Baseball: St. Viator takes late advantage at Hersey
Neighbors like to give things to each other. And that was the case as the baseball teams from St. Viator and Hersey met Thursday in Arlington Heights.
The crosstown rivals handed each other unearned runs in the sevening inning, with visiting St. Viator scoring the game-winner on an error to edge Hersey 5-4.
"We are just having trouble picking the ball up," said St. Viator coach Mike Manno, whose team broke a three-game losing streak. "Until we get that figured out, we are going to have some tough games. But I thought both pitchers threw well. We were just fortunate at the end."
St. Viator (6-4) appeared to be in control with a 4-2 lead heading into the top of the seventh. But Hersey figured it was not done yet.
Brett Harris and Owen Goldsberry both walked with one out. The Huskies then took advantage of a poor throw on a groundball to score a run and put runners on the corners. Tanner Luke followed with a single to right to score Goldsberry, tying the game at 4.
Cole Kmet, who came on in relief after the walks, then got the next two batters to end the threat with the go-ahead run at third.
Pinch hitter Brett DeSelm led of the Viator seventh by lacing a 3-2 pitch to left center for a double.
"I just ripped off my sweatshirt when I heard coach call my name to bat," DeSelm said. "I was looking for a fastball, because he made me look bad on curveball on the second pitch and I thought he would try to blow me away."
The Lions, who have been struggling offensively, went to some small ball when Mike Ragauskis bunted. The throw appeared to have DeSelm at third, but the ball was misjudged and sailed into left field, scoring a sliding DeSelm.
"I love how our kids battled," Manno said. "They could have got down there, but we didn't. It was great double by DeSelm. It really got us going."
It was a tough loss for Johnson, who along with Viator pitcher Kevin Napoleon, kept hitters at bay for most of the game.
"He has pitched well for us all year," Hersey coach Bob Huber said. "I liked the way our guys fought back. We just made a mistake at the end on a play that we make almost every time."
Hersey took the lead in the second when Luke singled. He later scored on a passed ball.
Viator tied it up in the third, also on a passed ball. Bobby Perna singled, was sacrificed to second by Jack Sexton, went to third on a wild pitch and then scored.
The Lions made it 4-1 in the fifth on a 2-run homer by Dan Sullivan, scoring Sexton, who got an infield single. Sullivan, who belted 2 homers in the Lions' first game of the season, had been experiencing a dry spell with his dingers until then.
"Not a lot of long ones, but some good doubles and singles," Sullivan said. "I had struggled with his change-up earlier in the game. I made some adjustments, moved back in the box and waited for his fastball."
Hersey closed the gap to 4-2 on another unearned run in the sixth. Matt Abfall, who reached on an error, drove in Luke, who also had reached on an error.