By Drake Skleba

 

NAPERVILLE – In the Class 3A Naperville Super-Sectional Monday at North Central College, Woodstock Marian Central Catholic (27-9) ran the full gamut of emotions before hanging on to defeat Nazareth Academy 8-6. With the win, the Hurricanes move on to Silver Cross Field in Joliet on Friday afternoon for a Class 3A semifinal date with DeKalb (26-10). DeKalb defeated Galesburg 8-4 in the Augustana College Super-Sectional in Rock Island on Monday.

 

Marian Central Catholic jumped all over Nazareth Academy senior starting pitcher Jake Mijares (6-2) and junior right-handed reliever Ryan Powers for what seemed to be an insurmountable 7-0 lead as the game went to the bottom of the fifth. The Hurricanes’ ace lefty Dave Luczak (9-1) was dealing on the mound, shutting down the Roadrunners on just two hits.

 

Luczak helped his own cause with a two-run single in the top of the second to give the ‘Canes a 2-0 lead and an RBI single in the top of the fifth for a 7-0 M.C.C. lead.

 

Hurricane No.9 hitter senior right fielder Casey Di Pietro drove home a pair. DiPietro hit a sac-fly after Luczak’s two-run double for a 3-0 lead and gave the ‘Canes a 4-0 cushion with a two-out RBI single in the fourth.

 

“It’s just crazy. I am so happy to be heading to Joliet,” said Luczak. “I was pitching well and Nazareth is a great hitting team so I wasn’t surprised they started to catch up with my pitches. I had a good day at the plate but those were my first two hits of the playoffs.”

 

Nazareth Academy (28-10) picked up three runs in the bottom of the fifth to close to 7-3.

Roadrunner senior leadoff man left fielder Adam Marske (3-for-4 2B, RBI), junior third baseman Anthony Baldassano (2-for-4, 2B, RBI), and junior shortstop Mike Barajas plated the Roadrunner runs.

 

The Roadrunners threatened against Luczak in the sixth. With two outs and runners on second and third, Hurricane junior second baseman Steve Zubryzcki stepped up in a big way. Roadrunner senior centerfielder Mike Urgo hit a grounder that appeared ticketed for right field when Zubryzcki went into shallow right field to flag down the grounder and threw a strike to first baseman Dave Parr for the third out of the inning.

 

In the crazy seventh, with one out, Marian Central Catholic’s 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior third baseman Karl Steiger launched a Powers fastball over the left field wall for his fifth dinger of the year and increased the Hurricane lead to 8-3. Steiger had tripled to leadoff the fourth and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for an RBI in the three-run M.C.C. fifth.

 

“This is just amazing,” said Steiger. “This is the furthest any Marian Central Catholic baseball team has gone in the tournament. Whatever I did was great, but I would trade it for an 0-for-4 to have just won this game. It feels so good”

 

In the bottom of the seventh, the never-say-die Roadrunners refused to go away. Marske led off the inning with his third straight hit, a single. Baldassano reached on an error and Marske went to third and later scored on a sac-fly by Barajas. Powers hammered a double with Baldassano stopping at third. Junior catcher Justin Gonzales crushed a two-run double and the Roadrunners were within 8-6.

 

Marian Central Catholic head coach Gregg Wikierak removed Luczak and went to ‘Cane senior right-handed closer Eli McGuire. McGuire picked up the save in the Hurricanes 5-4 sectional championship win over Grayslake Central.

 

Roadrunner junior first baseman A.J. Ryan quickly jumped ahead 3-0 on the visibly nervous McGuire. McGuire battled back to 3-2 and then received a very questionable strike-three call for the second out of the inning. Rejuvenated by the aid from behind the plate, McGuire retired the final Roadrunner on a bouncer to whom else but the ‘Cane game-saver second baseman Zubryzcki.

 

Hurricane junior right fielder Brett Kosar chipped in with a pair of hits and an RBI.

 

“We jumped out early tonight,” said Wikierak. “We took advantage of our scoring opportunities. Dave Luczak pitched well early and battled on the mound. Karl Steiger‘s homer turned out to be the game-winning shot. Eli is a senior and did the job for us. The seniors have been through a lot in four years and is only fair that they should have the opportunity to win it.”

 

Nazareth Academy closed out at 28-10 for the second consecutive year and fell a game short of Joliet again. The future is very bright in LaGrange Park for Roadrunner head coach Lee Milano.

 

“We really battled right to the end,” said Nazareth head coach Lee Milano. “I am going to miss my seniors so much. It really hurt us to be without our senior leadoff man Bryan McCray who broke his hand on Saturday.

 

“With seven starters and four quality pitchers returning in 2011 the future is bright for the Roadrunners.”