Marmion clinches share of SCC title

Updated: May 12, 2011 8:22PM

Following each completed inning of play, the Marmion huddled together for a quick pep talk — or reminders — from coach Dave Rakow. After both the second and third innings during Thursday’s 11-4 victory over Walther Lutheran, it was more of talking to as Rakow reminded his team to stop trying to lift home runs out of the Broncos’ oddly shaped ballpark.

The team responded in the top of the fourth by beating seven balls into the ground, which led to two Broncos errors and four Marmion runs to erase a 3-1 deficit.

The Cadets followed that offensive formula the rest of the contest, collecting 15 hits and putting constant pressure on a shaky Broncos (11-14, 4-11) defense.

“That is what’s stressed — hit the ball down and hard on the ground and make the other team make plays,” said Cadets catcher Kyle Kozak, who went 4-for-5 with three RBI. “The best high school team is going to make errors when the ball is hit on the ground, but fifth-graders can catch fly balls. So, we just like to hit the ball on the ground and hit line drives. We’re not going to hit home runs, but we’re hoping to scratch runs across every single inning.”

The victory also allowed Marmion (17-5, 12-2) to clinch a share of its third consecutive conference championship. The Cadets can take sole ownership of that title by splitting a Saturday doubleheader at home against Marian Central Catholic.

“It sends a standard,” Rakow said. “Since I’ve been here, I hope, it’s becoming a changing culture to where it’s expected to go out and compete for conference every year. We lost a lot of guys from last year, but these guys, the whole time, that was their goal – to win conference.”

One of those new faces is leadoff hitter and second baseman Mitch Sterne, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. He helped blow the game open with RBI singles in the fifth and seventh innings, as well as a hustling run scored from second base on a Kozak single to left in the seventh.

“It’s pretty big for us,” Sterne said. “There definitely is personal pride and Marmion is going forward and we want to keep it going. We didn’t want excuses.”

Chris Simon (3-2) picked up the win on the mound, allowing two earned runs in four innings. Travis Siwiec and Zach Zielinski worked the final three innings, allowing one hit.

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