By Drake Skleba
For the Bugle
After Joliet Catholic Academy’s “Christmas in April” performance in La Grange Park on Monday leading to JCA’s 4-3 East Suburban Catholic South Division loss to Nazareth, Hilltopper senior right-hander Mike Gurka was JCA’ s savior on Tuesday.
On Monday, leading the host Roadrunners 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Hilltoppers handed Nazareth a gift-wrapped 4-3 win.
On Tuesday, at Gillespie Field in Joliet, Gurka pitched and hit the Hilltoppers past the Roadrunners 2-0, and their MLB prospect, senior lefty Mike Prosecky. MLB scouts were in Joliet to see the Roadrunner southpaw, who’s fastball has been clocked at 93 m.p.h.
On the mound, Gurka (4-0) allowed a bad-hop single to Roadrunner left fielder, Teddy Olander, which was only hit he would allow in his six shutout innings. Gurka, fanned nine Roadrunner hitters and walk three.
Leading 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Gurka’s (2-for-3, 2B, RBI) booming RBI double, drove home Hilltopper centerfielder Greg Ziegler, with a huge insurance run and a 2-0 Hilltopper lead.
Hilltopper head coach Jared Voss replaced Gurka with Hilltopper closer Josh Ragusa to start the bottom of the seventh. Gurka, threw 98 pitches through six innings, and with the 105 IHSA maximum pitch rule, Voss selected Ragusa to finish up the game.
Ragusa, put the tying runs on base with one out but dispatch a pair of Roadrunner pinch-hitters, to nail down the save for Gurka.
“We really gave them a victory last night and we really came into this game, with a chip on our shoulder,” Gurka said. ”We really played together as a team. We played great defense and picked up a big win, against a great pitcher, Mike Prosecky and Nazareth.”
“I battled my best friend growing up (Nazareth relief pitcher, Alex Krug), for the big RBI double. We talked about the possibility of facing each other and I was fortunate to get him, this time.”
“I really like to go at hitters,” Gurka added. “I don’t mess around on the mound. Against a great team like Nazareth, you can’t give them any chance.”
The Hilltoppers scored their first in the second inning, when Ziegler walked, stole second base, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a grounder to second off the bat of the red-hot DH Tony Fleischauer (1-for-3, 2B RBI).
“Crazy ending to last night’s game and we knew we had to bounce back today,” Fleischauer said. “Facing Prosecky, who brings out MLB scouts, we knew we had to battle a great pitcher.
On the big RBI ground out in the first inning, I was looking for a fastball that I could hit to the right side and drive home, the very important first run of the game.”
Although the Voyager Media Publications Week 4 and 5 Player of the Week, senior shortstop Jared Cushing, had a rare 0-for-3 day at the plate, Cushing continued to shine on the field.
Making four difficult plays at short look easy, Cushing and the Hilltoppers were flawless in the field behind Gurka and Ragusa.
“We knew we had to bounce back from last night’s loss, “Cushing said. “Mike Gurka was outstanding and we all played great defense behind him. Big win to get us back in first place in the ESCC South.”
With the win, JCA (17-5, 5-2) once again claims sole possession of first place in the rugged ESCC South. The Hilltoppers have a ½ game lead over Marist (9-5, 4-2) and Marian Catholic (12-8, 4-2), after today’s action. Nazareth falls to 14-3-1 overall and 3-3 in the ESCC South.
“Mike had a great game tonight but it was great to see the entire team, bounce back from that tough loss last night,” Voss said. “That was a long, tough, bus ride home last night. Tony is a veteran player for us and knew what to do to get us the important run of the game. It was also great to see Mike get the big double, to give us the 2-0 lead.”
EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC STANDINGS
through games of April 23
JOLIET CATHOLIC ACADEMY 17-5 5-2
MARIST 10-5 4-2
MARIAN CATHOLIC 13-8 4-2
NAZARETH ACADEMY 14-3 3-3
BENET ACADEMY 9-11 2-4