A four-run bottom of the fourth, some perfectly executed "small ball" and the shut-down pitching of Tommy Grosel, Luke Lashutka and Jack Eyink help lead the top-seeded Wildcats past fourth-seeded North Royalton in the first game of Tuesday's OHSAA Division I District Semifinal Baseball Doubleheader at Strongsville High School.
The 4-0 triumph over the Bears advanced Head Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats into tomorrow's (Wednesday) 5 PM District Championship Game versus the third-seeded Strongsville Mustangs.
The Mustangs, who defeated second-seeded Brecksville-Broadview Heights, 3-0, in Tuesday's second game, won a District Championship last season by defeating Saint Ignatius on the Strongsville High School diamond. Strongsville went on to finish as the state runner-up to Massillon Jackson.
Saint Ignatius defeated the Mustangs, 10-0, in six innings in what was a regular season game last month at Baldwin Wallace University's Fisher Field.
The 'Cats, who are riding a six-game winning streak and carrying a record of 18-7, will send talented and tough-minded junior right-hander Andrew Mulhern to the mound on Wednesday.
Here is a look at some of Tuesday's key moments versus North Royalton, as the Bears bowed out of the tournament with a record of 14-10.
Strongsville, Ohio - In the bottom of the third inning of a scoreless game, Saint Ignatius had runners on second and third with just one out.
North Royalton, keeping its composure, got out of the jam on 4-3 (the runners held) and 5-3 ground outs.
"Let's go, we've got the momentum now!"
That was the repetitive response from the Bears' dugout as North Royalton was preparing to come to bat in the top of the fourth inning.
Well, hold on now. We all know that in baseball momentum can be as fickle as a Cleveland Spring.
If you're a fan of area high school baseball you know that one potential big inning not coming to fruition isn't going to rattle a year in and year out big-game tested program like Saint Ignatius.
"It almost felt like they had the momentum," said Coach Ganor of what was victory 302 in his outstanding career as the leader of the Wildcats' Varsity Baseball Program. "But we answered defensively and Tommy (Grosel) did a great job."
Saint Ignatius answered with a decisive fourth inning that saw Grosel steadily deflate the Bears' momentum with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth. North Royalton would go down on a pop out to second base, a strikeout and a 4-3 groundout.
Riding the momentum of what Coach Ganor described as a "great defensive answer," the Wildcats crossed the plate four times in the bottom of the fourth.
After a groundout to start the bottom of the fourth, Saint Ignatius junior left fielder Michael Holdsworth reached on an error. With athletic junior outfielder Luke Cooper pinch running, senior catcher and co-Captain Drew Asadorian doubled and fellow senior co-Captain and battery mate Tommy Grosel delivered an RBI single.
A sacrifice bunt off the bat of dynamic junior second baseman AJ Gaich pressured North Royalton into a throwing error as two more 'Cats raced home, including pinch runner Matt Geraci, and a bunt for a base hit by gifted sophomore shortstop Michael McNamara brought home Gaich.
McNamara played another solid game defensively, including a Derek Jeter-like leaping catch of a line drive that took away what looked like a sure base hit leading off the top of the fifth. McNamara's effort loomed even larger when the next Bear doubled to right field for North Royalton's only hit on the day.
"Tommy was rolling, he pitched a great game," Coach Ganor said after his ace improved to 6-0 on the season by going 5 1/3 innings, throwing 59 pitches, 38 of which were strikes, striking out three and yielding just the one hit (off a tough fly ball).
"We talk so much about when you get into playoff baseball, you have to do the little things like execute bunts, move guys over and be able to squeeze like that," Coach Ganor continued. "We did it multiple times in one inning. We've talked about it all season, and today it came to fruition."
Along with Grosel's superb effort, Coach Ganor was treated to some strong work out of his bullpen by sophomore Luke Lashutka and senior Jack Eyink.
Cool Hand Luke went two thirds of an inning, threw 15 pitches, 11 of which were strikes, and had one strike out. Jack Eyink then sealed the deal with three consecutive strikeouts off 14 pitches in the top of the seventh.
We will see you right back at Strongsville on Wednesday (tomorrow), as the Baseball Cats look to reduce the magic number to four. Again, the first pitch is 5 PM out on Lunn Road.