Partyka's blast helps Bartlett move on

Bartlett's Alex VanNess (right) is congratulated by Mike Mancuso after crossing home against Marmion.
(Andrew A. Nelles/For the Beacon News)

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Fall behind in the count to Greg Partyka and you might fall behind Bartlett.

Marmion found that out Thursday when the Bartlett catcher belted a three-run, opposite-field home run to give the Hawks a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bartlett cruised from there to a 10-4 victory in a Class 4A regional semifinal at St. Charles East.

“I got ahead in the count 2-0 so I was expecting nothing but a fastball,” said Partyka, a left-handed hitting junior. “They’d been pitching me away all game, so I just scooted up on the plate and just looked for a pitch I can drive. That one I knew I got all of it.”

Partyka, who has 10 home runs and 41 runs batted in, finished 2-for-4 with four RBI, but he had plenty of help as the Hawks (21-12) smacked three home runs and had at least two baserunners in every inning.

Marmion (22-4) took a 1-0 lead on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by C.J. Foster in the top of the first, but Partyka’s RBI single tied it in the bottom of the frame and a home run by Mike Mancuso highlighted a two-run third.

The Cadets, who opted not to start Illinois-bound ace Matt Milroy, made it 3-2 in the fourth as Chris Tydd drove in Will Sterne with a single. But pitcher Brian Burns walked Alex Van Ness and George Tintera before giving up the homer to Partyka.

“It’s hard to rely upon one guy or always look to one guy, but [Partyka] has been that guy for us throughout the season,” Bartlett coach Chris Pemberton said. “It’s good to see him again make solid contact and hit the ball the other way in a playoff game.”

Bartlett finished with 13 hits, 10 coming off Burns (6-2), who gave up eight runs, seven of them earned, and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. The Hawks scored twice in the fifth and added two more in the sixth on Tucker Erickson’s two-run homer.

“Marmion is a very good team,” Partyka said. “No lead is ever safe against those guys. [My homer] definitely gave us more confidence, but it was great that we kept getting more after that, too.”

Van Ness went 3-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and an RBI. Erickson and David Palma both had two hits. Devin Rowland improved to 8-1, allowing three runs, six hits and four walks while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings. Sterne and David Brouch had two hits for Marmion and Matt Garza drove in a pair, including a solo home run.