Ursuline blanks JFK, faces Girard

Irish pitcher Robert Switka limited the Eagles to four hits.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

STRUTHERS — Getting to the Division III district championship game has become a pretty regular thing for the Ursuline High baseball team.

Thursday, the Irish rolled into their sixth district final in 10 years after posting an 11-0 victory over Warren JFK at Cene Park.

Today at 5 p.m., the Irish will play Girard at Cene Park. The Indians advanced with a 5-0 win over Rootstown.

Ursuline (19-4) got a strong pitching performance from Robert Switka as the junior (6-1) limited JFK to four hits in six innings and struck out five without walking a batter.

“It was a pretty impressive performance by Robert,” Ursuline coach Sean Durkin said. “Our winning didn’t surprise me, but the final score did because Warren JFK is a good baseball team.”

“We had some opportunities early, but couldn’t cash in, but we made up for it in the last three innings.

Happy with chills

The Irish got all the runs that Switka needed in the first inning.

“I really felt good out there today,” Switka said. “The cold weather didn’t bother me. By now, we should be used to it.”

Ursuline got on the board right off the bat as Ross Revella doubled into the right-center field gap and took third on Matt Yarab’s bunt single. Ed Rohan then hit a deep fly ball to left field, scoring Revella.

In the fifth inning the Irish gave Switka some breathing room scoring three more runs.

Revella led off with a walk, stole second and went to third on a passed ball. After Yarab struck out, Rohan drilled a double down the left-field line.

Rohan scores

After Todd Finn struck out, Mark Lapikas singled to left with Rohan eventually scoring on a throwing error by the JFK catcher. Shawn Rowan then singled over third base, scoring Lapikas.

Ursuline blew the game open in the sixth, scoring five more times, but had some help from the Eagles, who committed two errors, had two passed balls and a wild pitch.

The Irish had five hits in the inning as they batted around. Finn had a two-run single while Yarab also drove in a run with a single.

Ursuline closed out the scoring with two more runs in the seventh, again with the help of a JFK error, its fifth of the contest, and another RBI single by Yarab.

Adam Sepesy came on in relief of Switka to pitch the seventh and gave up the Eagles’ fifth hit.

mollica@vindy.com