By Drake Skleba

 

BURBANK - In a South Suburban Conference Red Division showdown between Richards and Reavis, Richards senior leadoff man Dan Kenealy stepped to the plate with two on and two out in the top of the sixth. With the score knotted at 2-2, Kenealy ripped a shot that rolled to the right centerfield fence, plating two Bulldog runs. Later in the inning, Roosevelt University-bound SS Joe Lyons ripped his third hit of the game, driving home an insurance run as Richards went on to defeat Reavis 5-2. 

 

?I went up to the plate looking to get the runs in for us,? said Kenealy. ?I had a good day at the plate. We have to come out tomorrow and win the conference.?

 

With the win, Richards (19-10; 13-5) moves a step closer to winning the SSC-Red title. Reavis (14-13; 11-6) falls a game and a half behind the Bulldogs. Oak Lawn (17-11; 12-5) blanked Argo 3-0, to move into second place in the SCSC-Red.  Reavis and Richards will meet at 4:30 in Oak Lawn on Tuesday.

 

?I haven?t hit well lately,? said Lyons. ?I got a couple of bunt singles and then had a solid clutch RBI single in the sixth. It was a big insurance run for us. I played well defensively for us, turning the two double plays.?

 

Richards broke up a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning, picking up two runs against Reavis senior RHP Garret Rhodes (5-4). Bulldog starting and winning pitcher, junior RHP Jordan Julian (3-1), doubled to lead off the inning. Courtesy runner, junior Chris Elliott, would score the first run of the game on a ground out by junior LF Ty Sheehan (1-for-4; RBI). Sheehan would score on the first of two booming doubles by Bulldog C Jesse Valenti.

 

Reavis tied things up with a couple of unearned runs against Julian in the fifth. An RBI ground out by Ram 3B Mike Falbo (1-for-4, RBI) and an RBI bloop infield single by Ram Valparaiso-bound C Rob Rabokozi, tied the game at 2-2. 

 

In the fateful Richards sixth, two Reavis errors set up Kenealy?s heroics, as all three Bulldog runs in the inning were unearned. Red?hot Bulldog RF Jim Augle (2-for-3; 2B) contributed a single after Kenealy?s blast in the game-winning sixth.

 

In the Reavis seventh, Lyons replaced Julian on the mound. Julian allowed five hits and no earned runs in his six quality innings of work for the Bulldogs

 

?I did a good job ion the mound today,? said Julian. ?I threw strikes today and my defense was great, especially on the double play ball in the fourth.? 

 

An error and HBP set the Rams up with the top of the order coming to the plate. Richards head coach, Brian Wujcik, did not mess around. Richards? ace, RHP Carlos Rodriquez, came into the game from SS.  Rodriguez was magnificent in picking up his third save of the year.

 

Rodriguez induced a neatly turned 4-6-3 double play to get the first two outs of the inning and then blew away the final Ram hitter on strikes to bring the Bulldogs one victory away from a conference championship.

 

?I had to make up for that error and get outs any way that I could,? said Rodriguez. ?My defense turned that double play for me and then I was able to strike out the last hitter of the game.?

 

Richards had 13 hits in the victory. Bulldog junior 1B Enrique Palacios chipped in with a pair of hits and scored a run for the Bulldogs.

 

?This was a huge game for us as far as the conference standings are concerned,? said Wojcik. ?We really hit the ball well today. Jordan (Julian) did a great job on the mound and Dan (Kenealy) came up with the big hit for us. Defensively we turned a couple of nice double plays.?