Lockport starts fast, holds off JCA rally to earn 5-3 win on senior night

LOCKPORT – The Lockport and Joliet Catholic baseball teams have had contrasting seasons this year. Lockport started 6-1 and entered Thursday’s senior night at 15-8. JCA, meanwhile, began the year 6-9, losing their first four games to start, yet entered Thursday 13-12.

One team getting hot after a slow start and another on an up-and-down trajectory after a hot start. Yet Thursday, it was the latter that came out on top.

Lockport put up three runs in the third inning and fended off a JCA rally to win its third game in a row, 5-3.

“We got some timely hitting,” Lockport coach Scott Malinowski said. “We could’ve used a bit more timely hitting to break it open, but we did just enough on a tough day for the hitters with the wind. ... We’ve been in some excellent ballgames this year, and today we executed on the bases to get it done.”

Lockport (16-8) was sitting at 12-5 before going 3-3 in its last six games heading into Thursday. However, those three losses came by a combined four runs. They were seven runs away from a 14-game winning streak.

That might help explain the offense they put up against the Hilltoppers on Thursday.

The Porters got on the board in the first with a sacrifice fly from Logan Nagle to score Bryce Flood before adding three runs in the third. A groundout by AJ Perez to score Keegan Farnaus got the Hilltoppers on the board in the fourth, but Justin VanderTuuk’s RBI single to score Josh Kries in the bottom of the same inning made it 5-1.

Zach Pomatto’s RBI single scored John Curbis in the fifth to trim the deficit to three. Luke Simulick scored in the seventh on a balk with one out to make things interesting, but JCA could get no closer.

Lockport’s Matt Fox was solid on the mound, allowing just three hits and one unearned run with three strikeouts through 4⅓ innings. VanderTuuk and Joey DalPonte each had two hits, and Zack Skrzypiec had two RBIs for the Porters.

“It feels amazing [to win on senior night],” Fox said. “The hard work these guys put in day in and day out is just amazing. It’s great to be out here.”

Joliet Catholic (13-13) entered the contest having won seven of its past 10, with all three losses coming by one run. However, starting pitcher Rocco Szambelan walked five and allowed four earned runs, tossing 67 pitches through three innings.

The defense, meanwhile, committed four errors as the Hilltoppers couldn’t complete the comeback.

“We’ve got games the next two days,” coach Jared Voss said. “There were just too many mistakes, and when you’re playing a good team like Lockport, you can’t do that.”

The path doesn’t get any easier for Lockport. The Porters play Lincoln-Way West on Friday before playing two games against Barrington on Saturday. After that, another game against the Warriors, two games against Lincoln-Way East and two games against Minooka.

It’s a brutal stretch, but Malinowski pointed out that even in losses, the Porters have been competitive.

“I think with the exception of one or two of our losses we had at least the tying run on base in the seventh inning,” Malinowski said. “Those games can go either way and our schedule is as good as it gets. There are no days off whatsoever. We don’t hide from anybody because that’s going to get us prepared for the postseason.”

Joliet Catholic’s next two games will be against Carmel Friday and Saturday.