By Drake Skleba

CRESTWOOD - St. Rita put 10 runs on the board for the second time in the Steven M. Bajenski Memorial Tournament. The second 10-run explosion by the Mustangs came against Stevie's teammates, No. 3 Mount Carmel, in the Championship Game at Standard Bank Stadium.

Led by Do it Stevie's Way Award Winner junior SS Andrew Massey, the Mustangs exploded to a 10-1 lead and cruised to a 10-4 victory. The Mustangs take back to 7740 South Western Avenue the big and beautiful Steven M. Bajenski Championship trophy. The impressive trophy dwarfs the one they will give out three weeks from tonight at Silver Cross Field in Joliet.

The trophy will be a traveling trophy and will remain at St. Rita until the Second Annual Steven M. Bajenski Memorial Tournament in May of 2013.

Mount Carmel ace Tyler Laurisch (9-3) started the game for the Caravan and was opposed by Mustang senior right-hander Billy Henry. Mustang Purdue University-bound third baseman Stefano Belmonte doubled to lead off the second inning. Belmonte, would score the first run of the game for St. Rita on a Caravan miscue off the bat of the Mustang's hero on Friday night, junior center-fielder Chad Prieto. Massey hit the first pitch from Laurish over the left field wall and St. Rita jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

“Laurish is a great pitcher and I was looking for a pitch to drive,” said Massey. “I didn't think it was gone went I first hit it but it felt great to see it go out. It's great to win this tournament and Billy pitched a heck a of game for us. It's an honor to win the Do it Stevie's Way Award and we are playing great baseball right now as we head into the tournament.”

Mount Carmel would answer with an RBI single from Caravan junior center-fielder Jason Gasser in the bottom of the seventh. St. Rita (22-11) would tack on four more runs in the top of the third highlighted by an RBI from senior Zack Soria, Belmonte, sophomore Jake Shepski and Prieto. St. Rita put the game away with another three spot, highlighted by Shepski's second RBI single.

Mount Carmel (29-5) picked up a run on a sac-fly by senior catcher Dan Pappas. Caravan junior Justin Gonzales had two big hits for Mount Carmel off the bench, including a big two-run double in the bottom of the sixth.

Mustang junior DH Connor McClain had three hits, including a double and scored two runs. Junior left-fielder Pete Cozzi chipped in with a pair of hits and scored a run.

Mount Carmel had two-hit nights from juniors Tom Hayes and Joe Kennedy.

“It's nice to see our team coming together here at Stevie's ‘Catholic League Tournament,’ said St. Rita head coach Mike Zunica. “After Thursday, we viewed the tournament as such. It's an honor to win this tournament over the other three great teams in the semifinals. Billy Henry showed a lot of guts and pitched a great game for us. Sophomore Jake Shepski gets better every game.”

The two clubs are headed for a fourth meeting of the season in the St. Ignatius (UIC) semifinals on May 30.

Third Place Game-

Providence 7, St. Laurence 6

Southeast Missouri State-bound Providence (27-7) shortstop Brandon Boggettto didn't think he had just hit the two-run walk-off bomb to lead his top-ranked Celtics to an amazing 7-6 victory. Boggetto hammered the first pitch from No. 3 St. Laurence's junior reliever Kyle Estand over the left-field wall to setup a wild celebration at home plate, as the Celtics rallied to grab third place in the Bajenski Tourney.

In a game was that was tied at 1-1, 3-3 and 5-5, and had one dramatic lead-change, the top two teams in the Chicago Catholic League, put on quite a show in the third-place contest.

With the game tied at 5-5, St. Laurence (28-6-1) broke out in front in the top of the seventh on an RBI by UAB-bound starting pitcher Nick Altobella (2-for-4; 2 RBI). Altobella's clutch two-out RBI single scored Viking senior first-baseman Brandon Mallder (2-for-2, 2 BB) who had walked.

In the dramatic bottom of the seventh, Viking 6-foot-7 lefty senior Declan McCarron replaced Smith, and retired Celtic University of Notre Dame-bound left-handed hitter Zak Kutsulis. Estand came in and gave up the third double of the game by Celtic senior left-fielder Kenny King.

Boggetto was next and quickly sent the joyous Celtic fans back to New Lenox.

Fifth Place Game -

New Trier 10, Oak Park-River Forest 0 (6 innings)

New Trier's University of Illinois-bound lefty Nick Hedge (10-1) fired a five hitter with five strikeouts and received plenty of offensive support from his teammates as New Trier (24-9) crushed Oak Park 10-0 in six-innings to take fifth-place in the Bajenski.

Trevian Christian Carr, had a rare three-run, inside-side-the-park homer to lead the Trevian attack. Trevian senior first-baseman Campbell Lipe had a perfect 3-for-3 day with a run scored for New Trier.

Oak Park-River Forest (24-9-1) and New Trier could meet in the Class 4A Evanston Sectional Semifinal on May 31.

Seventh Place Game-

Marian Catholic (18-15) defeated Oak Lawn 6-3 to take seventh-place. Oak Lawn falls to 20-14.