State Champs
Cardinals bring gold home to St. Paul
Friday, May 9, 2003
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WACO - It had been 14 years since the St. Paul Cardinals beat the Sacred Heart Indians.
Shiner St. Paul Boys Baseball Team - 2003 TAPPS 2A State Champs Click on any photo to enlarge (all photos by Shiner Gazette)
Everyone knew that the streak would eventually end and the Cardinals picked the perfect time to end it as they beat the Indians 9-2 for the TAPPS 2A State Baseball Championship at Baylor Field in Waco last Friday.
The last time St. Paul had beaten Sacred Heart was April 20, 1989 when the Cardinals took a 14-11 win over the Indians. In that game, Alton Faltysek went the distance on the mound for St. Paul and added a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, including a single, triple and home run.
In Friday's championship game, Logan Ondrusek, pitching his second game with just two days rest, silenced the Indian bats, giving up only four hits. He struck out six and walked only two.
Members of the 2003 State Champion St. Paul Cardinal Baseball Team include, kneeling from the left, Cameron Kresta, Justin Matias, John Paul Patek, Dagen Hybner, Trevor Hybner, Jeremy Petru and Cody Mraz. Back row, Coach Jimmy Cox, Travis Pilat, Justin Molina, Logan Ondrusek, James Picha, Mark Baker, Eric Patek and Coach Sammy Burnett. Not pictured is Scott Vrana.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, tagged four Indian pitchers for 10 hits and got eight free passes on walk.
St. Paul came out ready to play. "They were mentally prepared," said Coach Sammy Burnett. "That was the key to this win."
"We told them they have to believe in themselves, each other and their coaches -- believe and have faith and it will happen."
Coach Jimmy Cox echoed that message, saying that from the beginning of the year we told them, "If you believe and do things to improve you could become champions."
Logan Ondrusek delivers a pitch. He had six strikeouts in the game against Sacred Heart.
"They did that all year and today they proved it," he added.
The St. Paul offense took control early and gave Ondrusek a 5-run lead in the first two innings.
Justin Matias, who was 3-for-3 in the game, scored St. Paul's first run. Following a walk to John Paul Patek, he reached reached on a single, advanced on Eric Patek's grounder, which forced John Paul Patek at third, and then scored on Logan Ondrusek's single.
Mark Baker, running for Eric Patek, scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.
The Cards continued their attack in the second inning with Cameron Kresta, John Paul Patek and Matias crossing the plate for a 5-0 lead.
Coach Sammy Burnett congratulates Travis Pilat on his game-winning hit in the semi-final game against Cornerstone Christian School.
Hits in the inning included singles by Kresta, RBI single by Eric Patek and a 2-RBI double by Justin Molina.
The Indians responded with two runs in the third on three hits. Keith Kutac and Buddy Pilat singled and scored. Bradley Pilat got the third hit.
That would be all the Indians could produce as Ondrusek allowed only two runners the rest of the game.
St. Paul sealed the win with four runs in the sixth, highlighted by another 2-RBI double by Molina, a double by Matias, and Dagen Hybner's single.
Ryan Sevcik gave the Indians a glimmer of hope with a 2-out double in the seventh, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple to end the game.
Molina led St. Paul with two doubles for four RBIs and one run scored. Matias was 3-for-3 with a double, one RBI and three runs. John Paul Patek drew three walks and scored two runs.
John Paul Patek, Logan Ondrusek, Justin Matias and Eric Patek were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Getting one hit each were Ondrusek, Hybner, Eric Patek, Travis Pilat and Kresta.
Courtesy runner Mark Baker scored two runs.
Also on the state tournament roster were Trevor Hybner and Jeremy Petru.
Selected to the All-Tournament team were Logan Ondrusek, Justin Matias, Eric Patek and John Paul Patek.
"We got to the state tournament and won the state title with a team effort. We had 15 players here and everyone contributed in some way," said Burnett.
"We had great pitching from Logan and "Juddi", good base running and clutch hitting and they put it all together to win the championship."
Sacred Heart 002 000 0 -- 2 4 2 St. Paul 230 004 x -- 9 10 2
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GO CARDINALS !
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