INDIANAPOLIS – Roncalli went undefeated during the month of May and advanced to Saturday’s regional round with a 10-0, five-inning win over host Ben Davis in the 4A Sectional 11 championship game on Monday. 

Hitless through the first three innings, the Rebels scored in the second on four walks and added two more in the fourth when Nick Schnell homered.  Roncalli (25-5) put away the contest with a seven-run fifth inning and went on to win for the 15^th time in as many games.  The Rebels haven’t lost since April 30, when they dropped a 7-2 decision to Brebeuf Jesuit. 

“We were better late than we were early,” said Roncalli coach Aaron Kroll.  “Credit to Ben Davis, they came out and played well.  Their pitcher kept us at bay.  We were just not swinging it great early.  We left some runners on base, couldn’t get a big hit.  It was a tough game until the fifth inning, when we started hitting a little bit.” 

The Rebels wound up with six hits, but took advantage of eight bases on balls and three hit batters.  Junior Max Lundy started for Roncalli and tossed a three-hitter.  The 6-foot-1, 150-pound left-hander allowed one walk while striking out eight.  

Roncalli’s first run came in the bottom of the second off Giants starter Tyler Duncan.   Dominic Brown led off with a base on balls off the senior right-hander and one out later, Alex Stroud drew a walk.  Two more free passes to Hayden Harper and Brian Keeney gave Roncalli its first run.    

With Schnell due up, Ben Davis coach Dave Bear went to his bullpen.  Bear summoned junior right-hander Brian Larkin, who retired Schnell and Mark Cobb on infield pop-ups. 

The Giants (8-17) threatened in the bottom of the inning with runners on second and third.  Dalton Duncan got aboard with a one-out single and took third when Delbert Mimms ripped a single to right-center.  Mimms stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position, but Lundy wiggled out of the jam by striking out the next two batters. 

Roncalli went into the top of the fourth still looking for its first hit.  Harper was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and Ben Davis center fielder Jaylen Nolen’s diving catch robbed Keeney of a hit.  That brought up Schnell, who pasted a 1-0 delivery over the fence in left-center field for his 15^th homer of the season. 

“It was a changeup, low and away,” said the Rebels’ senior center fielder, projected as a first-round pick in next week’s Major League Baseball Draft.  “I was pretty sure it was gone once I hit it.” 

“It’s what he does, you know?” said Coach Kroll.  “We were up 1-0 and I felt like we were struggling, leaving runners on base.  It was a little bit frustrating.  And then the two-run homer makes it more difficult.  I think that kind of relaxed us and led to the big fifth inning.”  

In the top of the fifth, the Rebels sent a dozen men to the plate and put the game out of reach.  

Walks to Colten Panaranto and Dylan Williams gave Roncalli runners at first and second with one out.  That was all for Larkin, who gave way to senior right-hander Ian Schilling.  In two previous tourney appearances Schilling had been outstanding, getting the win against Southport on Tuesday and earning a save in Saturday’s victory over Decatur Central.  

Matt Minor ran for Panaranto, and both men advanced on a wild pitch.  Stroud followed with a run-scoring line single.  A walk to Harper loaded the bases, and Keeney blooped a base hit to left that brought in Williams.  Schnell drew a base on balls to load the sacks again, and Cobb ripped a single to right that sent in two more runs.  

Coach Bear replaced Schilling with Tommy Garwood, a junior right-hander.  With Schnell on third, Cobb took off from first on the front end of a delayed steal attempt.  The throw from Ben Davis catcher Zyon Avery to Dominic Johnson nailed Cobb at second, but Schnell flew home with the Rebels’ ninth run.  

Harrison Koppenhofer, the next batter, hit a triple to right.  Koppenhofer scored when Panaranto’s grounder was booted for an error for a 10-0 Roncalli bulge.     

Hoping to dodge the mercy rule, Ben Davis sent Nathan Summers to the plate as a pinch-hitter for Dominic Johnson to lead off the bottom of the fifth.  When Summers was safe on an infield error, Johnson re-entered the game as a pinch-runner.  Freshman Braden McGowan, batting for Nolen, drew a walk.  With runners on first and second, Jacob Flinchem lifted a fly ball to short left field.  Koppenhofer, the Roncalli shortstop, made an over-the-shoulder catch and fired to second for a double play.  

Lundy fanned the next batter, ending the contest in one hour and 57 minutes and giving Roncalli its third consecutive sectional title.  “Lundy did a really good job.  He’s been really good for us all year,” said Coach Kroll.  “He was all over the strike zone.  Obviously, he pitched all five innings, no runs.  Any time you get that, you’re gonna be in really good shape.” 

“I just try to throw a lot of strikes, whatever I throw out there,” Lundy said.  “I know the guys behind me will make the plays.”  

Schnell went 1-for-2, walked twice, was hit by a pitch and drove in three runs.  Cobb, the Rebels’ senior left-fielder, and Keeney, Roncalli’s junior backstop, contributed two RBI each.  “We got off to a slow start, but finally late in the game we picked it up and got going,” Schnell said.  “Once everybody gets going, it’s hard to stop us.”  

DIAMOND DUST:  Roncalli heads to Decatur Central on Saturday, where they’ll meet Cathedral in a 4A regional semifinal at 11:00 a.m. 

The temperature at the start of Monday’s game was 88 degrees.  The game was played under mostly sunny skies with hardly any breeze.  “It was tiring, for sure,” admitted Lundy, icing his arm in the visitors dugout after the game.  “But it’s hot all summer, so I’ve gotten used to it over the years.” 

Ben Davis entered Monday’s game looking for its first sectional title since 2014, when Roncalli skipper Aaron Kroll coached the Giants. 

Pete Cava is the author of “Tales From the Cubs Dugout” and “Indiana-Born Major League Baseball Players:  A Biographical Dictionary, 1871-2014.”

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