Ursuline moves on past JFK, 4-0

The Irish advance to district competition next Wednesday.
By PAUL TRGOVAC
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
STRUTHERS -- Earlier in the regular season, the Warren JFK High baseball team defeated Ursuline, 2-1.
On Wednesday, many expected another close low-scoring game as the same two pitchers from the first meeting -- Dave Patrick of the Irish and Josh Cooper of the Eagles -- were on the mound again, this time in a Division III Sectional Final at Cene Park.
Patrick allowed just three singles in a masterful performance.
Cooper allowed just four hits on the day, but his defense let him down as Ursuline scored four unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning to win 4-0.
"I told the boys who ever made the least mistakes and hits the ball is going to win," Warren JFK coach Don Lee said. "Ursuline is a good team, but if we hit the ball then it is a different story. They made the plays and we didn't."
Advance to district
The top seeded Irish (19-4) advance into district play next Wednesday at Cene Park against Garrettsville.
The Eagles slipped to 13-7 with the loss.
"What an efficient performance," said Ursuline coach Sean Durkin after Patrick needed just 60 pitches in seven innings. "He has been that way all year.
"He throws strikes, and keeps the hitters off balance and that is what we have come to expect of him," Durkin said.
Only 11 of the pitches Patrick threw were balls as he won his sixth game in seven decisions. Patrick did not walk a man (he never reached ball three on a batter) and had four strikeouts. No Eagle baserunner reached second base.
Cooper was almost as good. He only walked one man and had three strikeouts as he slipped to 4-3.
Errors costly
In the fifth inning, Shawn Roman led off with a bloop hit to right field. Russ Revella attempted to bunt but popped the ball up in front of the plate where Cooper made a nice diving catch.
However Cooper then tried to catch Roman off the bag at first. His bad throw allowed Roman to advance to second base.
An error on the next ball off the bat of Joe Wielbruda put runners on the corners.
Patrick was safe on a throwing error as the first run of the game scored on the play, and two more runs scored on an opposite-field triple over the left fielder's head by Ryan Satterlee.
The last run scored was on a sacrifice fly by Eddie Rohan. The four unearned runs were scored on just two hits as the Eagles committed three errors in the inning.
"The Cooper kid is a great pitcher, and we knew that a run or two might be enough today," Durkin said. "Luckily for us, we got a couple of breaks in that inning to put a crooked number up on the board. Tournament baseball is about taking opportunities."
Irish flawless on defense
Ursuline played flawless defense as they turned two double plays and also saw a fine diving catch by Matt Yarab in right field end the fifth inning.
Satterlee made a great play and throw in the hole at short on a ball off the bat of Cory Diles to start the sixth.
"We knew we were going to have to be good defensively this season," Durkin said. "Satterlee at short and Wielbruda at second base have been phenomenal all season for us.
"We have not been a team that has kicked the ball around which is why we have been successful," Durkin said.