By Sean Duncan

LOCKPORT - When Kevin Koziol was a sophomore, he broke the Brother Rice RBI record with 48. Two years later, Kevin’s sophomore brother, Ryan Koziol, entered Tuesday’s nonconference contest against Lockport with 12 RBI in four games.

Even though Ryan Koziol added to his RBI total against Lockport, it was Kevin who reclaimed the limelight in Brother Rice’s 13-11 marathon of a victory. The LSU-bound shortstop went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run, two doubles and scored four runs. He also played stellar defense to help Brother Rice improve to 4-1.

 

“I felt like I was seeing the ball really well out of the pitcher’s hand,” said Kevin Koziol. “Some days you have it, and others you don’t. Today I felt I had it. I felt like it was my breakout game this season.”

 

Is there a sibling rivalry brewing at the dinner table at night?

 

“Ryan has started off pretty hot,” said Kevin. “But no, there’s never any joking around like that. With him being my brother, I want him to do his best, and it helps the team.”

 

The 6-foot-3, 165-pound Ryan Koziol, who’s the No. 3-ranked prospect in the sophomore class, pitched five innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits while striking out five to improve to 2-0 this season. He also delivered an RBI triple to up his total to 13 in the first inning and finished 2-for-4.

 

“It was a good win,” said Ryan Koziol. “I went out there and put my best effort on the mound. They’re a good-hitting team, as they showed today.”

 

Brian Baldwin, too, turned in a stellar performance, as the 6-foot-6 first baseman hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give the Crusaders a quick 3-0 lead. Baldwin finished 3-for-3 with three RBI and two walks. He also came in the seventh to extinguish a late rally that saw Lockport (1-2) score three runs with the tying run at the plate. Baldwin stuck out the final batter of the game with a 75-mph slider to earn his first save of the season.

“The ball had a little pop out there on both sides,” said Brother Rice coach Tim Lyons. “The ball was carrying. You never ever relax against Lockport teams.”

Sophomore third baseman Garrett O’Neill added three RBI, including a two-run single in Brother Rice’s five-run third inning to stake the Crusaders to an 8-2 advantage.

As well as Brother Rice hit, Lockport wouldn’t go away. Throughout the game, the Porters looked to be done, possibly 10-runned, and each time they rallied back. Leadoff man Josh Kosmowski, a junior outfielder, led the Porters’ 15-hit attack by going 5-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Senior center fielder Josh Marszalek added a two-run homer in the first and a two-run double in the seventh to make it interesting.

 

Junior second baseman Matt Skrzypiec contributed three hits, and Brenden Dunleavy hit a two-run homer in the third to make it 8-4. Junior right-hander Mike Grindstaff showed well in relief of left-handers Colin Hart and Mike Hamilton, limiting Brother Rice to one run and two hits in two innings behind an 84-86 mph fastball and sharp breaking ball. But the damage had already been done.

 

“I have to say that I’m disappointed with the pitching early on,” said Lockport coach Steve Stanicek. “We’re not an offensive team, though we did hit some homers today. We’ve got guys who can run and put the ball in play. But when you’re down like we were, it’s hard to run.”