Donko, Ursuline too much for Keystone

May 31, 2013 at 12:04a.m.

MASSILLON

Ursuline High senior pitcher Sam Donko sizzled in the Irish baseball team’s third straight regional appearance.

With temperatures in the high 80s, Donko was in full command on the mound, striking out 15 Keystone batters and walking one in Ursuline’s 6-1 victory over LaGrange Keystone in the Division III regional semifinal game at the Ducky Schroeder Field.

“He was dominant today,” Ursuline coach Sean Durkin said of the Irish ace. “It’s kind of what we’ve grown accustomed to in big situations. We’ve been a little spoiled but he showed up big-time today.

“He’s not had his greatest stuff the last couple of outings but everything came together for him today,” Durkin said.

The win has the Irish (23-2) one victory away from their first trip to state since 2007. Today at 5 p.m., Ursuline will play Orrville (16-13)..

Unlike some who were uncomfortable in the sweltering heat, Donko embraced it.

“It was nice throwing in 90-degree weather,” said Donko who scattered four Keystone hits. “This is the way I like it and I felt [the heat] helped me today.

“My offspeed [pitches] broke well,” Donko said. “I felt excited — everything just fell in place.”

Watching from the sidelines is senior catcher Matt Lacko, Donko’s catcher last season who will be having surgery for a meniscus tear after the season ends.

He made the most of his brief moment in the sunshine with a big clutch hit. With the bases loaded and one out in the fourth inning, Lacko singled to score Dion Felger and Tanner Berry to give the Irish 2-0 lead.

“Coach Durkin told me before the game that in a big situation, he was going to come to me,” Lacko said. “I knew what I had to do.

“It felt good.”

Durkin was glad he found a chance for his veteran.

“He’s been dinged up playing behind the plate,” explaining why he started freshman Drew Potesta. “He came up in a big position and he came through.

“I couldn’t be happier for him.”

The Irish’s big inning continued when Anthony Rohan grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Joel Hake. Rohan scored Ursuline’s fourth run on Donko’s two-out single.

That was more than enough for the Irish who were playing the Wildcats for the third consecutive year on this field.

Donko retired the Wildcats’ first nine batters before Pierce Young led off the fourth inning with a single. Tyler Gullett advanced Young to second with a base hit and he scored the Wildcats’ only run on Marcus Gunter’s one-out hit.

Donko escaped the jam, first with a pickoff rundown play with third baseman Harry Finelli to erase Gullett. The rally died when Donko struck out Kendle Steiner.

“Even the meat of their order, nobody seemed to be getting around on the fastball, which allowed [Donko] to throw his breaking ball a little bit more,” Durkin said. “The fastball was the key.”

Potesta agreed.

“Today, he just had it,” Potesta said.

The Irish (23-2) added solo runs in the fifth and sixth inning.

Felger singled and advanced to third base on Berry’s one-out double, Felger came home when Vinnie Boerio hit the ball sharply to second baseman Aaron Brodnik who struggled to get the ball out of his glove in time to beat Boerio.

The Irish loaded the bases in the sixth inning and Berry scored the sixth run on Rohan’s sacrifice fly to center field.