Baseball: Montini knocks off Aurora Central
Updated: May 9, 2012 9:46PM
Squeezing in a makeup date for a conference game late in the season can be a tricky situation, but Montini took care of its Suburban Christian Conference business by producing a 5-1 victory Wednesday over host Aurora Central Catholic.
The visiting Broncos (15-13, 10-6) broke a 1-1 deadlock in the top of the fourth by pushing home two runs on Packey Barrett’s fielder’s choice and then shut the door in the top of the seventh with pinch hitter Sean Kenny’s two-run homer to left.
After yielding a run off two doubles in the top of the first, ACC pitcher Mike Fidler helped negate that with a leadoff double in the bottom of third with courtesy runner Keith Latham racing home on a Matt Masuras RBI double. Despite the complete-game effort of Fidler (3-4), the Chargers dipped to 9-17-1 and 2-10 in the SCC.
“The pitch was a little high and out, but I went with it and got a good hit. I was hoping that would get us started to a win,” Fidler said. “If it wasn’t for a perfectly placed hit (in the fifth), I would have gotten out of a bases-loaded jam, but that’s baseball and that’s why it’s a great game.”
The breaks of the game, or specifically one bad break for the Chargers, was pivotal according to ACC coach Eric Fulara.
“In our half of the fifth, if the umps don’t rule Kevin (Bond) out (for not touching second), we have first and third with no outs and a great chance to tie it again, instead all the momentum shifted their way,” he said. “We’re still a young enough team that one thing can pop our balloon. We kept battling, we always do, but we also get deflated.”
Montini starter Ben Dobosenski (5-3) went 5‰ before Tyler Quick closed out the win for the Broncos.
“The hardest thing for all spring sports is keeping the kids focused and pumped,” Montini coach Bob Landis said. “You’ve had prom, exams, seniors thinking graduation, school’s winding down, but we’re still playing for postseason wins. I don’t know if anything this year has made me happier than seeing Sean round the bases. Here’s a kid who’s had all of 12 at-bats this year, but he understands his role and stepped up when we called him.”
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