Brother Rice’s Zion Rose knows how to get pitcher Dylan Warda fired up.
“Coming into the game, we told him, ‘It’s your game — stay locked in,'” Rose said of Warda, an Indiana recruit. “If it wasn’t for him, man, we wouldn’t be here right now.”
Warda allowed himself a slight smile after receiving that praise.
The senior left-hander, who doesn’t show a bunch of emotion, stayed on an even keel Saturday morning in a classic postseason showdown against Mount Carmel.
Warda struck out three while giving up one run on four hits and a pair walks as the Crusaders prevailed 2-1 in the Class 4A Reavis Sectional championship game in Burbank.
It’s the sixth sectional title in program history and second straight for Brother Rice (34-5), which takes on Lincoln-Way West (25-6-1) at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Crestwood Supersectional.
Rose had a little something to do with it as well. He led off the game with a home run and closed things out in the seventh with a single to right to bring in a sliding Nick Daugherty.
Meanwhile, Warda held Mount Carmel (24-13-1) at bay while Brother Rice’s bats were being put on ice by Creighton recruit Shane Curtin.
“I knew I had to pitch my butt off going against Shane,” Warda said. “I knew it would be a tough game for both of us. I just had to keep my team in the game.
“I got a couple of double plays, and I love double plays. It saves a lot of innings.”
Line drives to senior third baseman Will Flanigan and senior second baseman Beau Polickey started inning-ending double plays in both the fourth and fifth.
To get to the sectional final, the Caravan used back-to-back big innings in a five-day stretch.
On May 28, Mount Carmel trailed 7-6 to Kenwood in the bottom of the sixth, but the Caravan scored four runs and hung on for an 11-8 victory to win the regional.
The Caravan’s next game was Thursday’s sectional semifinals, and they opened with an eight-run first inning en route to an 11-6 victory over Riverside-Brookfield.
Thanks to Warda, that didn’t happen this time around.
“There were times this year when he had control problems,” Brother Rice coach Sean McBride said of Warda. “But in his last three or four starts, he has been lights out.”
“He’s always had the stuff. It was more of a confidence thing. He deserves this big moment. He deserves the ball, and he had a great performance. All the other players love him.”
Curtin allowed only the two runs on five hits — including three to Rose. Curtin also countered two walks with six strikeouts.
“I had to be on because I didn’t think there would be a lot of runs,” he said. “I started the game throwing a pitch where (Rose) wanted it and I couldn’t take it back.
“There is nothing you could do about it but go after the next hitter.”
The Caravan, who split games with Brother Rice in the Catholic League Blue season, produced their lone run in the third when Austin Mallee‘s fielder’s choice scored Colin Small.
“We’ve had to fight through a lot of adversity this season and this was a tough one,” Mount Carmel coach Brian Hurry said. “Generations of Mount Carmel players should be proud of this team.
“Shane pitched his tail off like he always does. He gave us a chance to win. Pitching in games like this is going to help him at the next level at Creighton. When you leave the Catholic League Blue, you are ready to compete at a high level.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.