Nazareth Comes From Behind to Defeat Fenwick

March 29, 2017

By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

Nazareth 5, Fenwick 4

LAGRANGE PARK, IL – Nazareth battled back from an early 3-0 deficit and defeated Fenwick 5-4 on their home field Wednesday afternoon despite having only three hits on the day.

Nazareth (4-1) trailed 4-3 and had runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, when their leadoff hitter Bobby Grimes, hit a slow chopper to the Fenwick shortstop. The throw from the shortstop barely pulled the Fenwick first baseman’s foot off the bag allowing Andrew Rouse, the tying run, to score from third. Andrew McKenna, the runner at second never slowed down on the play and before the Fenwick first baseman or catcher realized what was going on, McKenna was able to cross home plate for the go ahead and eventual winning run.

The two-run bottom of the sixth gave the Nazareth Roadrunners a 5-4 lead and reliever Ryan Turgeon, who ended up with the win, closed out the top of the seventh in order. Turgeon came on in the fifth inning and only allowed one earned run in his three innings of work while striking out seven Fenwick batters.

Fenwick (4-3) jumped on Nazareth early with one run in the first inning and two in the third to take a 3-0 lead. The Roadrunners would chip away however, with two of their own in the third and one in the fourth to tie up the score at three. Fenwick took the lead back with a run in the top of the fifth thanks to a run-scoring single by Harrison Hayes through the left-side of the infield. That would be the last of the scoring for Fenwick.

Fenwick starting pitcher was senior right-hander Michael Stupinski, a Georgetown recruit. Stupinski started the game off with five consecutive strikeouts and ended up going four innings for the Friars. In those four innings Stupinski yielded two hits, three runs, no earned, struck out five and walked one.

QUICK HITS

+ 2B Alexander Pup (Fenwick, 2018), an Air Force commit, went 3-for-4 with a run scored.

+ 3B Harrison Hayes (Fenwick, 2017) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a walk.

+ RHP Ryan Turgeon (Nazareth, 2018) final line: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 7 K, BB.

+ DH Derek Salata (Nazareth, 2018) went 1-for-3 with a two-run double.

For more in-depth notes from the game - and all other games that we cover - visit the Illinois Scout Blog later.