One win fine, two are divine

The Irish are making their seventh trip to state and fifth since 2000 when they won the state title.

By TOM WILLIAMS

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — On June 4, 2006, the Ursuline High baseball team lost to Marion Pleasant, 2-1, in the Division III state championship game at Cooper Stadium in Columbus.

“This is a heartbreaking loss, but we’ll be back,” Ursuline coach Sean Durkin said after the Irish watched the Spartans receive the championship trophy.

Durkin wasn’t kidding.

For the second straight season and fifth time in Durkin’s 10 years as Ursuline baseball coach, the Irish (23-5) are competing at the state level.

Semifinal opponent

Friday at 7 p.m. at Cooper Stadium in Columbus, Ursuline will play Bloomdale Elmwood (25-6) in a state semifinal game. The winner will advance to Saturday’s state final at 7 p.m.

“It’s great,” senior catcher Ed Rohan said after the Irish defeated LaGrange Keystone, 7-2, last Friday in Massillon to earn a return trip to Columbus. “It’s real nice to go down there. It’s a great time, to play against some good players for a state championship.”

This time, Rohan hopes the Irish finish what they started.

In the 2006 state semifinal game, the Irish pounded Canton Central Catholic, 11-2. The Crusaders, with unbeaten ace Eric Marzec on the mound, were in big trouble early when Todd Finn hit a first-inning grand slam.

The Irish bats, which pounded Garfield Heights (8-3) and Burton Berkshire (9-0) in the 2006 Massillon regional, were at it again, as Ursuline had six hits before the Crusaders had recorded a second out.

But against Marion Pleasant, the Irish offense was tamed. Ursuline recorded four hits in the title game, but none came after the second inning

Need to finish

“It feels real good [to go back],” Rohan said. “We didn’t finish it off — maybe we can finish it off this year.”

Third baseman Ross Revella, who hit a bases-loaded triple against Keystone, said, “I want us to go a little further than last year.

“It was so much fun,” Revella said of last year’s road trip. “It was the [most fun] that I’ve ever had in my entire life. As teammates, we bonded more than ever. So this year, we’ll do a little bit more bonding.”

Revella, a junior, said taking the field at Cooper Stadium “is amazing.

“I want to win it for the seniors,” Revella said. “Last year, the hardest thing wasn’t that we lost but that we didn’t win for the seniors. We’ve got to win it for the seniors this year.”

The Irish are making their seventh trip to state and fifth since 2000 when they won the title. Ursuline was state runner-up in 2001 (losing to Marion Pleasant) and was a state semifinalist in 2003.

This year’s team overcame one rocky start and a tight struggle in regional competition.

Rebounded to win

Against Woodridge, the Irish fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first inning before rebounding for a 10-4 victory. Pitcher Robert Switka settled down to toss six shutout innings, giving up just four more hits.

“Our kids were a little rattled, obviously,” Durkin said. “Down 4-0 in a game of this magnitude, who wouldn’t be? We’ve been in a couple of games this year where we’ve clawed back and we have some tournament experience. I think it was a big difference.”

Against Keystone, the shoe was on the other foot as the Irish pounced for a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.

Wildcats pitcher Steve Wirth regrouped to throw five shutout innings. Revella’s bases-clearing triple in the seventh inning secured the 7-2 triumph.

williams@vindy.com

XComing Wednesday: The Canfield High baseball team gets ready for its Division II state semifinal.