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frankfortstation.com sports
the frankfort station | June 1, 2017 | 53
Baseball
Celtics overcome miscues in 4-3 regional semifinal win
Randy Whalen, Freelance Reporter
The streaker came and the streak
continued.
In the bottom of the sixth inning
of the Thursday, May 25, regional
semifinal between Providence and
Stagg, a streaker jumped over the
right-field fence, ran around for a
few moments and jumped back over
the fence.
Maybe it was a foreshadowing, as
soon after, the Providence postseason
baseball streak continued.
Down to their final four outs, the
Celtics rallied for a run to tie in the
sixth inning, and then Dylan Gorski
knocked in the winning run in the
bottom of the seventh. That gave
Providence a 4-3 victory over Stagg
in the second semifinal of the Class
4A Andrew Regional.
The victory improved the threetime
defending Class 4A state
champion Celtics postseason winning
streak to 22 games. Stagg (15-
14) was looking to capture a regional
title for the first time since 2014.
The Celtics have not lost in the
playoffs since May 30, 2013 by the
score of 2-1 at home to Lockport
Township in a Class 4A sectional
semifinal game. The May 25 victory
was the 10th time Providence
pulled out a game by one run in the
streak. Toss in a couple of times that
the Celtics were tied or trailed in
the seventh but rallied for multiple
runs to pull it out, and the stretch
becomes even more unreal.
“We just have to do what we do,”
said Providence right fielder Kevin
O’Boyle, who is one of 10 Celtics
seniors who have never seen their
team lose a postseason game since
they’ve been in high school. “You
have to trust in the process and be a
team when we need it the most.
“Maybe there is some pressure,
but not a whole lot. We know what
to expect. We stick with each other
and never give up.”
Batting in the No. 9 position,
O’Boyle (1-for-2) had a bunt single
in the fourth inning. But, true to the
team concept, he was pinch-hit for
with the Celtics trailing and one out
and none on in the bottom of the
sixth. That move paid dividends as
sophomore Alex Helmin hammered
a double into the left-field corner.
Following a popout, junior center
fielder Steven Meyer (2-for-4, RBI,
R) mashed a triple that one-hopped
off the right-field fence to knot the
game at 3-3.
Junior right-hander Ethan Petric,
who is usually a starter but entered
in the sixth, retired the Chargers in
order for the second-straight inning
in the top of the seventh. That set
the stage for another Celtic celebration.
Dakota Kotowski was hit by a
pitch top open the inning. When an
errant pickoff throw went down the
right-field line, the junior first baseman
went to third base with no outs.
Stagg elected to intentionally
walk senior left fielder Drew Hunniford
(1-for-3) and senior catcher
Mike Massaro to load the bases.
That worked out for a moment as
the Chargers got a force out at home
on a tapper to third. That brought up
Gorski, and the junior second baseman
lined a 1-0 pitch for a single to
right for the game-winning hit.
“I just wanted to get the ball in
the air and do the job,” said Gorski,
who was 3-for-4 from the No. 8 spot
in the lineup. “It was an offspeed
pitch and I held back and took it to
right.
“There was no pressure at all;
that’s the fun of the game right
there. When we were down 3-2, we
just said that we can do this. Just do
the job and we’ll be fine.”
Stagg was the latest victim of the
streak.
“They don’t have a slouch in their
lineup,” said Charger coach Matt
O’Neill, who saw the Celtics out hit
his squad 11-to-2. “They know how
to win they just find ways to win.”
Providence scored a pair of runs
in the third. Gorski got the first hit
of the game for either team when he
hit a first-pitch leadoff single up the
middle. One out later, junior shortstop
Ryan Kaup (1-for-4) singled to
center and Meyer made his perfect
bunt up the third base line go for a
single to load the bases. Junior third
baseman Logan Anderson (2-for-4)
then had a two-run single to left.
Senior right-hander Kurt Dankovich
fired 4 1/3 innings of no-hit ball
Frankfort resident Drew Hunniford throws the ball Thursday, May 25, during a regional semifinal game against
Stagg in Tinley Park. Photos by James Sanchez/22nd Century Media
Frankfort resident Logan Anderson awaits a pitch.
for Providence ran into trouble in
the fifth. He had walked two in the
first four innings, but issued a pair
of one-out walks in the fifth. A nice
squeeze bunt by senior right fielder
Trevor Bumsted scored a run and
sophomore catcher Danny Russo
followed with a first-pitch RBI
single to left to tie the game at 2-2.
That chased Dankovich and brought
in sophomore righty Basil Webber.
With runners at first and third,
the Chargers did an intentional rundown
between first and second while
the runner breaks off from third.
It worked as the ball was dropped
in the rundown, allowing Russo to
score the lead run. Junior second
baseman Drake Wolan (1-for-2, BB)
also had a single for the Chargers.
Fresh off a trip to Boston the day
before to see the major league debut
of former Providence standout Sam
Travis for the Red Sox, Providence
coach Mark Smith left immediately
after the game for a family graduation.
But, according to assistant
coach Jason Vitas, he gave the same
pep talk over again and it worked
again.
“It’s the same speech every year,”
Vitas said of what Smith tells the
team every season during the streak
when they’ve been behind. He says
‘just play our game and we’ll be
fine.’”