St. Ignatius 1
Fenwick 0
It’s difficult to figure out just what happened on Saturday at the Dominican Priory baseball field in River Forest that ended the 2009 season for the Fenwick baseball team. At one moment, the Friars were in a good spot against St. Ignatius with two runners on and no outs in the final inning. Then, one bunt later, the game was over. The Friars had lost their own regional’s championship game in the blink of an eye 1-0.
Fenwick’s Joe Horrigan squared around to lay down a sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning. But the bunt popped up off the bat toward St. Ignatius pitcher Jack Fischer who charged in and apparently made the catch. The ball ended up on the ground and the Fenwick baserunners took off. Fischer threw to first to double up the runner. An errant throw to second by St. Ignatius first baseman Mike Jones ended up in centerfield, but Fenwick baserunner Bret Strzelcyk was eventually rundown and tagged out by Fischer for a triple play to end the game.
“My perspective and those of the baserunners was that we saw the ball on the ground,” said Fenwick head coach Dave Hogan, who after 30 years of coaching has never had a game end in such a manner. “But what we saw was what someone else saw differently. It all depends on what side of the white lines you were on. It’s unfortunate, but we still have to score a run.”
Hogan said it looked like the ball was trapped from his view coaching third base. “But when it was distinctly out of his glove and on the grass, I knew our guys were thinking what I was thinking – run.”
Fischer admitted after the game that the ball did leave his glove. “The ball actually did come out of my glove, but it was on the transfer [to throw] and one of the umps said it was a catch right away,” he told reporters.
“It was a strange way to end a game and a season,” said Hogan.
The controversial play overshadowed exceptional performances on the mound by both pitchers. Fischer (5-1) yielded just two hits, while Fenwick hurler Cam Verbeke allowed just three. With his 10 strikeouts in the game, Verbeke became Fenwick’s first pitcher to reach 120 strikeouts in one season.
The Friars (21-12) reached the regional title game by crushing Kelly 10-0 in five innings. George Kinsella earned the win by tossing a one-hitter. Rooney went 3-for-3 with three RBIs in that win.
Fenwick players Mike Falsetti, Verbeke and Mike Loni were selected all-conference.
The Friars lose 16 seniors to graduation, including Verbeke, Falsetti, and Rooney.