Marmion tops West Aurora in opener

With just a 6-4 advantage in hits, Marmion didn't exactly pound West Aurora Thursday.

Yet the Cadets made the most of those hits with a 6-1 victory, starting off the 2010 season like they did for most of their 22-4 year in 2009 - with a win.

"It was kind of a funny game," West Aurora coach Dave Rakow said. "We hit a couple balls hard and flew out on them and it seemed like all the hits we got were those little dinkers here and there. A day like this you have to take what you can get."

The Cadets scored three runs in the second inning with a two-out rally. Travis Siwiec's double to right followed by Joe Wulff's infield single and a West Aurora error made it 1-0. Leadoff hitter Will Sterne's clutch 2-run double just inside the third-base line gave the Cadets a 3-0 lead.

Marmion (1-0) also scored three runs in the fourth, a rally aided by two West Aurora (0-2) errors. Winning pitcher Jake Gunderson helped himself with an RBI single, and Chris Tydd also delivered a run-scoring hit.

"The three errors certainly don't help out," West Aurora coach John Reeves said. "We've got to do a better job helping (starting pitcher) Eddie (Kane) out."

Mark Peters started for the Cadets and worked the first two innings, giving up 1 run on 2 hits with 3 walks and a strikeout. He moved to center field and made a diving catch in the fourth inning.

Gunderson relieved and picked up the win for his three innings of work. He held the Blackhawks scoreless, stranding two in the third and then three in the fifth when West Aurora loaded the bases with no outs and couldn't score.

Marmion junior third baseman Tyler Friel was a big reason why. Three times he fielded grounders and threw home to make the play at the plate, including back-to-back plays in the fifth inning.

"Tyler Friel made a lot of big plays, saved a lot of runs," Rakow said. "It's a junior coming up big for us in his first game. Give the kid credit for making plays."

All told West Aurora left 12 runners stranded.

"We did a god job getting on base, we just didn't do a good job of once we had runners on base getting good at-bats," Reeves said. "Guys swung at the first pitch. Guys were trying to pull the ball a little too much."

Sterne followed Gunderson to the mound in the sixth inning. Rakow said he's hoping to use the same three pitchers Saturday against Kaneland after the Cadets play Wheaton Warrenville South Friday.

Gunderson hopes for a warmer day. It was so cold Thursday he wasn't able to locate his curve, a pitch he normally throws half the time.

"I just had to throw fastball strikes," Gunderson said. "It was really cold. It was tough getting a feel on the ball but I had confidence in my defense. Tyler Friel at third got it done, got me out of jams. Throw strikes and good things will happen."