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No. 2 Cathedral Overtakes No. 13 Jeffersonville in 4A

June 10, 2013

By Pete Cava
PBR Indiana Correspondent  

CLASS 4A – INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL 4, JEFFERSONVILLE 3:   The Fighting Irish (28-0) got a clutch hit from Austin Sparks and a strong relief effort by Will Birch to remain undefeated.  

Saturday's semi-state contest at Plainfield High School Cathedral pitted senior left-hander Trent Astle of Jeffersonville and Cathedral sophomore Ashe Russell, a righty.  Astle reports to Xavier University this autumn while Russell committed to Notre Dame earlier this season.

The lanky Russell struck out the side in the top of the first, but the Red Devils (23-6) took a 1-0 lead on a walk to Drew Ellis and Astle's two-bagger down the right field line. 

Astle had another RBI in the third.  Nick Gallagher led off with a base on balls and went to second when Ellis singled to right.  Astle followed with a grounder to short that forced Ellis at second, with Gallagher scoring on the play. 

Meanwhile, Astle blanked Cathedral through the first three frames.  In the fourth, Sean Snyder drew a two-out walk for the Irish, moved to second on a wild pitch and rode home on Russell's double to right-center to cut Jeffersonville’s lead to 2-1.  

Cathedral stormed ahead with a three-run fifth inning.  With one out, Astle hit Harry Shipley with a pitch.  Luke Cureton followed with a grounder to Jeffersonville shortstop Drew Ellis.  “My first thought was, ‘Can Luke beat it out at first and keep us out of the double play?’” said Cathedral coach Rich Andriole.  “But when I saw Ellis field it, I didn’t feel like he was really squared up.” 

Ellis’s throw was wild for a two-base error that put runners at second and third.   Jeffersonville coach Derek Ellis ordered an intentional walk to Alex Boos that loaded the bases.  

Austin Sparks followed with a single to left that brought in a pair of runs to give Cathedral a 3-2 lead.  “I was down 0-2, and I was just looking for a pitch I could hit to drive up the middle,” said Sparks, the University of Cincinnati recruit.  “I pulled it anyway, but I’m glad it found a hole.”  

Cathedral added a run when Boos score from second on Mike Hammel’s base hit. 

When Chandler Dale walked and Nolan Fertig singled to open Jeffersonville's half of the sixth, Andriole switched Russell with right fielder Will Birch.   

“Coach asked me if I understood why I was coming out,” said Russell, who admitted he didn’t have his best stuff Saturday.  “I told him, ‘Yeah,’ and he said, ‘Let’s get Will in.  It’ll show ‘em something different.’  And he came out and did what he needed to do.”     

Birch, the senior right-hander, fanned the next two batters.  Josh Burke’s single cut Jeffersonville’s deficit to 4-3, but Birch got Jared Burke on a grounder for the third out. 

Ellis kept the Red Devils’ hopes alive in the seventh with a one-out single, but Birch whiffed Astle and retired Dale on a fly ball to Russell in right field that closed out the two-hour, seven-minute contest.  

“It’s all about being a team, and knowing what your team can do,” said Birch, who earned the save.  “And our team is always there.” 

Cathedral has won a pair of state titles under Andriole (3A in 2001;  4A in 2007).   The Irish also made it to the 4A title game in 2006 (losing to Fort Wayne Snider) and in 2010-2011 (losing to Fort Wayne Carroll both years).

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