Johnson keeps Caravan moving forward

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Kevin Johnson knows what he should have done when his Mount Carmel teammates were putting some crooked numbers up on the scoreboard.

"I was kind of being stubborn," the senior pitcher said. "I woudn't go down (to the bullpen) and play catch because I wanted to be in the game and see what was going on. When I came out, I probably should have thrown a couple more warmup pitches than I did."

Still, Johnson was sharp enough to pitch a six-hitter and strike out 13 as the Caravan rolled past Oak Park 11-4 Thursday in the Class 4A Mount Carmel Sectional semifinals.

Mount Carmel (25-13) plays No. 3 St. Rita (32-6) at 11 a.m. Saturday for the sectional title and a berth in Monday's Crestwood Supersectional at Standard Bank Stadium. The Mustangs swept the Caravan in Catholic League Blue play, winning 10-0 and 11-9.

Johnson (9-2) fell behind Oak Park (20-15) 1-0 in the top of the first on John Frueh's RBI single.

"My curveball, the first inning I couldn't get it at all," Johnson said. "I made my adjustments ... and in the second inning, I got it going good. My changeup was working really good. I guess I had all three of my pitches working."

"Every time Kevin goes out to the mound, he gives you everything he has," Mount Carmel coach Brian Hurry said. "He has ever since he started in this program."

It was still 1-0 in the top of the third when Johnson apparently picked Oak Park's Sam Picchiotti off second base. But an umpire ruled time had been called by Picchiotti, a ruling protested by Hurry.

"The whole crowd got into the game after that," said Johnson, who is a travel ball teammate of Picchiotti. "(Picchiotti) said he never called timeout. I was thinking, how is he running, sprinting toward third, and calling timeout? It didn't make a lot of sense."

Johnson got out of that jam and the Caravan rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the inning on four hits, five walks, two stolen bases, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. Steven Bajenski doubled home a run and Brad Myjak added a two-run single to the rally.

"Like our coach always says, a little adversity never killed anyone," Johnson said.

The Caravan stretched its lead with another run in the fourth and three more in the sixth, one coming when Myjak was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Picchiotti slugged a two-run homer in the top of the seventh, but Johnson struck out the side to send the Caravan into the sectional final.

Mike Krueger went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI for the Caravan.