Baseball: Marmion's McPherson wins battle of aces

Frank Chapman obviously has exacting standards as a baseball coach.

Marmion senior right-hander Brandon McPherson struck out two men in each of the first five innings during the Cadets' eventual 1-0 victory over Geneva Thursday afternoon in Aurora.

"I told (McPherson) that I would be very blunt and honest with him," Chapman said. "That was not his best stuff today. He didn't have command of the fastball."

Sean Sinisko was the ultimate tough-luck pitcher of record for Geneva (2-4).

McPherson scored the only run of the game in the bottom of fourth after reaching base on a 45-foot dribbler.

The Cadets' starter, who improved to 1-1 on the young season with his six-inning effort, reached second on a walk and advanced the final two bases on a pair of wild pitches.

Sinisko (0-2), bound for Illinois State, played his first two years for the Cadets' archrival Aurora Central Catholic.

"I wouldn't say (this loss) hurt as much as (the Class 3A) final two years ago," Sinisko said. "It's still upsetting. I was throwing a lot of strikes early."

"He pitched his butt off," Geneva coach Brad Wendell said of his starting southpaw. "That situation (a fluke infield single) sometimes happens in this game."

Neither pitcher went the distance as the maximum pitch rule was invoked.

But McPherson finished with 11 strikeouts on the afternoon.

Jake Carlson began the seventh inning; the junior ended the final Geneva at-bat by inducing a game-ending double play.

"Everything was clicking," said McPherson, who allowed only Sinisko (double) and Garrett Bragg (single) to reach via a base hit. "I was using everything in the arsenal. We just went out there (after gaining the lead) like it was 0-0."

Marmion had multiple chances to either score first or augment its precarious lead.

But Sinisko and Geneva reliever Tyler Venditti escaped unharmed as the Cadets having a pair of runners picked off immeasurably aided the Vikings' cause.

"We preach aggression on the base paths," Chapman said. "We had some mental lapses. It's still early in the season."

Marmion (3-6), third in Class 3A last year, was bumped up a class this spring due to the private school success factor.

Chapman was more concerned with situational hitting than the two base-running gaffes.

"We didn't do a very good job of hitting with two outs," Chapman said. "We didn't do a very good job of hitting with two strikes. We have to do a better job to compete in the CCL (the Chicago Catholic League)."

Marmion catcher Chase Stanke, headed to Minnesota, had the Cadets' lone extra-base hit as Sinisko and Venditti allowed a mere 4 combined hits for Geneva.

Neither team committed an error.