No. 17 Lincoln-Way West ousts No. 3 JCA

May 29, 2014

By Drake Skleba
Senior Writer
JOLIET - One and done for defending Class 3A champion Joliet Catholic Academy.

Lincoln-Way West’s South Alabama-bound right-hander Luke Morgan (7-0) fired 6.1 innings of hitless baseball at No. 3 JCA to lead the Warriors to a thrilling 3-1 victory Thursday at Gillespie Field. With the win, the 17th-ranked Warriors will take on No. 6 Lemont (29-5) and LSU-bound Jake Latz on Saturday at Gillespie Field at 10, for the Class 3A Joliet Catholic Academy Regional Championship.

In the most absurd example of the IHSA’S regional seeding policy, No. 3 Joliet Catholic Academy, No.6 Lemont, No.17 Lincoln-Way West and No.24 Oak Forest, were all placed in the same insane regional. On Wednesday, Lemont avenged two late-season losses to Oak Forest (25-9) by winning its regional semifinal,5-0.

Lincoln-Way West (30-6) was hammering the baseball as soon as they stepped off the bus. Warrior leadoffman Zach Speaker ripped a double off of Joliet Catholic Academy’s ace junior right-hander Nick Dalesandro (7-1) and would score on a clutch two-out RBI single by Dan Brokop to give the Warriors an early 1-0 lead. Jake Robbins led off the second with a booming triple and would score the Warriors second run of the game when Warrior catcher Jake Mahy ripped an RBI double.
“I just tried to get the job done and went the other way to get the first run in,” said Brokop.

Meanwhile out on the mound, Morgan was dealing. Facing the minimum through the first four innings, the two-way standout picked up four of his five strikeouts. In the top of the fifth, Morgan loaded the bases with walks with one out. Morgan made the pitch of the game when he induced JCA pinch-hitter Jim Morrison to roll a grounder to shortstop Adam Knerr, who flipped to second baseman Jake Rossborough for the force at second and Rossborough fired a strike to first baseman Brokop, for the deadly twin-killing.

“We pride ourselves on our defense and work very hard in practice to improve,” said Morgan. “I have the utmost confidence that my infield will make the plays behind me.”

In the sixth, Joliet Catholic Academy (28-8) once again loaded the bases against Morgan without a hit. Two hit batsman and a walk did it this time with two outs before Morgan recorded the final out on a roller to Brokop.

The Warriors added a third run in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 3-0 on a sac-fly from Robbins.
“We really came out today and played great baseball,” said Robbins. “I didn’t want to get too deep in the count with Dalesandro out there. Really hit a fastball well for the triple. We have the utmost confidence whenever Luke is on the mound for us.”

Morgan headed out to the mound in the seventh, three outs away from a no-no. Clearly tiring, Morgan walked John Kalisik to lead off the inning. Warrior head coach Jake Zajc removed Morgan and brought in Warrior closer Ben Francis.

“I was really getting tired in the fifth and sixth but kept battling to keep the no-hitter intact,” Morgan said. “I really didn’t want to come out of the game. I wanted the no-hitter, since this may be the last time I start for Lincoln-Way West High School.”

Francis blew away the first two Hilltopper batters on strikes, but a passed ball and a wild pitch plated the first Hilltopper run, Kalisik. Hilltopper leadoff man senior second baseman Rylan Bannon ripped a single, spoiling the combined no-no before Francis retired the last hope of the defending champs on a fly ball to right fielder Speaker.

“Scoring early was very important today for us,” said Zajc. “Luke battled for us and Ben finished up the big win. That’s been our formula all year for us. We have great pitching and play solid defense which we work on every day.”

No. 17 Lincoln-Way West ousts No. 3 JCA

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