Baseball: Winning introduction for Kmet, St. Viator against Carmel

During the past two seasons, Carmel Catholic's baseball team had yet to see St. Viator's Cole Kmet on the mound.

After Wednesday in the Class 3A sectional semifinals at Kerry Wood Cubs Field in Chicago, Carmel would never like to see him again.

Kmet handcuffed the Corsairs for 5⅔ innings before leaving after reaching the maximum pitch count of 105. He also homered, doubled and drove in 4 runs to lead St. Viator past Carmel 8-3.

Second-seeded St. Viator (21-15) advanced to the sectional championship game for the second consecutive year. The Lions will meet Grayslake Central (21-15) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Third-seeded Carmel (23-8) had beaten St. Viator convincingly in their first two meetings this season in East Suburban Catholic Conference play. Kmet didn't pitch in either of those games, nor in the two games between the teams in 2016.

"He is a special kid," St. Viator coach Mike Manno said. "We had our butts pounded the first two times we played them this year. Our kids believed they were going to do this. Even when we fell behind."

Kmet made just one mistake and it came in the top of the first.

Austin Ehren led off with an infield single and then stole second. With two out, Eddie Pietschmann drilled a 460-foot homer to left to put the Corsairs up 2-0.

"That kind of actually helped me out I think," Kmet said. "I had a lot of nerves going before the game, and that almost calmed me down. It made me reset."

And after hitting that reset button, the 6-foot-5 lefty who is headed to Notre Dame last year to play football, was dominant. He fanned 7 in a row and 11 for the game.

With Kmet steady on the bump, Viator came roaring back in the second thanks to 4 singles and a pair of Carmel errors.

Jack Mahoney and John Finnegan both singled. Brett DeSelm followed with a single to left, scoring Mahoney from third to make it 2-1.

With one out, Joe Sarnello singled to load the bases. Casey Kmet then walked to force in a run to tie the game. Cole Kmet followed with a hard grounder, forcing a runner at second while DeSelm scored. The ensuing throw was wild and Sarnello came home to put the Lions up 4-2.

"I thought we hit exceptionally well today," said Manno, whose team banged out 12 hits. "Our approach was great.

"The difference with this team now compared to earlier in the year is that just say 'Hey, it's just 2 runs.' They know that Cole will keep them in the game."

Joe Sarnello, who had 2 hits and 2 runs scored, echoed Manno's feelings.

"We knew Cole was going to do his job," Sarnello said. "We just tried to have the same approach that we have every day and that is to work hard."

Cole Kmet helped himself tremendously in the fourth. With Sarnello and brother Casey on base, Cole Kmet drove a ball to left center that just cleared the 12-foot high fence for a 385-foot home run to put the Lions up 7-2.

"I wasn't sure it was going to make it," said Cole Kmet, who has 11 home runs on the year. "When we played them last time, their center fielder (Ehren) took one away from me. I thought he had this one, but it just made it."

Carmel answered back a run in the fifth. Tony Baumgart beat out an infield single and came home on a double by Ehren to make it 7-3.

Bobby Perna relieved Kmet with a runner at first and two out. After a walk, Perna ended the threat by striking out the final batter of the inning.

Michael Wittich, who also had 2 hits, got his second one to lead off the sixth with a bunt single. He scampered all the way to third on a throwing error and scored on Casey Kmet's single to center.

"We know the way we hit, we are never out of a game," Wittich said. "We just trust the process. That's all we have got to do."

Carmel threatened in the top of the seventh when the Corsairs had runners on the corners with two out. Undaunted, Perna got a hard grounder to second baseman Hunter Johnson, who snared the ball and turned it into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.

That ended the season for Carmel and a 13-game winning streak as well for the Corsairs.

"The momentum swings in baseball can take you from here to there in no time," Carmel coach Bill Taylor said. "We have been hot for a long time now. I am proud of our team, especially our seniors. We are still young and have lots ahead of us."

Taylor said he and his team were well aware of how good a pitcher Cole Kmet is.

"He is one of the best pitchers in the state," Taylor said. "He did his job on the mound and at the plate. That is what great players do this time of the year."