By Drake Skleba

BURBANK - The Burbank police should have stopped by and filed assault and battery charges against the heavy-hitting lineup of No. 6 St. Laurence. The Vikings bounced back from their loss at No. 2 Providence on Monday in style, as they routed No. 4 Mount Carmel 12-2 in five innings.

In a battle of two of the state?s best teams, St. Laurence (18-4; 8-1) went deep three times against one of the state?s best pitchers, University of Illinois-bound RHP John Kravetz (7-1). With the win, the Vikings reclaim the top spot in the ultra-tough Chicago Catholic League?s Blue Division. Mt. Carmel (18-2; 6-1) falls into second place.

St. Laurence sophomore SS Kevin Smith got the slugfest started when he faced Kravetz with two outs and the bases juiced in the bottom of the first inning. Smith took a 3-2 Kravetz fastball over the right field fence for his second homer of the year, and a 4-0 Viking lead.

?Awesome team effort today,? said Smith. ?We really crushed the ball today. I battled Kravetz and was able to hit it out for the grand slam. Some of my teammates were kidding me that it was wind-aided.?  

The Caravan picked up their only two runs of the game when St. Laurence starting pitcher, junior lefty Nick Altobella (6-0), hit Mt. Carmel?s University of Indiana-bound Chris Sujka (1-for-2, BB, HBP, RBI) and walked University of Kentucky-bound Jeff Boehm (1-for-1, 2 BB, RBI) with the bases loaded.

The Vikings answered again after two outs in the second. Viking lead-off man Brandon Mallder (1-for-3, BB) singled and senior catcher Bryan Villanova (4-for-4, 2B, 3RBI) followed with an RBI single, scoring Mallder, to bring up Purdue University-bound Viking DH Kyle Wood (1-for-1,HR, 2RBI, 2BB) to the plate. Wood launched a two-run bomb, his fourth of the year, towering over the right field fence for a 7-2 Viking lead.

?This was a big one for us,? said Wood. ?We really hit Kravetz hard today. On my homer I knew it was gone and had a good day at the plate with the walks. I don?t like to be intentionally walked but it was great the way Mike (Chimera) made them pay for it.?

Mt. Carmel loaded the bases in the fourth against Altobella with two outs. Caravan junior Tyler Laurisch ripped a shot that appeared to be heading into right field for a two-run single. Viking freshman second baseman Mike Kornacker dove to make the stop, picked himself up and threw Laurisch out to end the inning. Earlier in the inning, Viking 1B Mallder made the first of his two outstanding catches on Caravan pop foul balls.

The Vikes put a four spot up in the fourth, highlighted by an RBI double by Villanova and a three-run blast by senior 3B Mike Chimera. Mt. Carmel had walked Wood intentionally to get to Chimera. Chimera spoiled the Caravan strategy when he launched his blast in the same spot that Wood had hit his in the second. Chimera matched Wood with his fourth homer of the season.

?I took it personally, the intentional walk to Kyle (Wood),? said Chimera.

Altobella battled out of another jam in the Mt. Carmel fifth. Altobella was tough with men on base, standing 11 Caravan base-runners. Altobella scattered six hits and allowed two runs in picking up his sixth win of the campaign against no defeats.

?I really appreciate the run support my teammates gave me,? said Altobella. ?I struggled early but really battled and pitched a good game.?

In the bottom of the fifth, the Vikings loaded the bases against Mt. Carmel junior LHP Frank Kelly, who replaced Kravetz after four innings. Kornacker (1-for-3) singled, junior RF Mike Solofra walked and No. 9 hitter Steve Fiorella (2-for-3, 3B,) singled. After one out, Villanova appropriately ended the game with a blast over the Caravan center fielder Sujka, scoring Kornacker, to put the 10-run rule into effect.

?Felt good to have a fine day at the plate,? said Villanova. ?I?ve been working hard with Coach (Pete Lotus) and it really paid off. Nick (Altobella) has been lights out for us all year.?

The two clubs will meet again at Haggerty Field on the campus of Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago at 11 on Saturday. The weather should be a stark contrast from today?s cold, windy, dreary and wet afternoon.

?I can?t say enough about our approach against a great pitcher,? said Lotus. ?I think Kevin?s slam was a key for us in the first inning. Especially after Nick Altobella pitched out of his first-inning jam. Bryan Villanova has been great for us both behind the plate and offensively. The team in this division that can steal a win on the road will win the title. Hopefully we can get that done on Saturday.?