Marmion ends long drought

Published in the Kane County Chronicle on
May 25th, 2008

Marmion ends long drought
BY KEVIN JENISON - editorial@kcchronicle.com
Comments (No comments posted.)-->AURORA – The last time the Marmion baseball team took home the regional title, man was preparing his first moon landing.On Saturday afternoon, the Cadets, setting a new school record for wins, won a regional title for the first time since 1969, beating Aurora Central Catholic, 4-1, in the IHSA Class 3A Aurora Central Catholic Regional final.The Cadets advance to Thursday’s Rochelle Sectional semifinal against Belvidere North.Marmion (18-8) scored in the bottom of the second and tacked on three more in the sixth. Cadets junior pitcher Brian Burns didn't allow a run until the seventh inning, showcasing strong command to help Marmion secure the regional title."I had pitched against [ACC] earlier this year and had some success," Burns said. "And today my arm felt well and I was well rested."Marmion coach Dave Rakow was proud of Burns."That's four complete games in a row for [Burns]," Rakow said. "He's battled every time he's been out there this year."The Cadets’ offense, meanwhile, used well-placed hits, solid base running and some costly errors by ACC (13-16) to support Burns.None were more timely for Marmion than the three runs that came in the bottom of the sixth. With ACC trailing, 1-0, Chargers pitcher Nick Czaja hit two of the first three batters before being replaced by Bill Balderis.A Matt Milroy triple and an ACC passed ball put Marmion ahead, 3-0. With two outs and the bases loaded, Marmion added its fourth run on a Chargers infield error."[The three runs in the sixth] gave me a lot of confidence going into that last inning," Burns said. "It helped me concentrate and focus a little more.”ACC attempted to stage a late rally as Kyle Edwards’ single up the middle scored Ken Litrenta. ACC coach Michael Armato had seen his team make late comebacks, but the Chargers couldn’t sustain the rally against their Suburban Catholic Conference rival."We had our opportunities the whole game – we just couldn't get the big hit today," Armato said. "We had a nice gameplan going in, and we executed, but offensively we missed a couple of plays."Rakow, coaching his first year at the varsity level, feels good about what his team has accomplished."We told the kids before the season started that if they put a lot of work in, it will pay off here in the postseason," Rakow said.