Remijas leads Lyons past Schaumburg

Updated: May 30, 2011 7:43PM

Lyons right-hander Zach Remijas entered Monday’s Schaumburg Regional championship game having allowed three earned runs all season. So when he yielded a first-inning home run to give Schaumburg a quick and unexpected lead, things got a little tense for the No. 2-ranked Lions.

For everyone except Remijas.

Undaunted, Remijas proceeded to mow down Schaumburg in short order, providing enough time for the offense to produce a 6-2 victory in Schaumburg to advance to the Class 4A sectional semifinals.

“I knew I had to step up after the home run,” said Remijas, who improved to 9-0 this season. “It didn’t worry me too much because I have a lot of confidence in our offense.”

After serving up a two-out, solo homer to Schaumburg junior third baseman Matt Brancato, Remijas shut the Saxons (17-13) down. The 5-foot-11, 150-pound senior struck out the side in the second after issuing a leadoff walk, and didn’t allow another hit until the fourth inning.

For the game, Remijas struck out nine, walked two, allowed two runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. Hard-throwing sophomore Keith Lehmann got the final two outs of the game.

“[Remijas] shut us down,” said Schaumburg coach Paul Groot. “He was around the plate, he threw strikes and he really kept the kids off balance.”

Lyons (32-4) reclaimed the lead for good in the second inning when senior centerfielder Brian Kelley, the team’s No. 8 hitter, connected for a two-run homer to make it 2-1. In the first inning, Lyons had stranded the bases loaded and squandered a leadoff double by senior shortstop Spencer Mahoney.

“In the beginning of the game I think we were a little tense,” said Kelley, who went 2-for-4. “After we took the lead, we calmed down. And when we calm down, good things happen.”

Lyons added another run in the fourth on Brian Rodemoyer’s RBI double. Then in the fifth, the Lions scored two unearned runs on consecutive two-out errors, the second a costly infield pop-up that was lost in the sun, allowing two runs to score.

The Lions’ high-yielding offense stranded 11 runners, seven in the first three innings. The bottom of the order produced against two Schaumburg pitchers. Along with Kelley, senior right-fielder Mike Pett went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and a run scored.

“We have a solid lineup one-through-nine,” said Lyons coach George Ushela. “We have power throughout, and they all do different things.”

Mahoney, the team’s leadoff hitter who is signed at Valparaiso, had two doubles, two stolen bases and a run scored while playing a superb defensive shortstop. Tom Walsh added two hits and a run for Lyons, which will play the winner of Wheaton-Warrenville South-Glenbard North on Wednesday.

Brancato led Schaumburg’s offense with two hits, and Ryan Hayes doubled and scored in the seventh inning to make it 6-2.

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