Stevenson capitalizes on big inning

Updated: May 9, 2011 8:22PM

Through the first three innings against No. 7 Stevenson, it looked like No. 10 Mundelein had regained its swag – the same swag that led the Mustangs to 20 consecutive wins to open the season.

Then the fourth inning came – and seemingly never went.

Eight consecutive batters reached base for Stevenson in the fourth inning, enabling the Patriots to erase an early deficit and defeat Mundelein 7-4 in a North Suburban Lake game Monday at Stevenson. The fourth-inning outburst propelled Stevenson (20-2, 8-0) to a two-game sweep over Mundelein (20-4, 6-4), which has now lost four straight.

Stevenson trailed 2-0 heading into the fourth inning before the Patriots pounded out six hits, and was the recipient of a costly error on a two-strike sacrifice bunt by catcher Dylan Douglas to load the bases. The Patriots followed with four consecutive singles, including two-run hits by junior second baseman Jack Karras and junior shortstop Adam Walton, to give them a 6-2 advantage.

“It seems like the first time we see pitcher we don’t do much, but as we keep seeing him we find ways to put some runs together,” said Walton, who finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI. “Luckily everything was finding a hole. We just kept putting the ball in play and made some things happen.”

Walton, who’s verbally committed to the University of Illinois, also executed a suicide squeeze bunt that he beat out for a hit to give Stevenson a 7-4 cushion in the sixth. Harvard-bound third baseman Michael Martin went 1-for-1, reached base all four plate appearances, stole three bases, scored two runs and drove in one for Stevenson. Brandon Waters, who had three hits in Saturday’s 6-2 win over Mundelein, added another run-scoring single in the fourth.

The big inning made a winner out of starter Blake Fiedelman (3-0), who allowed four hits, struck out three and walked five in four innings. Villanova-bound right-hander Tyler Radtke pitched the final three innings, yielding no earned runs, two hits, while striking out two and walking two.

Luis Carrasco ripped a run-scoring double for Mundelein in the first inning, Nik Gastfield had an RBI single in the third, and Charlie Gandolfi scored two runs for the Mustangs.

“They’re a great team,” said Walton. “We just never give up. Each game it’s a different guy who steps up for us, and we just find ways to win.”

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