Thome hits for cycle in Mustangs' win

Updated: March 22, 2011 3:54PM

St. Rita baseball has had plenty of SportsCenter moments during coach Mike Zunica's 14-plus seasons in charge.

There have been trips to the Class 4A title game each of the past two years, a summer state title last season and loads of individual honors going to players like Minnesota Twins draftee and Texas recruit Mark Payton.

But no Mustang had hit for the cycle – until leadoff man Jake Thome accomplished the feat Tuesday in St. Rita's 8-0 home win over Argo in a summer regional quarterfinal.

Thome tripled and scored in the first inning, singled and scored in the third, hit a two-run homer to left in the fourth and doubled and scored in the sixth.

"It just seems like this year I'm starting to hit with a lot more power," said Thome, who has four homers this summer. "I'm just getting my pitch and putting a big swing on it."

This home run did come as a surprise. "I didn't think it was gone off the bat," Thome said. "I thought it was going to be a double."

Thome's emergence as a bonafide leadoff hitter has allowed Zach Soria, who filled that role for this spring's state runner-up club, to drop to No. 3 in the lineup where he replaces Payton.

Though the last two St. Rita teams have set the bar high with back-to-back second-place finishes at state, Thome said this year's club has a good vibe.

"I think we've got a great team," he said. "Everybody is getting along personality-wise. ... We try not to put any pressure on ourselves. We (just) go out and play the game."

Rich Matyas went the distance for the win Tuesday, allowing four hits, walking one and hitting two batters while striking out seven.

Soria (2-for-4, three RBI) and Nicco Zych (2-for-4, double, run, RBI) also had big games for St. Rita.

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