Menich stellar in win for Prospect

Updated: April 25, 2011 6:24AM

With Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade on hand Thursday to support his former high

school coach, longtime Prospect coach Larry Pohlman, Prospect right-hander

Ben Menich wasn't about to allow rival Hersey to spoil the pregame ceremony.

After allowing two runs in the first inning, Menich settled down and Prospect's

bats came to life as the Knights cruised past Hersey 9-4 in a battle between the

top teams in the Mid-Suburban League East Division.

Menich (4-0), a 6-foot-3, 185-pound unsigned senior, tossed a six-hitter with three strikeouts and five walks to help Prospect (11-2, 3-0)

hand Hersey (7-5, 2-1) its first conference loss. Before the game, Prospect

named its field after Pohlman, who had coached at the school for 29 years, from

1968-1996. Quade caught the ceremonial first pitch.

"I could tell the kids had a little bit of the jitters," said current Prospect

coach Ross Giusti. "I was really happy with the way the kids bounced back. … One

of the things [Menich] has been trying to do is step up in big games, and he did

today."

After Hersey mounted a 3-0 in the top of the third on Joe Perricone's solo

homer, Prospect erupted for seven runs in the bottom half of the inning. The

Knights pounded out five hits, including four straight. Menich, who normally

doesn't hit when he pitches, delivered the biggest blow with a bases-clearing

double.

Junior third baseman Jack Landwehr, who's been the offensive catalyst for the

team, added a two-run single in the inning and finished 2-for-4 with a triple,

two RBI, two runs scored and ignited a slick 5-4-3 double play with the bases

loaded to end the game.

"I knew our sticks would come around," said Landwehr, who had homered and

doubled in his previous game on Wednesday. "Our team loves being aggressive at

the plate."

Senior outfielder Peter Bonahoom went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, Brian

Bauer had two hits and Shane Joyce went 2-for-2 with two walks and drove in a

run for the Knights.

The Knights' third-inning explosion ruined a stellar game by Perricone, a

Coastal Carolina recruit who is a draft prospect on the mound. At the plate,

Perricone went 3-for-3 with a home run, double, three RBI, two runs scored and a

walk while playing right field. Junior shortstop Tyler Perkowicz went 1-for-2

with two walks and four stolen bases for Hersey.

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