Big second inning pushes Mooney past Springfield

May 11, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

By STEVE WILAJ

STRUTHERS

Cardinal Mooney coach Al Franceschelli wasn’t thrilled with his team’s offensive execution on Tuesday against Springfield.

Well, minus the second inning, that is.

“That inning, I thought we played really, really well,” he said. “We bunted well and moved runners well. We sprinkled in a couple of hits and we ran the bases well. But without that five-run inning, I don’t know if we would have won the game.”

Keyed by the big five-run frame — as well as Jack Lynch’s complete-game effort — Mooney defeated the Tigers, 6-3, in a Division III sectional final at Cene Park. The Cardinals (17-7) advance to a district semifinal against Crestview on Monday at Cene Park at 4:30 p.m.

“We played some small ball — moved runners,” Lynch said of the decisive second inning. “It’s nice when you get a lead like that because it’s a lot less stress on the mound.”

Lynch pitched relaxed for most of the contest, allowing three runs in seven innings while striking-out seven.

Mooney’s five-run frame was keyed by four hits.

To start the inning, Springfield starter Russell Seymour walked Dom Pecchia and hit Chris Lewis with a pitch, before Dean Lauer notched a bunt-single to load the bases.

Brennan Olesh then hit an RBI single, Aaron Woodberry hit a two-run single (helped by a generous hop), Devin Curd knocked an RBI double and Bryce Richey notched an RBI groundout.

“We botched the defense on the sacrifice [bunt], they had a bloop hit in left field, we had a double play ball that bounced over my shortstops head,” Springfield coach Terry Dobson said. “That pretty much summed up the inning.

“The thing that I’ve been preaching all year is there are little things that you have to do to make up the big picture. We did not do that today. Not taking anything away from Cardinal Mooney — they’re a good team and we knew we had to bring our A-game. But we didn’t bring it.”

Trailing 6-0 in the fifth, Springfield got three runs back after loading the bases to start the inning on Seymour and Steve Ranelli singles and a Zach Renaldy walk. Lynch then balked in the first run, Brannon Brungard’s groundout scored a run and Anthony Ugolini notched an RBI infield single.

Still, Lynch — who allowed six hits and three walks — was able to avoid major damage.

“The beginning of the game I was just hitting my spots, throwing my slider — just feeling myself, I guess you can say,” Lynch said. “Getting in that jam, you just have to stay calm, work through it, trust your fielders and pitch strikes.”

Springfield — led by Ugolini’s two hits, Seymour’s two hits and Nathan Sommers’ double — never mustered a rally in the final two innings. Seymour went all six innings for the Tigers, allowing eight hits while striking out six.

“After the first couple innings, it seemed like he got more relaxed,” said Dobson, who finished 15-9 in his first season with the Tigers. “He had a problem with his elbow being down at the beginning of the game. He ended up getting his elbow up and he placed some pitches.”

Curd and Olesh each notched two hits for the Cardinals. Mooney next faces a Crestview team it lost to, 8-7, on March 30.

“I thought we could have done a better job offensively,” Franceschelli said. “We have to be able to score runs with runners on third base — be able to convert — and we really didn’t today.”