Fighting Irish hit their stride after sub-.500 regular season

May 29, 2014 at 12:08a.m.

Fighting Irish hit their stride after sub-.500 season

YOUNGSTOWN

Ursuline is heading into the Division III regional against Gates Mills Gilmour Academy with an un-Irish-like 10-10 record.

The Lancers, at least on paper are a tad worse at 10-11 but as many caution the casual observer, do not get caught up in a numbers game regarding two of the final 16 teams standing in the division.

Game time today at Massillon High School’s Ducky Schroeder Field is 2 p.m.

After defeating South Range, 11-2, last Thursday for their fourth consecutive district championship, Irish coach Sean Durkin feels his squad is finally playing up to its potential.

“We’ve played well our last three tournament games, first in the sectional finals and last week in the district so right now I feel like we are definitely playing our best baseball,” Durkin said. “We’ve had some ups and downs this season so we’re pleased to be heading to regionals with much-needed momentum.”

Under Durkin’s watch the Irish have one state title, have two runner-up finishes, six regional crowns and 10 district titles to an ever-expanding team resume.

“It was very satisfying to win a fourth consecutive district title, yet at times it was a real challenge. We have the utmost respect for both Springfield Local and South Range as they are excellent baseball programs,” Durkin said. “With quite a few former players in attendance rooting us on, this year’s district title was very special.”

Durkin is hoping his team can earn a return trip to the state in order to rectify last year’s early exit.

“We’ve been in every game this year and while pitching and defense has been our strength, if we could find a way to string some runs together then we can win some tournament games,” Durkin said prior to district play.

In three tournament games since that assessment, his team has outscored opponents, 28-3.

“Our pitching has been solid all season, even in the early going when we were searching for a defensive identity,” Durkin said. “We’ve had Joel Hake at shortstop for just five games this year due to back problems and at 80 percent, he’s still the best shortstop I’ve seen this year. If necessary, we won’t be afraid to use him on the mound either.”

Durkin is expected to start Dion Felger (4-2), the staff ace who stopped South Range in the district semifinals while sophomore Vinny Lucente (2-2) evened his mark with an 11-2 victory over South Range in the district title game last Thursday and will see action as well.

Felger (.400), Michael Montalbano (.350) and Tannor Berry (.410) are Ursuline’s top offensive weapons.

The second-seeded Lancers are champions of the Euclid district and unlike the Fighting Irish, have won two one-run games while being extended to 12 innings in the other in order to punch a regional ticket.

They defeated Wickliffe, 3-2 for the sectional title; stopped Kirtland, 8-7 in the district semi-finals and then turned back fourth-seeded Garrettsville Garfield, 5-2 in 12 innings.

Gilmour, which will be making its first regional appearance since 2009, is coached by Jay Fowler.

“For us, it’s a matter of keeping our focus for seven innings,” said Fowler, in his fifth season with the Lancers. “When we keep that focus we do a nice job in all three phases of our game and good things tend to happen.

“When we lose that focus then parts of our game become a challenge to keep in order.”

Fowler will start either Matt Botek (2-1, 1.60 ERA) or Brandon Jaces (3-3, 2.05) while offensively, they rely on junior Grant Weiss (.495), Benny Clark (.503) or catcher/reliever Peter Dolan (.355).

Weiss was one of the top hitters in Northeast Ohio most of the year while Dolan is the son of Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan.

“Like Ursuline, we’re two teams playing our best ball right now and it couldn’t come at a better time in the season,” Fowler said. “We both play similar schedules — challenging and tough — so it should be a very good game.”

The winner will move on to the regional championship contest Friday and will take on the winner of the Independence-Orrville game for the right to advance to the state tournament beginning June 5.

That game time is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.