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Great All-Around Effort Leads to Win for Baseball Cats

By Eddie Dwyer, 04/24/18, 9:30AM EDT

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An all-around solid evening by Jack Eyink, Tommy Grosel's "Right The Ship" pitching and some late clutch baseball help the Varsity Wildcats turn back University School, 4-2, at Baldwin Wallace University

 Berea, Ohio - Monday's victory on atmosphere-rich Fisher Field improved Saint Ignatius' record to 8-5 heading into Wednesday's 5 PM first pitch versus the Green Wave of Holy Name right back at Fisher Field.

 A University School team whose now 4-7 record appears to be deceiving, is under the direction of Cleveland John Adams High School and Cleveland Sandlots legend Chuck Smith, who was the then-Florida Marlins Rookie of the Year in 2000. A big-hearted pitcher, Coach Smith spent more than a decade in the Minor Leagues before fulfilling his dream. In 2009, Coach Smith was elected mayor of Cleveland's Woodmere area, which is near where Chuck was raised and learned the game he loves.

 HERE IS A CORNER'S VIEW OF WHAT WAS A NICE BOUNCE BACK VICTORY FOR HEAD COACH BRAD GANOR'S WILDCATS. COACH GANOR WAS ILL AND UNABLE TO COACH ON MONDAY, SO HE PUT THE 'CATS IN THE CAPABLE HANDS AND BASEBALL MINDS OF HIS VETERAN ASSISTANTS, MR. MARK TERLEP AND MR. JOHN WHELAN.

 A tight game throughout: Wildcats gifted senior southpaw and co-Captain Tommy Grosel and the Preppers' gritty pitcher Matt Kalady kept the respective offenses off the scoreboard through three innings.

 Saint Ignatius' multi-skilled senior outfielder/relief pitcher Jack Eyink had his teammates in the dugout roaring after Jack sent a majestic triple off the left-field fence in Fisher Field with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the first inning.

 Kalady was able to keep Jack on third base by coaxing a 4-3, inning-ending groundout.

 University School had its faithful from Hunting Valley excited, as the Preppers of Coach Smith road a bunt for a base hit by third baseman Joe Fedro, a single through the left side from center fielder Brett Rogers and a walk to catcher Nate Mayor to a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the top of the second inning.

 Tommy Grosel, a four-year Varsity baseball player who has seen every pressure situation possible, went right after the next batter and the Wildcats ended the major threat with an AJ Gaich-to Michael McNamara-to Leo Eyink 4-6-3 double play. For those who don't know, Leo is Jack's younger brother.

 The Preppers were far from discouraged, as they were able to manufacture a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.

 University School's lead was short-lived, however, thanks to a three-run bottom of the fourth by Coach Ganor's resilient young men from Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School.

 Jack Eyink led off what turned out to be the decisive-answer inning by sending another towering triple into the sky over Eastland Road, this time a deep drive to the gap in right-center field.

 Baseball-savvy senior designated hitter JJ Conway then drove a game-tying RBI single to right field and junior left fielder and Nebraska recruit Michael Holdsworth followed with a base hit. Pinch runner Matt Geraci scored the go-ahead run on a 4-3 groundout off the bat of junior third baseman Matt Ferritto and McNamara, one of the top underclassmen in Northeast Ohio, gave Saint Ignatius a two-run advantage with a healthy sacrifice fly.

 The Preppers would close to 3-2 off two errors and a base hit by left fielder Mike Grassi in the top of the fifth before Tommy Grosel, who was called on by Coach Ganor to "right the ship" after the Wildcats lost a road doubleheader to Grove City and Olentangy Liberty on Saturday, did just that. Grove City and Olentangy Liberty are ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, in the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association's Division I State Poll.   

 Tommy got the final two outs in the top of the fifth inning on a 6-3 groundout and a strikeout.

 After Conway saw his deep drive to center field hauled in off an exceptional catch by the Preppers' Rogers in the bottom of the fifth, Grosel pitched a dominant 1-2-3 top of the sixth. Tommy, now 3-0, yielded four hits, no earned runs and struck out six.     

 Saint Ignatius gave their relief ace Jack Eyink, who took the mound in the top of the seventh, room to work with by combining a line-drive single to right field off the bat of Holdsworth, the savvy base running of junior outfielder Luke Cooper and another RBI sacrifice fly from McNamara into a 4-2 lead entering the final inning.

 Jack, who has been nearly flawless out of the bullpen, sealed the deal with yet another hitless inning.

 From Coach Terlep: "The guys were really into the game. The Substitute Teachers were in today (Coach Terlep's reference to himself and Coach Whelan) and they were very focused on the bench, as well as in the field. The guys that we asked to pinch run produced, they got on base, stole a base and scored runs."

 From Coach Whelan: "Everybody that had roles today, even if they were small roles, contributed to the win. And obviously having the seniors back helped (the seniors were excused from Saturday's doubleheader at Olentangy Liberty because of Prom).

 "Tommy Grosel pitched six very good innings and the way Jack Eyink performed, who said he felt weak today from being sick, went out and slammed two triples, was intentionally walked and was 90-to-92 on the radar gun," continued Coach Whelan. "The boys know what to do, we just facilitated. It was good to see that the intensity doesn't drop when 'The Chief' (Coach Ganor) isn't here."

 A tip of this corner's cap goes out to another member of Saint Ignatius' solid bullpen, junior Sean Wracher, who, as an outstanding long snapper for the Wildcats' Varsity Football Team, has now received offers from Penn State, Toledo and the University of Pittsburgh.

 Taking a look at Jack Eyink, Michael McNamara and other Wildcats on Monday was a member of the University of Cincinnati's Baseball Program.

 A get well soon from this corner goes out to Coach Ganor and we will see you dedicated and baseball savvy Wildcats fans again at the home of the Yellow Jackets on Wednesday for the 5 PM encounter with the Green Wave of Holy Name, or "The Little Davids," as the media used to refer to Holy Name's football program back in the day for its ability to upset opposing programs who were much bigger physically.