inning. All nine players got a plate appearance in the frame. Senior Sam Del Valle collected an RBI double and scored a run. Gino Gazzillo singled and scored. Sophomore 3B, Austin Mallee and junior catcher Colin Horneman both had RBI singles and scored a run in the frame. The final big swing came from junior 1B Julien Hachem. Hachem, who had a wind-aided two-run double in the second inning, drove a ball to the left-center field warning track. The ball got down for a two-run double despite a valiant effort by Montini CF Antoine Harris, who made a full-out diving attempt, nearly snagging it for the out. The Caravan entered the fourth inning leading 8-0.

Mount Carmel tacked on three more runs in the fourth, which would salt the game away for good when Mallee delivered the decisive blow. With two runners on, Mallee drove a hard line drive down the left-field line that got out of the yard in a hurry for a three-run home run, extending the lead to 10-0 at the time. 

6-foot-7, 230-pound, uncommitted, RHP Elias Hachem, got the start on the mound for Mount Carmel. Hachem went all five innings of shutout baseball to get the win. Hachem struck out six and allowed one hit. Hachem stuck with a fastball/combination throughout. The fastball sat mostly 85-86 mph throughout, touching 87. He gained confidence in his 67-70 mph (T2448 rpm) curveball as the outing went along, flashing some of his sharpest ones later in the outing.  

Hachem ran into his most trouble all day in the top of the first inning. Montini loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a trio of hit by pitches in the frame. With two outs, freshman third baseman, Cash Campbell, took an outside pitch and barreled a line-drive the opposite way. Unfortunately for Montini, it was right at the third baseman for a L5 which ended the inning. Hachem was on cruise control for the most part from that point on. 

With the win, Mount Carmel moves to 8-4 on the year.

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