By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
After setting an IHSA Class 5A Football State Championship Game record with 40 carries which produced 331 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the football Hilltoppers to the Class 5A State Championship over Montini,on Thanksgiving Saturday, we all wondered what Joliet Catholic Academy’s Nick Iannatone would do for an encore on the baseball diamond this spring.
In JCA’s 14TH Annual WJOL/Don Ladas Memorial Baseball Tournament Quarterfinal game with Joliet West, Iannantone provided the huge crowd at West with an encore.
Iannantone belted his second and third home runs of the year, producing five Hilltopper runs in JCA’s 7-0 win over the Tigers. The Hilltoppers’ University of Illinois-bound lefty Alex Vera, fired a two-hit shutout at West with 11 strikeouts.
With the win, JCA (7-1) will meet the undefeated Wildcats of Plainfield Central (7-0) in a WJOL/Ladas Semifinal at West at 11:30 a.m., on Saturday.
“This was a big win for us after Joliet West knocked us out last year, in this important tournament,” Iannatone said. “It’s important for all of us, to win the WJOL/Don Ladas Memorial Tournament and put Joliet Catholic back on top, where we belong.”
The Hilltoppers got on the board in the bottom of the second against Joliet West ace Dylan Wolff (1-1).
Hilltopper first baseman Max Cullen (2-for-2, 2 SB,BB) singled, stole second and scored on a booming double off the bat of DH Dan Wuestenfeld. No. 9 Hilltopper hitter Danny Allen singled.
Iannantone, who had walked and was promptly picked off first base to leadoff the Hilltopper first inning by Wolff, quickly made amends.
“When I come up with runners on base, I look for a pitch to move the runners around, Iannantone added. On both home runs, the pitches were right down the middle and I hit the balls hard.”
Iannantones’ 3-run bomb to left gave the Hilltoppers a 5-0 lead after two innings.
Vera (2-1) after allowing the two Tiger hits in the first two innings from Tyler Pransky and Casey Chignoli, began to take control.
Joliet West (4-3) had just swept their four-game, spring trip in Jacksonville, Illinois and were really hitting the ball.
“We really played well in Jacksonville!,” Joliet West head coach John Karczewski said. “I’ve had this outstanding group since they were all seven years old. We had a successful weekend on the diamond and we really bonded into a team”
In the bottom of the sixth against the Tiger bullpen, Wuestenfeld walked and Iannantone, went deep again, for a 7-0 Hilltopper lead.
Vera knocked down 12 consecutive Tiger hitters and finished the victory with a flourish, picking up his 11th punch-out to end the game.
“After West took us out of the WJOL/Ladas Memorial Tournament , last year, we really wanted to beat them this year,” Vera said. “We had a big win over Brother Rice yesterday and it really carried over for us today. Today was another statement game for us and we want to keep it going.”
For Joliet West, the Tigers will meet their crosstown rivals from Joliet Central (3-4) in a 9 a.m. WJOL/Ladas consolation semifinal, Saturday morning at West. The Steelmen fell to Plainfield Central 6-0 on Thursday.
“Today Alex Vera, had the kind of performance we always knew, he had the ability to perform,” Joliet Catholic head coach Jared Voss said. “Alex is a bulldog. He pounded the strikezone all day. Being a lefty, the sky is the limit for him.”
“Nick Iannantone is a special athlete. What he did this fall has increased his confidence, in any thing he wants to do. An outstanding performance. That first home run of his, is still going.”
Lockport 9 Providence 8 (8 innings)
After Providence (4-2) grabbed an 8-6 lead in the top of the eighth, the Porters responded in the bottom of the eighth.
Alex Martinez’ single was followed by a walk to Nolan Weis. After one out, Jon Weis doubled home Martinez, pulling the Porters within 8-7. Jake Kampf and Collin Woulfe walked Woulfe intentionally to load the bases.
Porter senior, Josh Bentley, sent Porter Nation dancing onto Division Street when he ripped the walk-off single plating Jon Weis with the Porter winner.
The Porters (9-1) who suffered their only loss of 2019 to Lincoln-Way West 8-4 on Monday, get a chance to avenge that defeat on Saturday at 11:30 a.m., in a WJOL/Ladas Semifinal at Ed Flink Field.
Lincoln-Way West 4 Minooka 1
The Indians (1-5-1), fell to the Warriors (3-2), in their WJOL/Ladas Quarterfinal at Lockport on Thursday. The Indians will meet Providence (4-2) in a WJOL Ladas consolation semifinal at Lockport at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.
AREA DAILY SCOREBOARD FOR MARCH 28
Westmont 6 Newark 0 Sentinels improve to 6-2
Niles West 12 Prosser 1 Wolves improve to 4-1
Downers Grove South 9 Mission (CA) 3 Mustangs (1-4) win first game of season.
Elk Grove 3 Plainfield East 0 Bengals fall to 5-2
Waubonsie Valley 13 Benet Academy 9 Redwings fall to 6-3
Bradley-Bourbonnais 7 Bolingbrook 1 Raiders fall to 2-5
Metea Valley 11 Romeoville 1 Spartans fall to 1-5-1