Travis' scorching bat powers No. 1 Providence

By Drake Skleba

NEW LENOX - Providence Catholic senior third baseman Sam Travis is human after all. So stated Celtic head coach Mark Smith after Travis had led Smith?s top-ranked Celtics past No. 8 Lemont 6-1 on a bone-chilling afternoon at Providence. Travis doubled twice and homered in his first three trips to the plate against Lemont.

The solo shot to center to lead off the Celtic fifth was his third home run in as many games and his ninth consecutive hit to start off the 2011 season. In his final at bat in the sixth, Travis showed he was human by rolling into an inning-ending double play.

?I take each game one game at a time,? said Travis. ? I don?t think about what I have done in the past. I hit the ball well today and this was a good test for us, defeating a quality Lemont team.?

The future University of Indiana Hoosier 3B is only hitting .900 with four doubles, three homers and 11 RBIs for Providence (3-0).

Travis got the Celtic party started in the bottom of the first  after Lemont had picked up an unearned run in its half of the first, when he doubled home two runs for a 2-1 Celtic lead.

In the top of the second, Providence starting pitcher senior Dominic Quaranta lost his  control, walking the first two hitters and falling behind 2-0 on a third hitter. Smith removed Quaranta, and brought in junior LHP Zak Kutsulis, who retired the Indians in order. Kutsulis would fire two more shutout innings in relief, allowing one hit and striking out three. In his first varsity appearance, Kutsulis (1-0) picked up the win.

?I pitched well for us today, said Kutsulis. ? It was great to get the win in my first varsity appearance.?

Celtic senior 2B Kevin DeFillipis doubled home junior SS Branden Boggetto to make it 3-1. Boggetto had a pair of hits for the Celtics.

Senior 1B Dan Potempa made it 4-1 Celtics with a sacrifice fly in the third. Potempa would go back-back with Travis in the fifth to complete the scoring.

Northwestern-bound senior Brandon Magallones finished off Lemont with three scoreless innings in relief to pick up the save. The future Wildcat allowed one hit and fanned six.

?I threw too many pitches today,? said Magallones. ?It was an OK performance for me. Zak (Kutsulis) pitched great for us. We really are hitting the ball well.

Providence will travel to No. 7 Plainfield North, weather permitting, Friday at 4:30.

?We beat a very good baseball team over there,? said Smith. ?Zak Kutsulis was the key to our victory today. I told Sam Travis that he was human after all, after he hit into the double-play in the sixth. Sam has been great for us.?

Lemont (1-1) was led by their Michigan State-bound SS Kevin Goergen, who had two of the three Indian hits.The Indians received seven walks  from Providence pitchers.

?We had a lot of opportunities to score some runs, ? said venerable Lemont head coach Joe Rodeghero. ? I know it?s early in the year but we must learn to situational hit. Just put the ball in play.?