Ursuline storms from behind to school Gilmour Academy

May 30, 2014 at 12:10a.m.

MASSILLON

Being sent to the mound with a 2-0 count on the batter and his team trailing by three runs doesn’t faze Ursuline High junior shortstop Joel Hake.

“It’s not that hard,” Hake said. “I’ve never been a starter, so I’m used to it.”

In a Division III regional semifinal at Ducky Schroeder Field on Thursday, Hake relieved starter Vinnie Lucente with one out in the third inning and runners at second and third base.

His performance was rocky at first, then smooth as silk.

Hake walked two of the first three Gilmour Academy batters he faced (the second with the bases loaded). Then he caught Grant Weiss looking at strike three with the bases loaded.

Ursuline’s comeback was on. The Irish scored the next six runs for a 7-5 victory.

Ursuline (11-10) will play Orrville for the regional crown and a second consecutive trip to state at 5 p.m. today. In the other semifinal, Orrville needed 12 innings to oust Independence, 1-0.

“I don’t really know how to describe the feeling,” Hake said. “Coming back [from] 5-1 is an unbelievable thing to do in a game that means that much. It’s awesome.”

Junior outfielder Zach Patton led the Ursuline offense with two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored.

“It’s amazing,” Patton said. “We have a really good team, we’re just kind of young. Whenever Joel is pitching, we have a chance to win.”

Ursuline head coach Sean Durkin said his players “overcame a lot of adversity today. We committed three errors in the first three innings, which is kind of uncharacteristic for us.

“A couple of bad hops, a couple balls hopped right into their gloves that were really smoked,” Durkin said. “It was looking like it was going to be one of those days when the baseball gods weren’t with us.

“The kids persevered, came up with some big two-out hits late in the game on the biggest stage that these kids have been on.”

The Irish’s biggest comeback of the season began in their third-inning at-bat when Patton walked. One out later, Hake walked and both advanced on a wild pitch by Lancers starter Matt Botek.

With two outs, Michael Montalbano doubled to deep center field to score Patton and Hake, slicing the Gilmour Academy lead to 5-3.

Despite hitting into a double play, the Irish added another run in the fourth inning. No. 8 batter Gianni Quattro reached base on an infield single and stole second base. Patton singled to make it 5-4.

That score held until the sixth inning when the Irish rallied for three runs. With two outs, Logan Pullin beat out an infield hit and replaced by pinch runner John Hintz. After Quattro walked, Patton doubled over left fielder Weiss to give Ursuline a 6-5 lead.

Patton said he hit a chest-high fastball.

“I just turned on it and hit it over his head,” Patton said. “I was just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere.

“My dad always tells me, ‘The first pitch is the best pitch you are going to see,’ ” Patton said. “He threw me a first pitch right down the middle.”

The Lancers had several chances to blow the game wide open. In the fifth inning, they stranded three runners.

“Joel is a bulldog, he was huge for us today,” Durkin said. “He came in in a clutch situation, and he wanted it, too. I don’t think he was really happy when I took him out.”

In the seventh inning after Charlie Finucan’s one-out hit. Durkin lifted Hake for Dion Felger, who ended the game by getting Doug Weisman to ground into a double play.