By Sean Duncan

MT. PROSPECT ? Prospect had plenty of reasons to celebrate Thursday. Before the game, the school honored its longtime coach Larry Pohlman by naming the field after him. On hand for the pregame ceremony was Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade, who played for Pohlman at Prospect.

The Knights? baseball team added to the celebratory mood when play finally began by shaking off a rocky start to defeat rival Hersey 9-4 in a Mid-Suburban League East battle.

Prospect right-hander Ben Menich bounced back after allowing two runs in the first inning to pitch a complete game. Menich (4-0), a 6-foot-3, 185-pound unsigned senior, allowed six hits, struck out three and walked five to help Prospect (11-2, 3-0) hand Hersey (7-5, 2-1) its first conference loss.

 ?I could tell the kids had a little bit of the jitters,? said current Prospect coach Ross Giusti. ?I was really happy with the way the kids bounced back. ? One of the things [Menich] has been trying to do is step up in big games, and he did today.?  

After Hersey mounted a 3-0 in the top of the third on Joe Perricone?s solo homer, Prospect erupted for seven runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Knights pounded out five hits, including four straight. Menich, who normally doesn?t hit when he pitches, delivered the biggest blow with a bases-clearing double.    

Junior third baseman Jack Landwehr, who?s been the offensive catalyst for the team, added a two-run single in the inning and finished 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, two runs scored and ignited a slick 5-4-3 double play with the bases loaded to end the game.  

?I knew our sticks would come around,? said Landwehr, who had homered and doubled in his previous game on Wednesday. ?Our team loves being aggressive at the plate.?  

Senior outfielder Peter Bonahoom went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, Brian Bauer had two hits and Shane Joyce went 2-for-2 with two walks and drove in a run for the Knights.  

The Knights? third-inning explosion ruined a stellar game by Perricone, a Coastal Carolina recruit who is a draft prospect on the mound. At the plate, Perricone went 3-for-3 with a home run, double, three RBI, two runs scored and a walk while playing right field. Junior shortstop Tyler Perkowicz went 1-for-2 with two walks and four stolen bases for Hersey.