Frain ushers in win for Crusaders vs. St. Rita

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The stakes were different from what they will be in a couple of weeks. Ditto for the personnel.

For Wednesday's South Suburban Summer League matchup at St. Xavier, St. Rita was missing six starters, including Mark Payton, Shane Conlon, Anthony Andres and Joey Filomeno. Brother Rice was without Kevin Koziol and Brian Baldwin.

But Rice vs. Rita is always going to be something more than just another game.

"The rivalry's always there, Catholic (League) Blue, every sport we play them. Football, baseball -- it doesn't matter," Rice's Dan Frain said. "I grew up with all these kids."

And though the rivalry will be ramped up if the teams meet when summer regional play begins on July 20, there was plenty on the line for guys like Frain on this cool, rainy morning.

The leadoff hitter for Rice's sophomore team this spring, Frain's angling for an outfield job on the varsity in 2010. He didn't do anything to hurt his case on Wednesday, going 2-for-2 with a double, two stolen bases and a run scored as the Crusaders (12-4) won 7-4.

"I started out kind of slow (this summer)," Frain said. "But lately I've been picking it up, helping the team any way I can -- it doesn't matter if I'm pinch-running or playing one inning in the field. My bat's coming around, too."

"Danny's come on of late," Rice coach Tim Lyons said. "I coached him in football (also). He's a winner ... he can really run the bases well. ... He can do a lot of nice things for us."

It's the time of year when Lyons is finding out who can do what. On Wednesday, he used a 17-man batting order and ran out six pitchers. Only Ryan March, who pitched the first and seventh, went more than one inning.

"What I like to do the last two weeks (of the summer) is make sure every guy has that opportunity -- or has had that opportunity. ... The deeper we can be, the better."

Also making their case on Wednesday were players like Matt Klein, who slugged a two-run double in the sixth, and Ryan Malyska, who doubled home a run in the fourth.

"We feel we don't want to rebuild," Frain said. "We want this year to be a reloading year. We've got a lot of young guys, but we feel like we're good enough ... to compete with anyone."

"When you see some of the ... mental side of things we're making mistakes on, that shows you how young we are," Lyons said. "But I think there's a lot of talent behind those kids being young."

Even as short-handed as it was, St. Rita (7-2) had some highlights as well. Scott Thomas, who had a pair of doubles and an RBI, and Dan Potempa both finished 2-for-2. Stefano Belmonte was 1-for-1 with a sacrifice fly and an RBI.