HARTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA – Saint Ignatius' versatile junior infielder Colin Gallagher can't hide the admiration and respect whenever he refers to his older brother – Wildcats standout senior infielder, pitcher and tri-captain Dave Gallagher.
Friday afternoon, the Gallagher brothers were doing what has been a major part of their lives since they were old enough to lift a bat – playing the game of baseball together.
And oh my, do they ever play it well.
Saint Ignatius, with the Gallaghers helping show the way, overcame a tough start and went on to defeat Hedgesville from West Virginia, 15-5, in the third round of the Southeastern Baseball Classic at Jimmy White Park.
The Wildcats, who improved to 3-0 in the Classic and 6-0 overall, will face Hanna High School of South Carolina in Saturday night's championship game. The first pitch in Jimmy White Park will be 6 p.m.
“Playing with Dave has been basically an every day thing since were little,” said Colin Gallagher, whose two-run double was one of the highlights of the Wildcats' six-run third inning, an outburst that came after Saint Ignatius handed Hedgesville a 2-0 lead by committing three errors in the bottom of the first inning. “Before we started playing in leagues, our parents always told us that we were playing the game when were about two years old. And we just never stopped.
“It's definitely a pleasure to be back playing with him, especially when we play the middle infield together," Colin Gallagher continued. "It's a special bond that we have. I don't know how much more chemistry you can get than having your brother out there. It's definitely something special, something I look forward to.”
The Wildcats' faithful who made the trip to South Carolina are also looking forward to more special things on Saturday night as Saint Ignatius, based on run differential tie breakers and results of other games, actually entered Friday afternoon's action knowing it had clinched a spot in the title game.
Although that could have been a mental factor in the 'Cats' slow start against Hedgesville (5-9), the bottom line, said Saint Ignatius head coach Brad Ganor, is that his team earned its championship-game appearance with a solid week in Hartsville.
Along with Colin Gallagher's clutch double, the Wildcats' six-run third featured a base hit by senior designated hitter Mike Burke and an RBI single by junior right fielder Neal Jacobs.
Leading, 6-3, Saint Ignatius broke it open in the top of the fourth by scoring six more runs. The big blows were a two-run home run over the fence in left-center field by Dave Gallagher and a run-scoring single by senior center fielder Kory Gillissie.
Burke's RBI double pushed the Wildcats' lead to 13-3 in the sixth and Coach Ganor's team left no doubt when Jacobs said goodbye to Mr. Rawlings in the top of the seventh – a blast that went over the fence in left-center in a hurry – and Colin Gallagher produced his second double, a two-bagger that brought home the 'Cats' 15th run. Colin was 2-for-3 with a run scored, three RBI and two walks.
Dave Gallagher pitched the first four innings in picking up the victory. He yielded two hits, no earned runs, struck out seven and walked one. Sophomore left-hander Zak Shockley worked a scoreless bottom of the fifth and junior right-hander Mason Halter closed the show by setting the Eagles down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
“Colin played with me through little league and all of the way up,” said Dave Gallagher, who is one of the top players in Northeast Ohio. “When I got to Saint Ignatius it was actually the first time I hadn't played with him (Colin played junior varsity last season). Yeah, it's a lot of fun getting to play with him again and now my parents can come to all of the games because we're on the same team again.
“I try to set an example for him as to how we play here. But I mean he fits right in, he plays hard. Colin knows how to play the game and as much as he's learned from me, I've learned from him. It goes both ways.”