SAINT IGNATIUS WRAPS UP ITS MEMORABLE AND RESILIENT SEASON AT 20-10.

COACH BRAD GANOR SAYS GOODBYE TO A STRONG SENIOR CLASS, THE LEADERS ON A TEAM THAT WAS BUILT ON A SOLID FOUNDATION OF CAMARADERIE.

BY EDDIE DWYER, COPYRIGHT MAY 2012

Case Western Reserve University – After his team ended its season with a late momentum-swinging, 6-4 loss to Westlake in Thursday’s Division I regional semifinal at Nobby’s Ballpark, Saint Ignatius head baseball coach Brad Ganor truly put the entire 2012 season in its proper place.

“You have to be proud of them for the way they came back and fought,” Coach Ganor said after he watched his Wildcats rally from a 3-0 deficit and take a 4-3 lead by scoring two runs in both the fourth and six innings. “They are great kids and the seniors are going to walk across the stage in a week. The most important thing is that they are Ignatius Men. It’s going to sting for a while, but they’ll learn from this.

“That’s sports,” Coach Ganor continued. “Some of the best lessons are learned in sports, and they don’t always come with a win. They might not see it now, but they’ll learn from this experience. Twenty years from now they’ll be better men because of it.

“And they’ll be Saint Ignatius graduates, which is the most important thing.”

A team that displayed exceptional character and resolve during its 20 wins and 10 losses season, Saint Ignatius was a battler all spring.

This wasn’t a team laden with power or overpowering pitchers. But when they look back at the 2012 “Diamond Cats,” the baseball purists among Saint Ignatius’ faithful will recall the resilient bounce backs – lose two or three in a row and come back with four or five consecutive victories.

It was their grit against another who’s who schedule that enabled the third-seeded Wildcats to advance to the Sweet 16 among Ohio’s big-school programs. And, although they came up short to another strong-willed club – the Westlake Demons (22-6) and their 24-year head coach Jeff Short – the ‘Cats again displayed the ability to go toe-to-toe with adversity.

The Demons, who are determined to send their Hall of Fame coach into retirement with something he will always remember, held a 3-0 lead after 3 ½ innings. Westlake scored on a one-out RBI single in the top of the second by senior second baseman Andrew Dunn and a towering two-run home run over the fence in left field by junior first baseman Jamie Lackner in the top of the third.

Westlake senior pitcher Ben Neumann (6-0) had Saint Ignatius’ all-wood bats offense under control in the early going, before the Wildcats made it a one-run game in the bottom of the fourth.

The Wildcats scored their first two runs on an error, a base hit to center field by gifted junior second baseman Dan Rowbottom, a bunt by senior center fielder and tri-captain Tim McCoy that Tim was able to beat out, a one-out sharp grounder off the bat of junior third baseman Tyler Finkler that the Demons were unable to handle and a sacrifice fly by senior catcher Ralph Lucarelli.

With senior right-hander Scott Chase doing another solid job out of the bullpen and the Wildcats’ defense again flashing the leather, Saint Ignatius took its one-run lead in what was a wild bottom of the sixth.

Rowbottom led off with a line-drive double to right field off a 0-2 pitch and McCoy battled from behind in the count to draw a walk. Senior designated hitter Stephen Alexander then laid down a perfect bunt to the left side and the fireworks started.

The throw to first base to Dunn, who was covering on the play, was a bit up the line and he and Alexander collided. The ball jarred loose and bounced far enough away that Rowbottom and McCoy were able to score the tying and go-ahead runs, and Alexander advanced all the way to third base.

However, just when the emotion appeared to be in Saint Ignatius’ favor, that fickle Mr. Momentum took a seat in the Demons’ dugout.

In what was the turning point of the game, Alexander, who was standing on third base with no outs, never crossed home plate as Westlake came up with a strikeout and two exceptional defensive plays by the left side of its infield that took away base hits.

Riding the momentum of that damage control , the Demons responded with their three-run top of the seventh and, after Wildcats senior shortstop and tri-captain Mike Ruffing led off the bottom of the seventh with a base hit, sealed a trip to Friday’s round of elite eight by getting a fly out to right field and a double play.

The key hits in the top of the seventh for Westlake were an RBI double by junior center fielder Danny Strodtbeck that knotted the score at 4 and a two-out single by senior designated hitter Jonathan Brick that provided an insurance run.

“I hope that Westlake makes a run all the way and keeps it going for Jeff (Coach Short),” Coach Ganor said. “He’s a class guy and sending him out on top would be a fitting end to a fantastic career.”

Although their season didn’t end as they had hoped, the 2012 Wildcats will always have their own unique spot in the hearts and minds of those fortunate enough to be associated with them.

“The group we had this year was really special,” said McCoy, as he was packing his Saint Ignatius baseball gear for the final time. “We believed, and a lot of other people were starting to believe, that we had the opportunity to make a run. It’s sad that it had to end like this, but we had a great season and we have great memories.

“The chemistry was tremendous and we went out there and created things,” McCoy continued. “We left it all on the field.”