St. Joseph baseball rues missed opportunities in 5-3 loss to top-ranked Andrean

GRIFFITH, Ind. — Inning after inning, Saint Joseph baseball’s youthful lineup kept generating scoring chances against top-ranked Andrean.

The unranked Indians nearly climbed out of an early four-run hole, even bringing the potential tying run to the plate in the final frame. Time after time, however, the 59ers turned back those threats in a 5-3 win on Saturday afternoon at the Class 3A regional semifinals.

Burly senior right-hander Owen Walkowiak struck out seven, allowed just one earned run and had the most to say about St. Joseph’s 1-for-13 showing with runners in scoring position.

“I hate hearing that number,” Indians coach John Smolinski said. “That’s the reason. That’s the ballgame right there.”

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Losing junior right fielder Zach Stawski to a fluke hamstring injury in the third inning didn’t help. The junior drove in St. Joseph’s first run with a ground-rule double over the center fielder’s head, but Stawski slipped and fell as he approached first base.

Initially left in the game after a trainer looked at his right leg, Stawski could only hobble to third on Jack Quinn’s sharp grounder that deflected off the glove of a diving Drayk Bowen. At that point, Stawski was removed from the game for a pinch runner.

The No. 2 spot in the order led off the fifth and the seventh innings, but there was no denying the setback after Stawski hit two homers, including a grand slam, in the sectional final on Memorial Day.

“Zach has been an unbelievable asset to our team,” Smolinski said. “He gave everything he had. It was just a funky incident at first base. It’s tough for him to go out that way.”

While Merrillville’s Andrean (28-4) moved into Saturday night’s regional final against No. 7 Glenn, which knocked out second-ranked Western in Saturday’s opener, Saint Joseph ended its season at 16-7. The 2017 state champions have been stopped at the regional round on their past four trips.

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Quinn, the finesse lefty pitching in his final high school game, gave up three sharp hits, including a triple off his changeup, in a two-run first. Andrean added two more runs in the third on a sacrifice fly into foul ground and Bowen’s squeeze bunt that immediately followed.

Bowen, a Class of 2023 recruit committed to Notre Dame in both football and baseball, demonstrated a team-wide willingness to move runners and make the fundamental play.

“They’re a very unselfish team,” Quinn said of a program with seven state championships, second only to LaPorte. “Their No. 4 hitters (Bowen) is willing to lay down a bunt. They all can run, and they’re just really intelligent hitters.”

Quinn still found a way to make the necessary adjustments that allowed him to pitch into the seventh. Matching Walkowiak’s strikeout total, Quinn scattered seven hits and walked one before leaving with 112 pitches.

“My arm felt good,” he said. “I probably could have thrown 180 if they needed me to, but that’s not in the rules.”

One of just six seniors on the Saint Joseph team, Quinn will attend the University of Dayton as a regular student in the fall.

“I’m proud of Jack Quinn,” Smolinski said. “What a leader. What a senior for him to pitch his butt off like that.”

Quinn echoed his coach’s assessment that the winner of this loaded regional would go on to win the state title.

“We said before: You’ve got to beat the best if you want to be the best,” Quinn said. “We’re thankful we had that opportunity.”

With two-thirds of the Indians’ starting lineup filled by freshmen and sophomores on Saturday, hopes are high this experience will propel a talented group back to the state final.

““I’m so excited for our future,” Smolinski said. “The future is bright for St. Joe baseball. Our goal is to be back here next year. This is the road to Victory Field.”

Follow staff writer Mike Berardino on Twitter @MikeBerardino. 

CLASS 3A REGIONAL SEMIFINAL

ANDREAN 5, SAINT JOSEPH 3

At Panther Park, Griffith High School

Andrean 202 | 000 | 1 – 5 8 1

St. Joe 002 | 000 | 1 – 3 8 1

Andrean – Owen Walkowiak (WP), Garrett Benko (7) and Jax Kalemba.

St. Joe – Jack Quinn (LP), Carson Collins (7) and Owen Balint.

2B – Stawski (SJ).

3B –  Barth (A)

Records: Andrean 28-4, Saint Joseph 16-7.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Saint Joseph falls 5-3 to Andrean in IHSAA Class 3A regional semifinal