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By Curtis Duncan
Getting big hits at key times is a trait that the St. Louis University High baseball team has readily displayed when needed on the field this season. That attribute surfaced at just the right time for the Junior Bills when SLUH faced Metro Catholic Conference rival DeSmet on Wednesday. Joe Thamen tripled home a run, and Mark Kornfeld cracked a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning, keying a six-run rally which pushed the Junior Bills to a 15-6 triumph over the Spartans at DeSmet.
SLUH, ranked fourth among large schools, improved to 15-3. DeSmet, which entered last week ranked number nine dropped to 8-6.
"It was a nice ballgame," said SLUH coach Steve Nicollerat. "The offense has been good all year, and the kids are really doing a good job of staying back, waiting for a good pitch, and they are really, really putting some good things together."
The Junior Bills wasted no time getting on the board as Dan Parker slapped a two-run single in the top of the first, making it 2-0.
DeSmet answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Don Rogers grounded to first with runners at second and third to plate a run, and then the Spartans tied with a run from third that scored on a wild pitch by Parker.
In the top of the second, SLUH got the runs right back. Joe Thaman, SLUH's top clutch hitter, doubled home a run. Then, with two out, Zach Sisco doubled and scored. Mark Otten doubled home a run two batters later for a 5-2 SLUH lead.
In the last of fourth, DeSmet narrowed the gap to 5-4 on an RBI-single by Bob Zimmermann and a run-scoring double which chased home Zimmermann.
SLUH got part of that cushion back in the top of the fifth on a one-out homer by Matt Sebek over the right center field fence that eluded right fielder Jason Janisse.
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