The post-prom game is always a concern for Fenwick head baseball coach Dave Hogan. Over the years, he’s seen his share of sluggish players trying mightily to secure a victory while battling the effects of a late night. But on Saturday morning against Bishop McNamara, Hogan was pleasantly surprised to find his team at full strength as the Friars crushed the Fightin’ Irish 7-0 to push their win-streak to six games.
“After senior prom you never know what you’re going to get,” said Hogan, whose team boosted their overall record to 17-10 with the win. “But in this case, there wasn’t a letdown. The team came in and played as they have all week, with intensity and with the objective of winning. It’s nice to see the confidence level as high as it is at this point in the season.”
John McGann earned his fifth victory on the mound. McGann, who allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out five in seven innings of work, is 5-1 on the season.
Chris Gleason hit a triple in the first inning that produced a run and Drew Schroeder singled in two runs in the fourth. Hogan used everyone in the dugout.
On Thursday, the Friars came behind to down St. Frances de Sales 19-6. Billy Meyer earned the victory, giving up six runs, five of which were earned, on four hits. The junior, who, along with the St. Frances de Sales pitcher, had to pitch on a mound that seemed to slope toward second base instead of home plate, fanned three.
Down 4-0 after the first inning, Fenwick scored a whopping 15 runs in the second. The team had eight doubles in the inning, including two by John Planek for four RBIs. Chris Celio also had two doubles in the inning that drove in a total of three runs.
In their first meeting during the week on May 5, the Friars crushed Bishop McNamara 11-6. Fenwick’s Joe Horrigan and Rob Reither accounted for a total of six runs in the win. Horrigan went 4-for-5 on the day, while Reither hit a two-run homer.
Also last week, the Friars slipped past Mt. Carmel 1-0. Matt Parrilli, who was pinch-running after a single by Charlie Moore, scored the winning run for the Friars in the bottom of the sixth inning. Parrilli scored on an errant throw after Horrigan sacrificed him to second base. Tyler Sewall went 2-for-3 in the win.
McGann yielded just two hits to the Caravan, while striking out four and giving up no walks.
The Class 4A playoff seeds were announced last week and Fenwick was awarded the seventh spot in the St. Rita Sectional. St. Rita is the No. 1 seed in the sectional, while Mt. Carmel was awarded the second seed. Fenwick will host its own regional beginning the week of May 24.
“If we are playing like we have the last two weeks come playoff team I have confidence we’ll do well,” said Hogan. “All aspects of the game are coming together. Five guys are hitting over .500 and the pitching staff is solidifying.”
The Friars travel to St. Laurence today (Wednesday, May 12) and De La Salle on Thursday. They are likely to face De La Salle again in the regional championship on May 29.
The Friars host St. Ignatius at the Priory this Saturday with a start time of 11 a.m.
