By Drake Skleba

 

BURBANK- What a difference a week makes. Last Saturday, No. 9 St. Laurence defeated De La Salle 6-2 at De La Salle to open up a 3 ½ game lead in the Chicago Catholic League White Division.

 

On Saturday, the Meteors returned the favor and defeated the host Vikings 7-4 in eight innings. With the win, De La Salle, (16-7-1; 10-4 White) has closed to within ½ game of division-leading St. Laurence (24-5; 11-4).

 

The loss was the third consecutive for St Laurence. The Vikings dropped crossover games to Loyola and Blue Division leader No. 10 Providence this week. De La Salle, on the other hand, shocked Providence by scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh to stun the Celtics 5-4 on Monday. The Meteors crushed Hales Franciscan on Wednesday.

 

In this ball game, De La Salle scored three in the third inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead.

Meteor freshman second baseman Roe Coleman (2-for-5, RBI, R, SB) drove in the first run on a single and then scored on senior centerfielder Mark Kasper’s  fifth home run of the year to center. St.Laurence answered with a solo shot by senior Pat Cassidy, his second homer of the season.

 

“Big game for us. St. Laurence is a great team and we showed today we can play with them,” said Kasper. “I work hard and play the game hard and let the chips fall where they may. The last week of the conference season is the grind time for all the players. We have to just continue to excel and if we do we will win the White Division.”

 

De La Salle senior left fielder Chuck Trentz executed a perfect suicide squeeze to plate the fourth Meteor run of the game in the fourth inning. St.Laurence’s junior catcher Charlie Naso answered with his fourth round tripper of ’10 to bring the Vikings within 4-2 after four.

 

De La Salle starting pitcher, sophomore Anthony Shimkus, worked the first five innings, allowing the two home runs and three hits. Shimkus, who had an outstanding curveball, fanned seven Viking hitters and settled for a no-decision.

 

St. Laurence would strike for single tallies in the sixth and seventh against Meteor sophomore and winning pitcher Pat Haynes.

 

In the sixth junior DH Bryan Villanova hit his first home run of the year again with none on to bring the Vikes to within 4-3. The Vikings would tie the game on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the seventh.

 

Cassidy led off the Viking seventh with a double and was sacrificed to third by senior Jim Topps. Viking second baseman Jim Sadowski hit a roller to second, and Cassidy scored when the throw was wide of the plate and the game would move to extra innings.

 

In the eighth, the Meteors would send nine men to the plate against St. Laurence losing pitcher John Rafferty (0-1) and two other Viking relievers and score three times. The big blow was a booming triple to the wall by Trentz (2-for-3, 3B, 2 RBI, 2R, SB).Trentz would score on a wild pitch and the Meteors added another run on a Viking miscue.

 

“The last time we played Laurence we didn’t play up to our potential,” said Trentz.  “Today we really played well. I was really happy to get the big triple in the eighth. I just take what the game has given me. It’s really exciting to be only a half game out of first I hope we can win the championship and go far in the state tournament. It would be a great accomplishment for De La Salle.”

 

Haynes retired St. Laurence in the bottom of the eighth and with the win improved to 6-0 on the season for the Meteors.

 

“This was a great team victory for us,” said De La Salle, second year head coach Nick Bridich. “Chuck Trentz is one of our senior leaders and did a great job for us with his perfect execution on the squeeze bunt and his big triple in the eighth.”

 

“Our two sophomore pitchers did a great job today. Mark Kasper is a great senior athlete and was on base four times today, including the big  two-run homer in the third. We need Mark to get on base for us this season. Therefore his home run numbers are down slightly.”

 

St. Laurence will try to regroup Monday at UIC against St. Ignatius. De La Salle will travel to last-place Bishop McNamara, on Monday.

 

“This was a very tough loss today,” said St. Laurence head coach Pete Lotus. “We are not playing very good baseball right now. We had numerous opportunities to win this ball game.”