Baseball: St. Bede clinches Three Rivers East title in last dance

The St. Bede Bruins baseball team’s last dance in the Three Rivers Conference was a waltz.

The Bruins got timely hitting from Brendan Pillion and Luke Tunnell and rode the pitching of Alex Ankiewicz and Pillion to a Three Rivers East title-clinching 2-0 win over Princeton on Tuesday at Prather Field.

St. Bede will be returning to the Tri-County Conference next year.

“It’s great. Being a senior, you really can’t explain it in words how good it feels to win the last time St Bede has a chance to win it. It feels amazing,” Pillion said.

“It’s big, especially the last year here [in the Three Rivers]. To get it on Princeton’s home field is big,” Ankiewicz said.

“Being a senior, you really can’t explain it in words how good it feels to win the last time St Bede has a chance to win it. It feels amazing.”

—  Brendan Pillion, St. Bede senior

The win improved the Bruins (18-6) to 10-1 in conference play with a game remaining at home Thursday against the Tigers (16-5, 8-3).

“It’s competing. Whatever conference we’re going to, try to compete,” St. Bede coach Bill Booker said. “I know we’re changing next year. I’ve got a lot of good relationships with other coaches, we’re still going to be playing a lot of the teams that are in the conference. It’s just a thing. We’re just proud we get to go out this way.

“The conference, because it’s so tough, has always taken a back seat to the regionals and such, because we always set our pitching rotation and everything to that. As we got closer, ‘Hey, we’re still in this thing. Let’s win this thing.’”

Princeton’s Ryan Brucker dueled Ankiewicz for a scoreless battle through the first four innings. Then the Bruins broke through in the top of the fifth with a little “Booker Ball.”

Seth Ferrari blooped a leadoff single, and Ryan Slingsby bunted him over to second. Ferrari beat a strong throw from Tigers center fielder Noah LaPorte on a deep fly out by Burr. Pillion bounded a seeing-eye single up the middle to drive in Ferrari for the Bruins’ first run of the day.

“It was a little heart-racing in the box. But I knew what I needed to do and got the job done,” Pillion said.

“We needed that. We were struggling with runner’s in scoring position, finally came through, and it gave us some momentum the rest of the game,” Ankiewicz said.

It was Tunnell’s time to deliver in the seventh. He followed a single by Gus Burr and a walk to Pillion with a two-out single to right to score Barr to make it 2-0.

“Pillion got a big hit early, and Tunnell got a big hit to get us that cushion run. Those two hits were key today, and they were few and far between. Both pitchers did a great job today,” Booker said.

The Tigers had their chances, putting runners in scoring position in four innings, but Ankiewicz and Pillion slammed the door each time.

Danny Cihocki led off the fourth inning with a deep double, but Ankiewicz fanned two and got Jimmy Starkey on a line out to first.

Brucker hit a one-out double in the sixth, just between first baseman Ryan Brady and the line. Ankiewicz struck out Cihocki and pitched around a two-out walk by getting William Lott on a fielder’s choice.

Noah LaPorte greeted Ankiewicz with a leadoff double in the seventh inning, the last man the Bruins ace would face due to his pitch count.

“He made one mistake. He laid it right in there, and LaPorte just drilled it. We were in no doubles, and he still got a double,” Booker said.

Pillion came on to strike out Starkey and Tyler Forristall and got Augie Christiansen to fly out to left to end the game, starting the Bruins’ celebration.

While he enjoyed driving in the game’s first run, Pillion was thrilled to record the last out.

“I don’t think you can’t beat the last out of the game pitching,” he said. “It was nice hitting the ball, but getting that insurance run (in the seventh) kind of eased the tension coming out on the mound. I had nerves, but also the adrenaline and stuff pumping.”

Princeton coach Wick Warren said the Tigers had too many missed opportunities.

“We didn’t cash in with the big hit when we had a few chances,” he said. “I thought their guy pitched well and thought Ryan pitched well. Just a good high school ballgame. Tip your hat to them.

“They got two, and we didn’t get any. We’ll go back after it Thursday and see what happens.”

Ankewiecz scattered five hits with three walks while striking out eight.

“We played good defense. He was on. He was throwing his pitches well,” Pillion said. “I’m pretty sure every pitch he had was working. It’s just nice to see him on the mound when we had a big game.”

Burr, Pillion and Tunnell each had two hits for the Bruins.

Brucker, who allowed nine hits and three walks with seven strikeouts, led the Tigers with two hits, both doubles.