Prep Baseball Report

Chicago Christian, St. Laurence, JCA and Sandburg advance



Richards Regional Semifinals

Top-Seeded Chicago Christian Stun Mount Carmel

By Drake  Skleba
Senior  Writer

OAK LAWN -
The Knights of Chicago Christian (15-3) spotted Mount Carmel two runs in the top of the first inning of their Richards Regional semifinal on Wednesday afternoon. The top-seeded Knights showed their mettle by answering with a four-spot in the bottom of the first and three Knight pitchers slammed the door on the Caravan for a 4-2 Chicago Christian win. Senior Jackson De Vries, junior Trevor Wolterink and Class 2A All-State senior Christian Bolhuis allowed just three hits over the last six innings to preserve the victory.

Bolhuis, De Vries and Wolterink, the 3-4-5 batters in Chicago Christian head coach Eric Brauer’s lineup, had consecutive singles in the  four-run first inning explosion. Bolhuis’ single plated the first Knight run of the inning.

Bolhuis entered the game in the top of the sixth and was greeted with a booming double by Mount Carmel (9-3) first baseman Malik Carpenter. Bolhuis bore down and left Carpenter at third, fanning the final Caravan batter in the inning. In the seventh Bolthuis struck out the first two Caravan batters he faced before allowing a single to University of Michigan-bound Ako Thomas. Bolhuis picked up his fourth strikeout and third of the inning, ending the game with a flourish and sending his Knight’s into Thursday’s 10 A.M, Richards Regional Championship Game.

“It was a great win for us today,” said Bolhuis. “I was really fired up on the mound today and to beat Mount Carmel is a great accomplishment for us. I’m really excited about tomorrow’s championship with St. Laurence and we have to continue to play great baseball as we have all summer. It would be great to go to state next week.”

Second-seeded St. Laurence (12-2) scored five times in the sixth to stun Oak Forest 7-2 in the other Richards Regional semifinal on Wednesday morning.

“This is a great win for our program,” said Brauer. “For a small 2A school to defeat Mount Carmel and all of their talented players is a great accomplishment for our kids and I am so proud of them for their effort. Tomorrow we have another opportunity to defeat a  much larger school and advance to state next week.”

St. Laurence Sixth-Inning Explosion Sinks Oak Forest

OAK LAWN - With the score tied at 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning of its Richards Regional semifinal, second-seeded St. Laurence (12-2) was in trouble. A feisty group from Oak Forest (7-6) had loaded the bases with two outs and were threatening to steal the game from the mighty Vikings. Senior right-hander John Riordan entered the game and dispatched of the Bengal batter on strikes, to preserve the tie and ignite his Viking teammates. In the bottom of the sixth the Vikings would bat around and plate five runs and roll to a 7-2 victory.

“It was a tight position to come into and I knew I had to throw strikes,” said Riordan. “I was able to get the big strikeout and then our bats got going and we went on to the big win.”

Senior centerfielder Sean Burnette’s clutch RBI single gave the Vikings a 3-2 lead. Viking starting pitcher Jack Cavanaugh plated a pair of insurance runs with a single, in the inning to give the Vikings a 5-2 lead. Cavanaugh allowed an unearned run and two hits in his four quality innings on the mound.

“Mike Riordan is a senior  who threw some big innings for us this spring,” said St. Laurence head coach Pete Lotus. “His experience helped him today and his strikeout was huge for us in the sixth. We were hitting the ball hard all day and finally broke through in the sixth. Sean Burnette another senior came through for us with the big hit.”  

Lockport Regional Semifinals

JCA Pitching Committee Blank Plainfield South

LOCKPORT- Joliet Catholic Academy head coach Jared Voss received a combined four-hit shutout from his “pitching committee,” led by senior Danny Belling in Wednesday’s Lockport Regional semifinal at Ed Flink Field. Belling and three other Hilltopper hurlers stymied Plainfield South 4-0, to advance to Thursday night’s Lockport Regional Championship Game versus Sandburg (14-2). Belling fired the first two scoreless innings, allowing one hit to pick up the win.

“A good team win tonight,” said Belling. “I just pitch to contact today. My splitter was working well and had  them hitting the ball into the ground. It’s very exciting being in the championship game and hope we can win and move on to next week.”

Connor Brandon, Alex Ragusa and Mike Quiram blanked the Cougars over the last five innings to complete the combined whitewash.

Junior Drake Fellows led the Hilltopper attack with two hits, including an RBI double. Purdue-bound Nick Dalesandro had an RBI double and senior centerfielder Keegan Tyrell drove in the first Hilltopper run with a sac-fly.

“All senior pitchers on the mound for us and they all did a great job for us,” said Voss. “Danny pitched to contact tonight. Keegan ran down some balls in center and we had some timely hits. A very good effort today.”

Sandburg, Martinez Turn Back Lockport

LOCKPORT- Alec Martinez, in a Lockport Regional semifinal at Ed Flink Field on Wednesday night,. scattered nine hits and allowed but one run in his six-inning “bulldog-type” outing against the host Porters of Lockport, leading his Eagles to a 7-2 win. With the win the Eagles will face undefeated Joliet Catholic Academy (14-0) in Thursday night’s Lockport Regional Championship Game at 7.Joliet Catholic Academy blanked Plainfield South 4-0 in the other Lockport Regional semifinal on Wednesday.

In the first, second and fourth innings, Martinez pitched out of bases-loaded situations, allowing his lone run on a sac-fly from Lockport second baseman Anthony Cocco, in the second inning. In the third inning, Lockport’s Tyler Nassar led off the inning with a booming triple and was still there after Martinez retired the next three Porter batters.

Martinez had a pair of doubles and plated three Eagle runs to help himself out at the plate.

“I got myself in a lot of trouble tonight but was fortunate to be able to pitch out of it all night,” said Martinez. “My curveball was definitely my best pitch tonight. I was able to get the majority of my strikeouts with that pitch. I was seeing the ball very well at the plate. I felt very confident at the plate. It’s great to be back in the championship game again. We lost last season and we really want to come out of here with a victory tomorrow night.”

Sandburg (14-2) DH Ken Michalowski, broke up a 1-1 tie, with a clutch two-out, two-run double to give the Eagles a 3-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Lockport closes out the Porters summer season with a 13-7 record.

“We really competed at the plate against a quality pitcher on the mound,” said Sandburg associate head coach George Fear. “We had numerous quality at bats. Alec (Martinez) really battled on the mound for us and really competed on the mound. We are blessed to have a number of seniors who have competed in big games that helped us win tonight.”

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