Tom Rolle's mound mastery and a 10-run third inning show the way as Coach Brad Ganor's 'Cats overwhelm the Cardinals. The game was called after five innings because of the state's 10-run mercy rule.

*Congratulations also go out to the Wildcats' lacrosse team, which improved to 4-0 with an 8-5 victory over North Allegheny (Pa.) on Saturday afternoon at Wasmer Field.

And tonight in Sullivan Gymnasium, the Wildcats' varsity volleyball team rode some outstanding all-around play by senior Ian McKenna to 25-21, 25-20, 25-20 victory over Walsh Jesuit. Saint Ignatius, which also won in straight sets at Medina on Saturday afternoon, now stands 5-2 on the season. Up next for the 'Cats is a 6:30 match at Walsh Jesuit (4-4) on Wednesday and on Friday night Saint Ignatius will go to the net against St. Edward in Sullivan Gym at 7 p.m.

Here is the varsity baseball game story. ****NOTE: THE WILDCATS' TRACK AND FIELD RESULTS FROM THE MEDINA RELAYS FOLLOW THE BASEBALL STORY.

Mahoning County - After he helped lead Saint Ignatius to an 18-3, run-rule triumph over Canfield on his birthday, Wildcats senior southpaw Tom Rolle said he would have to wait until he got home to see what his parents had planned for his special day.

Well, if those plans were complementary to the performance Tom and his teammates put on display in baseball-rich Bob Cene Park on Saturday afternoon, Rolle's 18th Birthday will be one he won't soon forget.

The Wildcats, with Rolle dominating after the first inning and the 'Cats' offense putting together its second big-time inning within nine days, sent everyone in attendance home early to the tune of the 10-run advantage after five innings mercy rule.

Only this time it was a leave-no-doubt 15-run advantage after five.

Rolle, who improved to 2-0 on the young season, yielded a run in the bottom of the first and was untouchable over the next three innings. The Cardinals, who slipped to 2-5, got two runs off Saint Ignatius' bullpen in the bottom of the fifth.

"Coach (Brad Ganor) told me before the game that he wanted me to pound the strike zone with fastballs and make them prove they could hit it," Rolle said after Saint Ignatius improved its record to 4-4. "Then we would go with the off speed. They started hitting it a little bit in the first inning and I went with my change up. I felt really good with the change. I got a lot of strikeouts with that pitch."

The Wildcats, who travel to Patterson Park on Monday for a 4:30 match up with the Fighting Irish from St. Vincent-St. Mary, rode a leadoff walk to standout senior second baseman Dan Rowbottom, a single up the middle by red-hot senior shortstop Tyler Finkler, a sacrifice bunt by leave-it-all-on-the-field senior center fielder Conor Hennessey, a wild pitch and an RBI single by five-tool junior left fielder Nick Fabian to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Canfield, which has made eight regional appearances since 1998 and 11 overall, won a state title in 2007 and was a state final four team in '98 and '04, cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first. Coach Matt Koenig's Cardinals scored on a leadoff single by junior left fielder Colton Crissman, a stolen base by Crissman and a two-out wild pitch. Canfield would also get a two-out single by senior center fielder Derek Turocy, but Rolle put a stop to the Cardinals' offense by getting the final out of the first inning on a pop up to Rowbottom. Rowbottom is bound for Illinois on a baseball scholarship.

Rolle went on to throw three perfect innings, striking out the side in the second and fanning two of the three Cardinals that stepped to the plate in the third inning. His final numbers showed him yielding just the one run on two hits, striking out six and not issuing a walk. Of Tom's 52 total pitches, 38 of them were strikes.

As is his nature, Rolle was quick to point to the Wildcats' offense, which sent 14 batters to the plate in the top of the third inning en route to scoring 10 runs. On April 5 in Chillicothe, Saint Ignatius run-ruled highly regarded Grove City, 13-2, by sending 18 batters to the plate in a 13-run fourth inning.

"Our first six hitters are all speedsters, so if they get on you know they're going to score," Rolle said. "It's definitely given me confidence and the other pitchers confidence that if we throw strikes, they'll score the runs."

Saint Ignatius' second monster-out-of-the-cage inning this season was fueled by a leadoff double to deep left-center field by Rowbottom. Finkler then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by the Cardinals infield, allowing Rowbottom to score.

After Canfield's shaky fielding enabled the 'Cats to load the bases, junior right fielder and Miami of Ohio recruit Nick Longo laced a three-run double to right center that broke the game open at 6-1. Senior designated hitter Kevin Hagen followed with an RBI single and the 10-run barrage also featured run-scoring singles by senior third baseman Jordan Bufford and Hennessey, another base hit by Fabian and a wild pitch that extended Saint Ignatius' lead to 12-1 heading into the bottom of third.

"In the (eight) games we've played I have felt very good about the offense," said Coach Ganor, who has guided the Wildcats to a school-best three consecutive state final fours (2007, '08, '09). Saint Ignatius has advanced to the state final four 10 times, has been a state runner-up twice (2000 and 2008) and brought home the Division I state championship in 2002 under Coach Brian Morgan. Coach Ganor was on Coach Morgan's staff.

"We've scored a lot of runs, we just need the consistent pitching," Coach Ganor continued. "I think we have it, but they (the pitchers) just need to bring it every time we show up. Tom did a great job of settling in after that first inning. He's very consistent no matter what he does. And it was nice to see the guys swing the bats well, put the ball in play and force the defense to make plays, which they (Canfield) didn't on some of them. We're taking a step in the right direction."

Those steps continued in the frosting on the cake six-run fourth. Rolle's teammates presented him with a cake at Friday's team dinner.

In scoring six more times the fourth, the Wildcats were the recipients of a walk to junior first baseman Nick Margevicius, an infield hit by Bufford, and RBI single by senior infielder David Bodziony, a bases-loaded walk to sophomore catcher Alex Panstares, a bases-loaded take on for the team by junior outfielder/pitcher Shane Skuhrovec, a misplayed fly ball that resulted in two runs, and an RBI single by senior infielder Cole Nieto.

Canfield's two runs against the 'Cats' bullpen in the bottom of the fifth came off a one-out single by Crissman. Saint Ignatius outhit the Cardinals, 13-4, and committed two errors to Canfield's six.

'CATS PLACE SECOND TO SOLON, 92 POINTS TO 80 POINTS, AT THE 26TH ANNUAL MEDINA RELAYS.

Here are Saint Ignatius' highlights: First place in the 4x1600 meter relay in 18:09.68; second to Solon in the 4x110 shuttle hurdles, 1:02.96 to 1:03.85; second to Solon in the 4x800, 8:13.28 to 8:14.62; third place in the distance medley; second to Warren Harding in the 4x400, 3:30.11 to 3:31.56; second to St. Edward in the 4x100 relay, 42.97 to 43.26; the high jump relay showed Mike Zupan tying for sixth place and Jack Hyland tying for eighth; second to St. Edward in the 800 sprint medley, 1:33.89 to 1:35.49; the shot put relay had Kevin Kavalec placing third (54-00.00) Rick Shurtleff finishing 11th (44-08.50) and Corey Griffith placing 14th (44-02.00); the discus relay had Kavalec finishing seventh and Griffith ninth; Pat Politowicz was eighth in the pole vault relay,12-06.00; Jack Hyland was sixth in the 110 meter hurdles; freshman James Norris placed fourth in the talent-laden 100 meters in 11.30 and freshman Tim Trentel was fifth in the 3200 meter run in 10:26.62.

NOTE: Saint Ignatius' veteran head Coach Chuck Kyle said the Wildcats' time in the 4x1600 meter relay could be or near the best time in the state. Coach Kyle also pointed to the performance by freshman James Norris in the 100 meters, who held his own against some of the premier sprinters in the country, including state champions Khoury Crenshaw of Solon and Anthony Young of St. Edward. Coach Kyle said James, who was quicker out of the blocks than his competition, just needs a little more experience.

Because of repairs being done to the track at Medina High School, the Medina Relays were held at Brunswick High School. As they did in the Brunswick Elite Meet on March 30th, the Solon boys and girls brought home championships on Saturday.