Dominant Oak Park tops De La Salle

Updated: May 28, 2011 11:41PM

Jack Picchiotti hit a three-run home run and Tim Sutton added a solo blast to lead fourth-seeded Oak Park-River Forest to a 7-1 Class 4A regional final win Saturday over fifth-seeded De La Salle.

Winning pitcher P.J. Brennan (6-3) pitched a complete game and allowed five hits and one walk while striking out six at OPRF.

The fourth-seeded Huskies (28-9) will play top-seeded St. Rita (29-6) in the Mount Carmel Sectional semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

OPRF won its 27th regional title and won its last 12 consecutive regionals.

De La Salle scored its only run in the third inning after the Huskies scored three runs in the first powered by Alec Jeffries’ double off the right field fence. Sutton’s homer came in the second inning while the Purdue-bound Picchiotti, a junior catcher, hit his sixth homer of the season in the sixth.

Huskies coach Chris Ledbetter plans on using left-hander Zach Weigel (5-1) against the Mustangs in the sectional. Weigel had a bunt hit against De La Salle and has now hit safely in 36 of 37 games this season.

“We take the approach with any of our pitchers that I want to set my pitchers up to win the sectional,” Ledbetter said. “We never set them up to win the regional. We look at the seeds and the matchup. We ask, ‘Who gives us the best chance to win here or the best chance to win there?’ ’’

OPRF seeks its 15th sectional title, but first since 2008.

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