Baseball: St. Viator advances to state semifinals

St. Viator went from rags to riches.

The Lions, written off by many after a seven-game losing streak in late April, won their 10th in row Monday, advancing them to the Class 3A state semifinals.

St. Viator pounded out a season-high 15 hits and ripped Fenwick 12-4 in Monday's supersectional game at North Central College.

The Lions (25-15) will meet Lemont in a Friday state semifinal at 10 a.m. at Silver Cross Stadium in Joliet. It is the first time St. Viator has advanced to the semifinals since 1965, when the Lions finished second in the state.

St. Viator coach Mike Manno said he always knew his players had this kind of finish in them, even during the losing streak.

“Even through our losing streak, our kids never wavered,” said Manno, who is in his 11th year as head coach. “They continued to grind things out and stayed together. They kept picking each other up.”

Mike Ragauskis, whose 3-run double in the the second led to a 6-run explosion in the inning, said the team stayed focused for the postseason.

“It was really bad for a couple of weeks there,” Ragauskis said. “We were at rock bottom. Our coaches stayed positive, and so did we. Ultimately at the end of the season, that doesn't matter.”

The top five batters in the Lions' lineup set a torrid pace. Ragauskis, Shaun Falbo, Cole Kmet, Chris Lolli and Jack Sexton combined for 12 hits and 12 RBI.

“Their pitchers were throwing it straight and we are all seeing it well,” said Sexton, who had 3 hits and a pair of RBI. “Our timing was good and our focus was good. We were all just locked in from the beginning.”

The Lions and Ragauskis — a.k.a. ‘Rags' — looked locked in in the second.

St. Viator loaded the bases when Brett DeSelm was hit by a pitch, Jack Coney reached on an infield single and Mike O'Neill reached on an error. Ragauskis then drilled a shot down the left field line that curled away from Fenwick's left fielder, allowing all 3 runs to score.

“I had the same situation in the last game when we had bases loaded and one out,” said Ragauskis, who had 3 hits, including a pair of doubles. “I did it before and I knew I could do it again.”

And so could Kmet.

The junior, who belted a homer in Saturday's sectional final, went yard again, this time to left-center to make it 5-0.

“I got a nice pitch to hit and just drilled it,” said Kmet, who now has 11 homers. “It was great for me to get some early run support.”

Kmet, who started the game on three days rest, picked up another run as Sexton doubled home Lolli, who had 3 hits.

Fenwick (20-20), which started just two seniors and had four sophomores in the lineup, began to chip away at Kmet.

“Coming off three days rest, I got tired quick,” Kmet said. “I felt it in the third inning and then went a couple more innings and gave it up to Shaun (Falbo).”

Fenwick made it 6-1 when O'Neill nearly tracked down a long flyball to left by the Friars' Michael Fiorito. But O'Neill crashed into the fence, and both he and the ball fell to the ground as Fiorito scored to make it 6-1. O'Neill did not return to the game.

Fenwick pushed 2 more runs over with two out in the third.

The Friars had a runner on third when Falbo came on in relief for the hard-working Kmet. Falbo promptly struck out his first batter, ending the at-bat.

Buoyed by Falbo's punch-out, Ragauskis, Kmet and Falbo each doubled, getting those runs back for the Lions.

“There was no time that I was worried,” Falbo said. “Cole did a great job going as long as he could and I knew what my job was coming in. When we got those hits, it just made things even easier.”

St. Viator broke the game wide open in the seventh, batting around for the second time and pushing 4 more runs across the plate. Falbo helped himself by doubling in two of those runs while Lolli and Sexton each had RBI singles.

The Lions got a special surprise before the game when Dan Sullivan, the team's leading hitter who has been hospitalized for the past 10 days with a serious infection, got a pass from the hospital to sit on the bench with his teammates.

“It was just awesome being out here with the guys today,” said Sullivan, who was returning to the hospital Monday evening and was expecting to be released on Tuesday. “To see what goes on on the bench it was great. It was so much fun to see the guys fight in person, from the beginning to the end.”

Manno says his team is looking forward to a great weekend in Joliet.

“Everyone is contributing right now, and it is fun to watch,” Manno said. “Everybody looks at us like we don't have a ton on talent. But I think there is plenty of talent on this team.

“It has been unbelievable. What a great ride it has been so far.”