It felt a lot like the last time for Providence’s Cain Headrick.
The senior outfielder came up with a bases-loaded single through a hole in the left side of the infield Friday, driving in the first two runs of the game.
That provided an early spark for the Celtics, who went on a roll en route to an 11-1 victory over Stagg in a Class 4A regional semifinal game at Tom Dedin Field in New Lenox.
“I could feel the dugout energy,” Headrick said, “and it went right out to the field.”
In the top of the seventh inning on April 17, Headrick delivered a single to drive in what turned out to be the winning run in a 3-2 victory over Stagg in Palos Hills.
The next pitch he saw from the Chargers came 48 days later, but it looked just as good for sixth-seeded Providence (23-13).
The Celtics — who have won of eight of their last nine games, including three by 11-1 scores — play at 4:30 p.m. Monday in the regional final at third-seeded Lincoln-Way Central. The Knights beat Thornwood 12-3 to advance.
Headrick, a Lewis recruit who will major in aviation, had his team flying high after breaking the ice with that first-pitch single.
The Custer Park resident, who also was on Providence’s bowling team, scored the final run to end the game after a bases-loaded walk to pinch-hitter Mike Swanson.
From the leadoff spot, Brayden Garrigan had three hits in four at-bats and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Justin Jankowski added two hits.
Junior pitcher Alex Alberico got in and out of trouble a few times, but ended up striking out eight. He gave up a run on four hits.
Those who know their baseball realize Providence is the only team in Illinois history to win three straight 4A state titles from 2014 to 2016.
The Celtics weren’t favored to win in any of those years, and it all started in 2014 with a team seeded sixth in the sectional. Exactly where they are seeded now.
Count Garrigan as one of those who knows that history and hopes it repeats.
“We’re looking to make a deep run,” Garrigan said. “We’re deep in pitching and we’re starting to hit well.
“We were ranked pretty high at the beginning of the season and we went into a slump. We’re looking forward to being the underdogs in the playoffs.”
Providence’s Mark Smith, also the coach for those three state titles, emphasizes every year that seeding should not be taken too seriously.
“The seeding plays a role, but it doesn’t matter what your seed is,” he said. “You just have to go out and play
“You look at the sectional and every year it’s loaded. Absolutely loaded. To be a one, two or three seed isn’t an easy task, especially with the schedule we play. Whatever we are, we are — we just have to go out and play.”
Stagg (8-17) wrapped up a season that included one-run losses to Chicago Christian, Lockport and Lincoln-Way West.
Ahmad Ghouleh had two hits and scored the Chargers’ lone run against Providence, racing home on a wild pitch.
“We gave this team extra outs, and you can’t do that against a team like Providence,” Stagg coach Matt O’Neill said of three errors. “That’s been our bugaboo, or whatever you want to call it, all year.
“We had an inability to play solid, fundamental baseball, and it showed up here.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.