Marmion edges Montini in 10 innings, extends SCC lead

Marmion's Michigan State-bound senior lefty Alex Troop did everything he could to win Monday's Suburban Christian Conference showdown with Montini by himself, but in the end it took a little help from his friends.

Brady Roberts ripped an RBI triple to score Tyler Eberth, giving the Cadets a 2-1 win in 10 innings in Aurora.

It made a winner of Garrett Fisher, who relieved Troop in the top of the ninth and held Montini scoreless the final two innings.

"I'm glad we rose to the moment," Marmion coach Dave Rakow said. "I told the guys take a moment and let it settle in. It's not often you win a game on a walk-off with the stakes that high with two teams battling for conference. It's a pretty awesome victory."

The win pushed Marmion (11-5, 10-0) two games ahead of Montini (14-3, 9-2) in the loss column heading into Tuesday's matchup in Lombard.

The Cadets and Broncos might still be playing if not for the first walk-off hit Roberts could remember. It came with two outs and two strikes and Eberth at second after he led off with a single and stole second.

Roberts crushed the ball high and deep to the opposite field.

"I was just waiting back on whatever he (Jordan Lazowski) was throwing," Roberts said. "I finally found the jet stream and hit one middle, middle right. Felt good.

"It's a big deal to go out on a positive note in the SCC and just take it to one of our rivals."

All the extra-inning heroics came after a classic pitcher's duel between Troop and Montini's Eric Frontzak.

All Troop did was throw a career-high 8 innings, striking out 15 and allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks.

Troop faced the minimum 21 hitters from the second through eighth innings. One batter reached on a walk and another was hit by a pitch - and Troop picked them both off first base.

"I had never gone more than 6 before this year," Troop said. "Lot of fun, arm felt great, wanted to keep going but we shut it down for sure. It was a great way to finish and a great team effort."

With his pitch count up to 82 through five innings, Troop retired the final 9 Broncos he faced on 7 pitches in the sixth, 9 in the seventh and 10 in the eighth - striking out seven of those nine including the side in the eighth.

The final of his 108 pitches was clocked at 87 miles per hour.

"We were trying to go deep in the count with him," Montini coach Bob Landi said. "Obviously you want to get his pitch count up because he's something special."

Troop also went 3-for-3 at the plate before being intentionally walked in his fourth at-bat.

Moving to center field after being pulled, Troop robbed Austin Kline of at least a double with a sensational, fully-extended catch racing back at full speed in deep right-center that likely saved the go-ahead run in the 10th.

"He was everywhere today," Rakow said. "Pitching, he made an awesome play in center, he was 3-for-3 at the plate, that's a special game right there. He's come through big for us all year."

Montini did snap Troop's string of 25 straight innings without an earned run in the first. Eddie Bava drew a two-out walk and scored when Kline drove a double over the right fielder's head.

That turned out to be the Broncos' only hit of the game. Fisher set Montini down in order in the ninth and caught two Broncos looking in the 10th for his first win.

"My job on the team is to come in and throw strikes," Fisher said. "That's what I've been doing. I knew I had to follow up Alex, can't lose after his performance. I had pressure but I just came in and threw strikes."

Marmion scored its first run in the second. Troop led off with a single, courtesy runner Nick Salazar advanced two bases on a wild pitch and scored on Zach Siwiec's infield single.

Troop led off the fourth with a triple but Frontzak retired the next three hitters on a strikeout and two grounders to second to keep the game tied at 1.

Frontzak struck out six and allowed just 4 hits and 2 walks in his 7 innings.

"Eric has been our ace all year long," Landi said. "I felt he went toe-to-toe (with Troop) and deserved a better fate. Great high school baseball game. If you don't hit you don't win."