PHOTO BY LARRY STATES

Senior Nate Lundy had two hits and two RBI and scored twice as the Walsh Jesuit baseball team topped St. Vincent-St. Mary 7-2 on Friday in the Akron Div. II District semifinals.

AKRON, Ohio -- Playing their second game in a week, the Walsh Jesuit Warriors showed the sharpness that they had displayed throughout the baseball season.

And as a result, the Warriors defeated arch rival St. Vincent-St. Mary 7-2 in the Akron Division II District semifinals on Friday at Summit Lake Park.

Walsh (20-2) now advances to the district title game at 3 p.m. Saturday against rival Archbishop Hoban, a 4-0 winner on Friday over Kenston.

St. V-M saw its 10-game winning streak end in falling to 16-5.

How’s this for sharpness? The Warriors defense committed no errors and turned two double plays.  Starting pitcher junior Mike Marsinek allowed just two walks in six-plus innings.

And to top it off, Walsh had 12 hits in the game.

“it’s unfortunate for any team at this time of year to play either one or two times in two weeks in preparation for the district tournament,” Walsh coach Chris Kaczmar said in reference to all the rain, cold and postponements. “But I thought both teams played pretty well.”

The Warriors scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. With one out, the Warriors got consecutive singles by Nate Romans, Cassidy Brown, Nate Lundy and Jake Nogalo. Throw in a double-steal and a sacrifice fly and the Warriors had a lead they would not give up.

Walsh made it 4-0 in the fourth inning when Romans doubled to the fence in right-center, scoring Gino Sassano, who had reached on a fielder’s choice. 

Meanwhile, Marsinek controlled the Fighting Irish offense.

“Mike threw strikes and was very sharp,” Kaczmar said. “He could throw strikes and let his defense work.  Those double-plays were key.”

The first double-play occurred in the third inning following a lead-off walk to designated hitter Matt McGovern. Marsinek enticed lustin Dages to hit into a 4-6-3 twin-killing. 

The Irish got to Marsinek in the fifth. Freshman third basemen Cory Whaley walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice by McGovern. Dages flew out to right for the second out of the inning, but then senior David Bowen kept the rally alive by singling to center to drive in Whaley to make it 4-1.  Bowen stole second and came home on an RBI single by Sal Faetanini to cut it to 4-2.

But Walsh came back in the bottom of the fifth off starting pitcher Neal Edwards. Brown doubled and Nate Lundy walked to start the inning. Nogalo advanced both runners on a sacrifice. After Anthony Nemer struck out, Drew Miletti doubled to left-center, driving in both runners and making it 6-2. That was the last batter Edwards would face.

St. Vincent-St. Mary started the sixth with a single by Edwards. But Marsinek bore down and got Anthony Cicione to hit into a 6-4-3 double-play, taking the wind out of the Irish sails.

About the double-plays, Marsinek credited his catcher,sophomore Cassidy Brown.

“He knows what to call to get a ground ball, and my good buddy, Drew Miletti, at second and shortstop Anthony Nemer helped me both times to get those double-plays,” he said.

Walsh added an insurance run in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Lundy.

In the other Akron Div. II District semifinal:

Archbishop Hoban 4, Kenston 0

AKRON, Ohio -- Senior right-hander Nate Prebonick scattered seven hits and the Hoban Knights used a three-run third inning to defeat Kenston (19-5) in a district semifinal Friday afternoon at Summit Lake.

Coach Jim Diestel's team bunched three of its six hits in the third frame and took advantage of a Kenston error to push across three runs. That was all Prebonick (3-1) needed in going the distance. He fanned seven and walked one in registering the shutout.

Senior shortstop Kolin McMillen had a one-out, two run-double to put Hoban (14-7) on top 2-0. Junior Kerrigan Cain followed with an RBI single to plate senior Trevor Oldham.

The Knights meet Walsh Jesuit at 3 p.m. Saturday for the Akron Div. II District title at Summit Lake.