Twice this season, the Omaha Gross pitcher faced Lincoln Pius X and twice, the Thunderbolts came out on top.
RYLY JANE HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, May 21, 2009 12:00 am
The third time definitely was the charm for Eric Brooner.
Twice this season, the Omaha Gross pitcher faced Lincoln Pius X and twice, the Thunderbolts came out on top.
Brooner changed that Thursday when he scattered seven hits and got out of jams the last two innings. That was enough for Gross to earn a 4-2 victory at Haymarket Park in the Class B state baseball championship.
"I was kind of scared at first, facing them again," said Brooner, who finished the season with an 8-3 record. "But after the third (inning), when we got the three runs, I didn't have worries. Our defense stepped up."
Pius X broke on top with a run in the second on a triple by Alex Jones and a wild pitch.
The Thunderbolts were fortunate to surrender just one run in the bottom of the second when they committed three errors, walked a batter and hit another.
Gross took the lead for good in the third on one hit, two hit batsmen and two walks, one with the bases loaded.
"We played Gross twice and we knew Brooner was tough. We only got four runs off him in two games," said Pius X coach Troy Charf. "In the district final, they made four errors, which helped us win. We unfortunately returned the favor."
Pius X cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fifth when Dylan Oberembt led off with a double, advanced on Jared Sayker's bunt single and scored on a squeeze bunt by Brandon Nickolite.
The Bolts threatened again the next two innings. In the sixth, Ben Raun led off with a double and Alex Jones had a one-out single, but Pius X couldn't push a run across. In the seventh, Matt Steffensmeier hit a two-out triple, but Brooner got a groundout to earn the victory.
"This was great to see after a very, very down spring season. They were able to regroup and regather," said Gross coach Mike Filipowicz, who played on the 1972 Gross state championship team. This was the Cougars' fifth state title, with the other four coming in the 1970s.
"I challenged them to live up to the tradition in our program. And in this state tournament, every time we needed to execute, we did."
Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.