By Sean Duncan

CRESTWOOD - Without question, Joliet Catholic Academy has played one of the most difficult schedules in the state so far this season. Nevertheless, the Hilltoppers came into Sunday’s Southside Conference Challenge against Mount Carmel on a six-game skid – a losing streak seldom seen at the perennial powerhouse.

“We’re not used to it,” said right-hander Kyle Cunningham.

Cunningham made sure the streak stopped at six, as he limited Mount Carmel to six hits in a 4-1 complete-game victory at Standard Bank Stadium. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound junior struck out seven and walked four to improve to 2-1. Cunningham also beat St. Rita earlier this year.

“This was a big step for us,” Cunningham said. “We just had to pull it together and get a win.”

Of the six hits Cunningham yielded, three were of the infield variety. He sidestepped disaster in the first and fourth innings, when Mount Carmel (8-3) loaded up the bases but couldn’t push a run across. In each of those innings, Cunningham wiggled out of the jam with a strikeout.

Joliet Catholic (3-6) broke a scoreless tie in the second on Kendall Paluch’s single, scoring Ian Tyrell, who had reached on an error. Paluch was in the middle of the Hilltoppers’ three-run fourth inning, too, as the senior drove in Tyler Wilson (1-for-2) with a double. Sophomore second baseman Nate Searing followed Paluch with a run-scoring double of his own, and later scored on an error.

“We just needed this win to get some momentum and confidence,” said Paluch, who helped lead JCA to the Class 3A state championship last year. “We had lost five or six in a row, so this was huge for us.”

Mount Carmel starter Adam Panayotovich (4-1) allowed six hits and two earned runs in five innings in his first loss of the season. Junior first baseman Jeff Boehm went 2-for-3 with a double and a run for the Caravan, outfielder Brad Myjak went 2-for-2 with a double, and sophomore centerfielder Frank Kelly contributed a hit and an RBI.

The game was part of the Southside Challenge, a four-game showdown between the Chicago Catholic League and East Suburban Catholic.