Baseball: Early momentum carries Providence to sectional title game

NEW LENOX – Providence needed a dramatic rally in the regional final just to get to its own Class 4A sectional as it toppled Homewood-Flossmoor 2-1 in eight innings.

And for the early part of Wednesday’s Class 4A Providence Catholic Sectional semifinal game against Andrew it looked like there would be no drama at all for the Celtics in advancing to the sectional title game.

After all, the Celtics seemed to be putting runners on base at will and quickly grabbed a five-run lead over the Thunderbolts.

But then everything pretty much stopped. Providence didn’t score again and Andrew finally started to make a push.

Andrew got its first baserunner in the fifth inning and scored its first run. The T-Bolts made one final push in the seventh, loading the bases with Andrew leadoff hitter Nolan Kendall recording the final out as he sent the ball deep to right field for the final out in a 5-1 win.

“That’s what we do,” Providence coach Mark Smith said with a laugh. “We don’t want to make it easy.”

The win pushes Providence (29-8) into Saturday’s 11 a.m. sectional championship game where it will play Lincoln-Way West.

Lincoln-Way West defeated Lincoln-Way Central 5-2 in the other sectional semifinal earlier Wednesday.

Providence defeated Lincoln-Way West 3-1 in a regular season matchup May 11.

This game appeared to be shaping up as a cakewalk for the Celtics.

Providence starter Cooper Eggert swiftly moved his way through the first four innings, retiring all 12 Andrew batters he faced in order, recording five strikeouts.

“The key on the mound was to get ahead early and to trust my offspeed,” Eggert said. “That’s what I’ve been doing all season. They weren’t a good fastball hitting team, so I knew to put it in the zone and that was going to get the job done.”

Meanwhile, the Providence offense wasted no time taking control. The Celtics mounted a two-out rally in the first inning when Nate O’Donnell started by coaxing a walk.

Providence followed with three consecutive hits, including an RBI single from John Greenwood, and then tacked on a second run when Blake Jenner coaxed a bases loaded walk to force in a run.

Providence started the second inning with three consecutive hits, including an Enzo Infelise double, and then tacked on two more runs before Eggert delivered a two-out double to push Providence’s lead to 5-0.

But then things pretty much stopped on both sides, at least offensively.

Providence mounted a bit of a rally in the third that netted no runs when a big hit didn’t come and they stranded Eddie Olszta after he doubled in the fourth. After connecting for seven hits in the first two innings, Providence had just two hits the rest of the game.

“We were a little bit more relaxed today [as opposed to Saturday], and we had a long talk about that,” Smith said. “We were very, very tight on Saturday and got tighter. So today, I thought we were a little more relaxed, but then I think I thought we might have gotten a little too relaxed almost to the point where they got a little complacent.

“Don’t ever think that it is over, that team over there got to this game for a reason.”

Providence won the regular season matchup with Lincoln-Way West, but this game will have much more urgency Saturday.

“Great team, great program, great coaches, and we’ve got our hands full,” Smith said. “We know that. We know what we’re going to see. You know, we just have to go out there and let the chips fall where they may. Go out there with nothing to lose and see what happens, but it should be a great game with a great atmosphere. We’re very excited.”