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It's CBC's Turn In Annual Playoff Showdown With SLUH

By Curtis Duncan
   A year ago, CBC had its season stopped in the sectional round of the Missouri baseball playoffs.  Facing St. Louis University High for the second straight time in the sectionals on Thursday afternoon gave the Cadets a golden chance at redemption.  CBC took advantage of its chance and erased the sting of that disappointment.  On the strength of a big first inning and an equally big sixth inning, the Cadets outlasted SLUH, 10-8, in a sectional game at Heine Meine Field.
   CBC (18-12) advances to face the winner of the DeSmet-Hazelwood East sectional in a Class 4A quarterfinal matchup on Saturday.
   SLUH, which eliminated CBC 8-4 in the 1998 sectionals, finished its season with a 19-5 mark.
   The victory over SLUH was extra sweet for the Cadets because CBC had lost five consecutive playoff games to the Junior Bills, dating back to 1994.
   "We got them this time, and it was long overdue…," said CBC coach Scott Brown.  "It [was] very sweet;…you look back, and for the last 12 years, one of us has knocked the other out of the playoffs.  So it's just one of those things where we just always meet…They felt the taste of it the last few years, and our seniors really wanted it bad…It was nice."
   SLUH jumped out in front with a run in the top of the first inning.  CBC responded with a five-run rally in the bottom of the first. 
   Ryan Rallo walked, and Adam Mason reached on an error, putting runners on first and second with no outs.  John Gallia singled home Rallo, making it 1-0.
   A.J. Otto singled, and then, Mark Catanzaro singled home two runs.  Tom Cigno followed with an RBI single.  Gary Van Matre drove home a run, and the Cadets were up, 5-1.
   SLUH cut into the Cadets' lead with a run in the top of the third, trimming the lead to 5-2.
   The game tightened further in the top of the fourth when SLUH infielder Mark Kornfeld ripped a two-out, two-run double to left center, closing the gap to 5-4.  Kornfeld finished the day with two hits, a run scored, and two RBIs.
   Then, the Jr. Bills drew even at 5-5 in the fifth on a solo home run by Jordan Rouff.

SLUH's Matt Sebek indicates he has the ball after applying a late tag to John Gallia while sliding back into third.
                                      Paul Kopsky Photo

"The first inning put us in hole, but…our guys battled back," said SLUH coach Steve Nicollerat.  "I was really proud of them.  They did a great job; they kept their poise, and they battled back real well."
   An inning later, CBC pushed its lead back up to 10-5 with another five-run outburst in the last of the sixth.  Rallo doubled home Jon Brueggemann, who led off with a single and stole second base.  Mason doubled to left center and scored Rallo, which chased SLUH starter Dan Parker, who was relieved by Greg Bierling.  Then, Otto doubled to right field, making it 9-5, and the Cadets added one more run for a 10-5 lead heading into the seventh.
   SLUH had a chance to cut the lead back down in the top of the sixth, but CBC starter and winner Brad Arnett pitched around two base runners to kill the threat.
   "We just didn't get the [big] hit," said Nicollerat.  "We were out at third on a steal attempt, and they came back in,…got the big hit, and…a couple more."
   One more chance for the Junior Bills to come back arrived in the bottom of the seventh.  Rouff singled home a run, and Joe Thaman rapped an RBI-single, cutting the lead to 10-7, as Arnett gave way to Gary Post in relief.
   With runners at first and third, Dan Chik singled home Thaman, cutting it to 10-8.
   But with two out and the bases loaded, Rory Casey flied to left, and the Junior Bills' last chance was done.
   "This is sort of like the hurdle that we had to get over," said Brown.  "I didn't think it was going to be easy to get over the hurdle, and we made it interesting at the end.  They are a real good team, and it was a real big win for us."