advertisement

Baseball: Carmel turns back Wheaton Academy

After a dramatic 6-5 seventh-inning victory over sixth-seeded Vernon Hills on Thursday, Wheaton Academy looked as if it were picking up right where it left off as it met powerhouse Carmel Catholic in Saturday's Class 3A baseball regional final at Vernon Hills.

The Warriors put a run on the board in the top of the first when senior left fielder RW Rienow walked and later scampered home on an infield single by senior third baseman Noah Ritchie.

But this is Carmel Catholic, and the Corsairs were more than eager to continue their postseason surge and further diminish the previous year's disappointing campaign from a year ago.

The third-seeded Corsairs responded in the bottom of the second with 3 runs to make it 3-1. Coach Bill Taylor and his team went on to an eventual 10-5 victory and the regional championship.

"After last year, these guys have really come together as a team," said Taylor, a 17-year assistant to the program before taking over the helm this season. "We've found ways to stay in games and we have multiple guys who always step up."

With two outs in the bottom of that second inning, one of those guys was junior first baseman Liam Evans, who roped a double to left that plated freshman second baseman Drew Weigman (double), and the Corsairs had drawn even 1-1.

Senior right fielder Joe Santoro then smacked the Corsairs' third double of the frame, this one plating junior third baseman Joey Lake (walk) and Evans for a 3-1 lead.

"Everyone can hit in our lineup," said Santoro, who finished 4-for-4 with 2 doubles on the afternoon. "But it was really important we answered right back. From there, the offense kept going and we played great defense."

Carmel Catholic (23-9) added another run in the bottom of the fourth when Evans belted an RBI single to plate Lake (walk) to make it 5-1.

But like on Thursday, Wheaton Academy (19-14) showed it wasn't going to yield.

Ritchie had 3 hits on the day, the last an RBI single that scored senior shortstop Christian Ebeling (double) as the Warriors pulled within 4-3 in the top of the fifth.

But in the bottom of the frame, Carmel Catholic ended up putting the game out of reach with a 4-spot to extend the lead to 8-3.

Sophomore center fielder Austin Ehren smashed a 2-run double, while Lake and Santoro had RBI singles.

The Warriors clawed to within 8-5 after scoring 2 runs in the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded on each occasion, junior second baseman Anthony Vavrinchik (hit by pitch) and senior catcher Matt Perna trotted home when senior right fielder Harrison Taylor and Ritchie were hit by pitches.

But a 2-run bomb over the left field fence by Lake in the bottom of the sixth helped solidify the outcome for Carmel Catholic.

Winning pitcher senior Chris Baumann (6-2) fanned five while scattering 7 hits before being pulled with one out in the fifth, when Wheaton Academy had scored and still had the bases loaded.

In the top of the fourth, a double play turned by Weigman was key. Likewise for the play by Ole Miss-bound senior catcher Cooper Johnson, who rifled a throw to first to pick off a runner.

Wheaton Academy losing pitcher Payton Sowa battled through a tough hitting Corsairs lineup before being relieved by sophomore Jake Koslosky in the fifth.

"A lot of people measure teams by wins and losses. But I'll take this group anytime," said Warriors skipper Brad Byrne, whose nine seniors graduate with two conference titles under their belts.

"This is a special group and it's an honor to coach them. We have a Christian-based community, and to these guys, baseball is like worship for them because it's an opportunity to share something with the community."

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.