Kevin Forde had no idea how many runs he drove in against Montini on April 7 until after the game when a teammate told him seven.
Forde’s monster game at Montini started off an impressive spring break week for the Fenwick senior, who also went 4-for-4 and hit a three-run home run against the Broncos in a 13-6 victory. Outfielder Jack Hendricks also homered in the win.
The next day, Forde moved over from first base to the mound. The right-hander from Western Springs improved his record to 2-0 while striking out nine batters in a 19-3 victory over Leo in five innings.
Fenwick (7-1) saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end Friday at Oak Park-River Forest when the Friars committed four errors in a 6-5 loss. They were scheduled to return to action Monday in the Catholic League Blue opener at Mount Carmel.
“I didn’t think about that (seven RBI) after the game. That’s awesome,” Forde said. “I was just trying to keep my team in the game.”
One of the spectators to Forde’s show of power was senior teammate Quinn Snarskis, who plans to be his roommate at Division II St. Joseph’s in Rensselaer, Ind., following graduation. Snarskis, the starting shortstop, and Forde are the top two pitchers for Fenwick coach Dave Hogan.
“That Montini game was inspiring, especially since he’s going to be my roommate next year,” Snarskis said. “I’ve already seen how he can play the last four years. That was impressive and we were able to come back too.”
While he was the losing pitcher against OPRF, Snarskis provided his own heroics at the plate with the game-winning home run in Fenwick’s 8-7 victory over St. Patrick April 1.
Forde and Snarskis were a dynamic 1-2 pitching combination last season when the Friars (25-11) reached the Class 3A supersectional, where they lost to Grayslake Central. It was Forde ( 5-1) who was tagged with the hard-luck 2-1 loss.
Earlier in the playoffs he pitched a complete-game victory as Fenwick blanked Nazareth 3-0 in the sectional semifinal. Snarskis ( 5-1) then pitched the Friars to a 6-2 decision over Montini in the sectional final.
Forde said his pitching philosophy is simple: “If baseball is a game of failure, all I have to do is throw strikes and the hitters will get those balls to my teammates.”
Forde has moved this season from third base to first, where he replaces 6-foot-6 Tom Planek, who was on the basketball team at Providence this winter.
“I had big shoes to fill, literally and metaphorically,” Forde said. “Last year Tom was a big influence on me because he worked so hard.
“I put in a lot of hard work in the offseason. I also trust my teammates that they will play their best on the field.”
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