Baseball: Fenwick denies Montini sectional championship
Every baseball player dreams of the towering, game-winning home run.
Anthony Cavalieri created a different dream on Saturday.
Legging out an infield single and forcing an errant throw with runners on second and third base, Cavalieri pushed home the tying and go-ahead runs in the sixth inning of Fenwick's 4-3 victory over Montini in the Class 3A Fenwick sectional title game in River Forest.
The victory sends the fourth-seeded Friars (20-19) into the North Central College supersectional to face St. Viator at 4 p.m. Monday in Naperville.
"I just knew I had to put the ball in play and make them make a play," Cavalieri said. "I knew I could beat the throw, and then they made a bad throw rushing it. This is a big win for us."
A tight game was expected between the Chicago Catholic League White foes who split two games in the regular season, and that's exactly what transpired. Jack Gerberich gave No. 2 Montini (23-15) a 3-2 lead with two outs in the bottom of the fourth when he scored on a walk-off steal of home as Nick Steiner stayed in a rundown just long enough between first and second base.
Broncos reliever Alex Luka, who entered the game in the fourth inning, kept the lead until the top of the sixth when the Friars put runners on second and third with two outs. Cavalieri hit a grounder deep in the hole at short, and 2 runs scored when he beat the throw to first that went wide of the base.
"We came in knowing we had to play our hardest, and that's what we did," said Montini senior outfielder Justin Blake, who had a 2-run second-inning double. "It was just another close game. With two good teams playing, that's what you're going to get."
Fenwick reliever and winning pitcher Paddy Dwyer retired seven straight Montini batters to end the game. Three flyouts closed out the bottom of the seventh.
"The ball didn't bounce our way, but give them credit for playing a solid game," said Montini coach Rich Janor. "We're really proud of our guys. We really came together and played our best baseball of the season here at the end."
Casey O'Laughlin put the Friars ahead 1-0 in the first inning with an RBI single off Broncos starter Bruno Bodnum, but Blake's double gave Montini a 2-1 lead in the second. O'Laughlin tied the game at 2-2 with his third-inning run-scoring double.
"At this point of the season, we'll take a win any way we can get it," said Friars coach Dave Hogan. "We knew it'd be a tough game, and it's just going to come down to who bends first."