Baseball: Lyons edges Marist for supersectional title
By Pat Disabato pdisabato@southtownstar.com June 4, 2012 11:16PM
Cody Bohanek, of Marist, singles against Lyons. | Gary Middendorf~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: July 7, 2012 8:35AM
During its impressive playoff run, Marist delivered big hits with runners in scoring position time and again. That’s how the RedHawks outscored opponents 40-8 over four games.
Monday night against Lyons in the Class 4A Crestwood Supersectional, the RedHawks had numerous scoring opportunities. The big hit, however, never came.
Marist stranded 13 runners, including eight in scoring position, and dropped a tough 3-2 decision to Lyons at Standard Bank Stadium.
Lyons, the 4A defending state champion, will play Minooka at 5 p.m. Friday at Silver Cross Field in Joliet in a state semifinal. Marist finishes at 29-12.
“We just couldn’t squeak one through the infield or hit a gapper (with runners on base), which is what we’ve been doing,” Marist coach Tom Fabrizio said. “We were a couple of bounces away from tying the game. I’m proud of how hard the guys played.”
Lyons (26-12-1) wasted no time taking the lead. Evan Booth led off the game with a double that Marist left fielder Bryan Polak appeared to lose in the lights. Marist starting pitcher Mike Hearne then walked Steve Heilenbach, before Keith Lehmann drilled a 1-and-0 pitch off the base of the left-field wall. The double drove in Booth and Heilenbach and gave the Lions a 2-0 lead.
Lehmann made it 3-0 in the second when he singled up the middle to score Booth, who had a two-out single and stole second base.
“Once you’re down, it’s hard to be as aggressive as you want to be,” Fabrizio said. “When you get ahead, it’s easier to have gutsy calls.”
While the Lions were executing with runners in scoring position, Marist stranded seven runners the first three innings. In the first and second innings, the RedHawks left the bases loaded against Lions starter Matt Robare.
Marist finally broke through in the fourth. Josh Pfotenhauer led off with a single, followed by consecutive walks to Marty Mehalek and Cody Bohanek to load the bases for the third time in four innings.
Heilenbach then came on in relief of Robare. Hearne hit a dribbler toward third, and after fielding the ball Lehmann bounced a throw past catcher Brad Taylor, allowing two runners to scamper home to cut the deficit to 3-2. The inning could have been more productive, but Heilenbach retired Ryan Meyer, Polak and John McKevitt in order.
The RedHawks had a golden opportunities to score in the fifth and sixth innings, but stranded three runners, including two in scoring position.
Hearne allowed six hits, walked four, hit two batters and struck out five in a 102-pitch effort.
“It was a good season,” Fabrizio said. “Mike (Hearne) battled for seven innings. I’m proud of what we were able to accomplish.”
