Central rallies past Ursuline, 7-6

By Tom Williams

The Irish had won regional titles the past two years.

MASSILLON — The Ursuline High baseball team’s regional mastery of Schroeder Field came to a heartbreaking end in Thursday’s semifinal contest against Canton Central Catholic.

The Irish, regional champions the past two seasons, took a one-run lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Senior starter Robert Switka returned to the mound even though his pitch count was approaching 120.

Taylore Baker singled to open the frame and Mike Roman drew a full-count walk. Michael Marzec then lined the ball off Switka’s pitching arm to load the bases.

Unable to continue, Mark Lapikas relieved Switka.

Rudy Donatelli’s hit into shallow right field tied the game and Taylor Weisel’s full-count walk brought home the winning run in the Crusaders’ 7-6 victory that ended the Irish season.

“Today was the type of game where both teams just kept coming at each other.” Ursuline (22-6) coach Sean Durkin said. “Towards the end of the game, they were putting on more offensive pressure than we were and that’s the difference in the game.”

The Crusaders (27-3) connected for 13 hits.

Durkin said Switka deserved the chance to close the game in the seventh inning.

“It was just an extremely gutsy performance,” Durkin said. “He got hit pretty hard [by Marzec]. He wouldn’t have been coming out of that game unless he was hurt. That was the only way to get him out.

“He didn’t have his best stuff today but that’s the kind of competitor he’s been all year,” Durkin said. ”He’s not going tomake excuses for himself, he’s going to battle and do what he can do with what he has on any given day. He kept us where we needed to be — things just didn’t go our way.”

Until the seventh inning, much did go Ursuline’s way. Lapikas homered into the football stadium behind right field for afirst-inning 1-0 lead.

An inning later, the Crusaders loaded the bases and were poised to break the game open. But after Grant McCoury’s two-run single gave the Crusaders a 3-1 lead, Switka retired cleanup batter Rob Hoagland on a groundout and Baker on a flyout.

The Irish promptly tied the game with Paul Cene’s two-run, two-out single in the third inning.

An inning later, the Irish added three runs with Cene and Ross Revella earning RBIs.

But the Crusaders kept the game tight with two runs in the fourth inning to reduce Ursuline’s lead to 6-5.

In the sixth inning with one out, the Crusaders loaded the bases. Hoagland hit a line shot to third baseman Revella who quickly stepped on third base to retire Max Colaner and end the threat.

“Our defense and offense were a big part of this game,” said Switka, sporting a huge bruise on his biceps. “If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have been in this game at all.”

Despite throwing so many pitches, Switka said, “I felt like I was getting more confident. It just didn’t work out.”

Durkin said, “You have to gave Canton Central credit. They came back in the next inning [after the double play] and put pressure on us in every inning. They are a heckuva offensive team.”

Crusaders coachDoug Miller, whose team lost to the Irish 11-2 in the state semifinals in 2006, said, “That’s a great baseball team there but I knew thatour kids would battle right to the end.

“Time and time again this year, we’ve come back and won games in the bottom of the seventh,” Miller said. SDLqI think that helped our kids keep their composure.”

McGoury earned the win, allowing six hits and striking out six.

williams@vindy.com