As the quarterback for a successful Nazareth football team and a key cog for Lee Milano’s baseball program, Carson Bartels is no stranger to pressure.
Already entrusted with keeping Benet at bay after relieving Richie Kiernicki, Bartels had ample opportunity on Monday to put his offensive chops on display.
Bartels’ two-run single highlighted a five-run top of the seventh as the Roadrunners pulled away for a 9-7 East Suburban Catholic Conference victory over the Redwings.
A couple batters later, a two-run double from Kyle Kane helped give Bartels and Nazareth some more breathing room as it took a good punch from Benet before responding.
“That’s one of those things where we picked up a few losses lately and we haven’t played like we wanted,” said Bartels, who also added in a double while scoring a run in the third. “So we got our backs put against the wall and we all kind of just realized we got to go get this if we don’t want to pick up the fourth loss of the season. So kind of bared down there.”
Inserted into the game in relief of Kiernicki with the Roadrunners (15-3, 5-2) clinging to a one-run lead with one on and one out in the fifth, the Redwings greeted Bartels rather rudely.
A perfectly executed safety squeeze from Josh Tumpane and Bobby Ernsting’s RBI groundout gave Benet its first lead of the game at 5-4.
From there, Bartels shut the door and kept the Redwings’ offense off the board – giving the Roadrunners’ offense time to eventually solve Alex Analitis.
“We have all the faith in the world in Richie,” Bartels said. “He’s pitched a hell of a year so far. So I just came in, did what I’ve done a few times this year. Have faith in my defense – they’re going to make the plays. A little wild there in the beginning but picked it up at the end. I was all right.”
Analitis went six-plus innings for Benet (7-10, 3-4) and left after giving up a leadoff single to start the seventh.
The senior right-hander navigated through trouble quite nicely for the Redwings, including turning a 1-6-3 double play to help get them out of the sixth.
A Shane Gipson two-run single in the first got the Roadrunners out to a quick 2-0 lead, but Analitis stiffened considerably as the game went on
“I’m really proud of him because he battled,” Benet coach Scott Lawler said of Analitis. “He battled through a lot of mistakes that we made on defense and he still battled through. He kept us in the game the whole time and I am. I’m really proud of him for keeping us in the game the whole time.”
The Redwings stranded the bases loaded in both the third and the fourth innings but couldn’t get the one hit off Kiernicki to break the game open.
A C.J. Birck RBI single and a wild pitch allowed the Redwings to score two runs in the third but the fourth came up empty as Birck lined out to center.
After Nazareth’s five-run seventh, Birck came up as the potential tying run and found a hole in center to get Benet within 9-7 before a runner was cut down at third to end the game.
With three ESCC two-game series having been completed and with one more game against Nazareth Wednesday, Benet is still looking to hit its stride.
And whether that stride comes or not, it won’t be for a lack of trying.
“We’re close and we’re going to keep working with the guys,” Lawler said. “But we got to get over the moral victory stuff because we’re talented. But we’re making too many mistakes right now to win against some of the caliber we’re playing.
“Our schedule, which you guys know, is tough. But it’s fun and it’s a good test. But if we’re going to make mistakes like that, it’s going to be hard to win.”
