Baseball: Catholic League routs Public League in all-star game
By Mike Clark mclark@southtownstar.com June 11, 2012 8:58PM
6/11/12-Providences Brandon Boggetto is safe at home for the Catholic League with Lane Techs Alex Sheehan catching for the Public League during the All Star Game at Cellular Field. Stacia Timonere/for the Sun-Times
Updated: July 13, 2012 6:11AM
It’s been a few years since Anthony Shimkus last pitched from the U.S. Cellular Field mound.
But the De La Salle senior didn’t need long to get back into a groove Monday afternoon in the Catholic League-Public League all-star game.
“Going out there I was kind of nervous because it’s an all-star game and my first time here in a while,” said Shimkus, who pitched at the Cell in 2010 for De La Salle in a regular-season game. “First batter, the nerves were definitely running. But then I started to calm down a little bit.”
Shimkus worked a pair of scoreless innings, allowing two hits, and picked up the win as the Catholic League cruised to an 8-1 victory over the Public League.
De La Salle’s Pat Haynes and Mount Carmel’s Sam Kint each delivered two-run singles for the Catholic League, which broke the game open with a six-run fifth inning.
“It’s a good one to end on,” said Kint, who was wearing his high school uniform for the last time. “I’m just happy I hit the ball. I was nervous up there. Once you get that first hit out of the way, it’s all good.”
Haynes’ hit in the second inning scored Mount Carmel’s Tyler Laurisch and St. Laurence’s Brandon Mallder and gave the Catholic League a 2-0 lead.
Kint’s hit keyed the sixth-inning rally, which also featured a sacrifice fly by Mount Carmel’s Dan Pappas.
Mallder was the only player in the game with more than one hit, finishing 2-for-2 with a run. He savored the opportunity, even if it meant playing an unfamiliar position: left field.
“I haven’t played there in a long time,” Mallder said. “It’s a little different, but it’s baseball.
“You don’t know if you’re going to get another chance to play on another field like this. It’s nice to take advantage of the at-bats you get and get a hit.”
St. Joseph’s Stephen Scatassa, Laurisch and Gordon Tech’s Dakota Pisarek all had scoreless outings for the Catholic League. The Public League avoided the shutout by scoring on an RBI groundout by Jones’ Pablo Padilla in the bottom of the seventh.
Like Shimkus, Morgan Park infielder DeJohn Suber has played on this field before. And it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that he may again after getting drafted in the 38th round by the White Sox last week.
“Every time I come out here, I never get tired of it,” he said. “I wish I could play here every day.”
Suber said he hasn’t received a contract offer yet from the Sox. “But my mind is set to go to college (at John A. Logan in southern Illinois) since I was so low in the draft.”
