By Pete Cava

PBR Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS---While most folks were relaxing and enjoying Monday’s holiday, Brebeuf Jesuit continued its up-and-down season at Bishop Chatard’s Dave Alexander Field.The Braves claimed the IHSAA Class 3A Sctional 26 crown with a 9-1 victory over the host Trojans. 

“If we’re playing ball on Memorial Day every year, we’re happy, in a good place,” said Brebeuf Jesuit coach Jeremy Sassanella. “We’ll take it.”

John Nierman started for Brebeuf Jesuit (17-14). The senior left-hander gave up one hit, walking two batters and hitting two more while striking out six over five innings.

“I saw a little bit of fatigue in him today,” Sassanella said. “He started Saturday’s game (a semifinal with Herron) and threw like 12 or 13 pitches. He told me he felt good, but I had confidence in Will Wentz. We made the strategic decision (to relieve Nierman). We had Will Richman if he got into trouble.”  

Wentz worked the last two frames for the Braves, allowing two singles, a base on balls, one hit batsman and the lone Trojan tally.  

The Braves threatened Bishop Chatard starter Mitchell Ayers in the top of the second. Bo Richey beat out an infield hit, stole second and swiped third. The sophomore righty issued a free pass to Justin Hensley to put runners at the corners with one out. The Trojans escaped on a grounder to third, which resulted in an out at first base, and imprudent Brebeuf Jesuit baserunning, which led to a double play. 

The Trojans (8-17) squandered a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the third. Nico Sowinski walked and moved to second on Pat Mastrian's two-out single to left, but Nierman got John Dietrick to pop up for the final out. 

The scoreless deadlock ended in the top of the fourth, after Ayers retired the first Braves batter. Sean Swenson drew a base on balls and Will Richman followed with an infield hit. The runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Connor Drews singled sharply to left for two runs. A single to right by Shaine Mitchell put men at first and third, and when Drews came home on a fielder's choice, the Braves were up 3-0.  

The Braves stretched their lead in the top of the fifth. Justin Hensley led off with a walk. Two outs later, Sean Swenson doubled down the left field line. With runners on second and third, Ayers departed and senior right-hander Matthew Annee moved from first base to the mound. Hensley scored on a wild pitch, and with Annee covering home, the Trojan catcher’s throw to the plate went awry as pinch-runner Drew Hannel flew home for a 5-0 Brebeuf Jesuit advantage.  

Nierman appeared to tire in the bottom of the frame. With one out, he drilled Ryan Burns. One out later, he nicked Drew Murray. The threat ended when Braves third baseman Bo Richey made a sparkling grab of Pat Mastrian’s hot grounder and fired a bullet to first for the final out.  

In the top of the sixth, a leadoff walk to Connor Drews, followed by an infield out and a ingle by Cam Farren, extended Brebeuf Jesuit’s lead to 6-0. 

Will Wentz entered the game in the bottom of the sixth. Bishop Chatard loaded the bases against the senior righty when John Dietrick reached on an infield hit, Mark Nondorf drew a walk and Jack Eckstein was hit by a pitch. When Matthew Annee hit into a force play at second, Dietrick scored to avert a shutout. 

The Braves chased Annee with three more runs in the top of the seventh. Pat Mastrian, who opened the contest at second base, finished up for the Trojans. 

It’s been a rollercoaster season for Brebeuf Jesuit, which opened the season as the No. 2 team in Class 3A. After dropping nine of their first twelve decisions, the Braves went 13-5, including a win on May 15 over Roncalli at Victory Field for the County title. The Rebels were ranked No. 11 in Class 4A at the time.  

“Like I said when we won the County,” Sassanella noted, “it’s been a little bit of ‘Which team’s gonna show up?’ The right team showed up most of the last several games. Early in the year, we battled some injuries. We were trying to figure out who’s going where, positionally.”  

Despite his team’s recent success, Sassanella’s post-game critique spared no one, including himself.  

“One of my coaches (Rob Baker) said it was probably the ugliest 9-1 win he’s ever seen,” said Sassanella, a former Detroit Tigers farmhand “We won, which is great, but there were just some things that we needed to clean up. The kids kept grinding a little bit.  

“I went a little bit more of the small-ball route with some stuff early, trying to get a run on the board. In retrospect, I maybe should have just let them play, and hit them in the gap.”  

DIAMOND DUST: Brebeuf Jesuit advances to next Saturday's Class 3A Regional 7 at Crawfordsville. They’re up against the winners of the Northview, Danville Community and Crawfordsville sectionals.  

The Braves reached Monday’s championship game with a five-inning 24-0 romp past Herron in Saturday’s semifinal round.  

While Brebeuf drew a first-round bye, Bishop Chatard defeated Manual 9-1 in last Wednesday’s sectional opener. The Trojans followed with a 3-2 win Saturday over New Palestine in a game that went nine innings. The Dragons (19-7) were ranked No. 7 in Class 3A.  

Bishop Chatard’s won-loss record notwithstanding, the future looks promising for Trojan coach Mike Harmon. His starting team on Monday was packed with underclassman.  

Harmon’s squad featured juniors T.J. Mann (right field), Jack Eckstein (catcher), Ryan Burns (left field) and Nico Sowinski (third base); sophomores Mark Nondorf (designated hitter), Drew Murray (center field) and Mitchell Ayers (pitcher); and freshman Pat Mastrian (second base). 

Monday’s game was played under sunny skies, with temperatures in the mid-seventies and a steady breeze blowing from left to right. The contest took two hours and 11 minutes to complete. 

Bishop Chatard’s stadium announcer, Bob “Swoop” McClain, was the WRTV Channel 6 meteorologist from 1972 to 2002. 

Pete Cava is the author of Indiana-Born Major League Baseball Players: A Biographical Dictionary, 1871-2014, now available from McFarland Publishers.