By Drake Skleba

 

LA GRANGE PARK- Nazareth senior right-hander Jake Mijares fired five shutout innings of two-hit baseball and received all the offensive support he would need from his junior batterymate Justin Gonzales. Gonzales’ clutch two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the first ignited the Roadrunners to an impressive 5-0 victory over No. 18 St. Ignatius on Monday.

 

“It was exciting to get the big hit in the first inning,” said Gonzales.  “We beat a very good team today.”

 

Mijares (2-0) walked the only two batters he would pass in the first inning. The senior was tough with men on base all day. He got out of that jam as well as jams in the fourth and fifth innings. Mijares struck out four on the night; three of his victims came in the second when he struck out the side.

 

“I really pitched well with men in scoring position,” said Mijares. “We really played well and executed on offense tonight. We are really playing good ball to start the season.”

 

After Mijares struck out the side in the second, Nazareth (6-0-1) put another deuce on the scoreboard courtesy of senior leftfielder Adam Marske. The quarterback for the Roadrunner football team ripped a shot to left, scoring two and increasing the Roadrunner lead to 4-0 after two innings. Marske would pick up a third RBI for the game in the sixth on a sacrifice fly, driving home the fifth and final run for the Roadrunners.

 

“I did pretty well today,” said Marske, who entered the game hitting .600 with four homers this season. “I have really been hitting well to start the season. This was a good win over a quality team, but we have a lot more baseball to be played.”

 

Senior leadoff man Bryan McCray was on base three times, including a first-inning double for the Roadrunners and scored a pair of runs. Junior shortstop Mike Barajas was instrumental in three of the Roadrunners runs as a result of two perfectly executed sac-bunts.

 

Junior right-handed pitchers Patrick Kelly and Ryan Powers finished up in the sixth and seventh innings for Nazareth. Both retired the side in order; Kelly fanning two and Powers one.

 

“Jake did an outstanding job for us tonight on the mound,” said Nazareth head coach Lee

Milano. “Justin and Adam had clutch hits for us. Mike Barajas had a pair of key bunts for us and Patrick and Ryan pitched well to close out this quality win.”

 

St. Ignatius (5-2) was led by its Division 1 duo of SS Jack Fischer (Wake Forest) and catcher Justin Meier (Bucknell). Fischer singled in three at bats. Meier singled and walked for the Wolfpack.

 

“We gave up three runs on walks and hit batsmen today,” said St. Ignatius head coach Sean O’Connor. “For us to win we must have quality pitching and play solid defense. Hats off to the Nazareth’s pitchers today. They held us down.”