Canton Central Catholic showed Tuesday why it has become one of Northeast Ohio’s most resilient baseball teams.
After falling behind 4-0 in the top of the first inning, the Crusaders never lost their composure, responding with six unanswered runs before holding off Elyria Catholic for a 6-5 victory in a Division IV regional semifinal at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium.
The Panthers wasted little time grabbing control of the game. Elyria Catholic scored four runs in the opening inning on RBI hits by Ryan White and Mason Knapp and a sacrifice fly from Izaiah Amarise to put Canton Central Catholic in an early hole.
But Crusaders head coach Dan Massarelli said there was no panic in the dugout.
“We stayed calm,” Massarelli said. “Our guys understand it’s a seven-inning game. Nobody got rattled. We just kept playing baseball and trusted that if we kept putting pressure on them, things would turn around.”
The turnaround came quickly.
Canton Central Catholic erupted for four runs in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game. Brock Bourquin drove in a run with a groundout before Casey Schoenfeld and Gavin McCune delivered RBI singles. The Crusaders also capitalized on an Elyria Catholic error during the rally.
The Crusaders kept the momentum rolling in the third inning.
After Lance Vlacovsky helped spark another threat, Canton Central Catholic plated two more runs to take the lead. Joseph Meyer delivered the biggest hit of the inning, driving in a run with a single that proved to be the game-winning hit as the Crusaders moved in front 6-4.
Elyria Catholic added a run later in the contest, but Canton Central Catholic’s pitching staff made the lead stand.
Joe Stevens settled in after the difficult first inning and earned the victory. The right-hander allowed five hits and five runs, four earned, over five innings while striking out two and walking one.
Bourquin took over in relief and was dominant. The sophomore tossed two hitless innings, striking out three while retiring all seven batters he faced to secure the save and send the Crusaders to the regional final.
“Our pitchers did a tremendous job after that first inning,” Massarelli said. “Joe kept us right there, and Brock was outstanding out of the bullpen. That gave us a chance to complete the comeback.”
Offensively, Canton Central Catholic collected seven hits.
Schoenfeld and Meyer each recorded two hits. Schoenfeld doubled and drove in a run, while Meyer finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. McCune drove in two runs, and Bourquin added a hit and an RBI.
The Crusaders were also aggressive on the bases, stealing five bags. Stevens and Vlacovsky each stole two bases, while Schoenfeld added another.
Massarelli credited his team’s ability to stay even-keeled regardless of the situation.
“Our demeanor doesn’t really change,” he said. “The guys understand that what matters is playing your best baseball this time of year.”
With the victory, Canton Central Catholic advances to the Division IV regional championship game Thursday at 2 p.m. at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium against Youngstown Cardinal Mooney.
The matchup will be a rematch from three weeks ago when the Crusaders defeated the Cardinals 10-9 in another game that tested Canton Central Catholic’s resilience. The Crusaders built a 7-1 lead before Cardinal Mooney erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning to take the lead. Canton Central Catholic answered with runs of its own, regained the advantage and held on for the victory.
Massarelli expects another challenge from a familiar opponent but likes the way his team has responded to adversity throughout the postseason.
“Youngstown Mooney is a really good team,” he said. “We’re excited for the opportunity.”
Now, after overcoming a four-run first-inning deficit and winning their regional semifinal, the Crusaders sit one victory away from a trip to the Division IV state semifinals.
