Laudando dandy on bases
St. Laurence shortstop scores 3 runs as Vikings slip past St. Rita to stay unbeaten in Catholic Blue
Each run St. Laurence leadoff hitter Michael Laudando scored Thursday was important.
All three of them.
The second one during a 5-3 Catholic League Blue win over St.
Rita, however, was the most adventurous in exactly how Laudando got from first base to home plate.
After a single in the fifth, the senior shortstop thought he had stolen second, but the umpires ruled batter interference on the Vikings. He thought his inning was over.
“That’s the second time this year,” he said. “The first time, they called me out. I was surprised when they sent me back to first base and called the batter out.”
He stayed put at first base for a bit as St. Rita pitcher Brandon Norred threw over three times, and twice Laudando came close to getting picked off.
But Laudando eventually got to second on a stolen base for St.
Laurence (15-4, 5-0). Norred again tried to pick off Laudando, this time at second, and that hurt.
“A guy came down and stepped on my whole hand,” he said. “(His spike) went straight through my pinkie. I was going to play with it, but the umpire told me I had to see the trainer because of all the blood that was coming out.”
After at least five minutes of having the finger bandaged up, Laudando returned to second base and soon was sliding headfirst into home as Angelo Luna’s single gave the Vikings a temporary 2-1 lead.
With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Laudando hit a chopper that was overthrown for a three-base error. Lucas Stulga scored what turned out to be the winning run.
Laudando then came home on Kevin McCormick’s second double.
“Michael has been great for us all year,” St. Laurence coach Pete Lotus said. “He gets on base. He causes disruption to the defense.
You could obviously tell they were worried about him stealing, and he did a great job picking his spot to go.”
Laudando, a St. Joseph transfer, plans to play baseball next year at Rockhurst.
Freshman pitcher Kannen Mosher made his second varsity start for the Vikings. Although he didn’t pick up the win, he left after five innings with a 3-1 lead and was showered with cold water after the game.
Mosher, who grew up in Joliet and Plainfield before moving to Merrionette Park, kept getting in and out of trouble against St. Rita (12-7, 3-2) but struck out five and allowed just one run on eight hits.
Stulga’s throw from right to Jason Krol to nail a St. Rita player at the plate in the fourth was helpful.
So was Mosher inducing a pop-up in the third with the bases loaded.
“Oh, man, it was crazy,” Mosher St. Laurence’s Mike Laudando rounds third base to score Thursday against St. Rita. GARY MIDDENDORF/DAILY SOUTHTOWN said. “That’s a tough team. You have to hit your spots. It you don’t, you are going to get hammered.
There was a lot of pressure on me to figure out what to throw.”
Some sore and tired arms pushed Lotus to pull up Mosher from the sophomore team. Lotus liked Mosher’s performance against a tough rival.
“We’re unbelievably happy with his composure,” Lotus said. “I don’t foresee him leaving the rotation for hopefully the next four years.”
Ryan Carroll picked up the win in relief. Johnny Wendling also drove in a run.
Norred gave up two earned runs in five innings and doubled home a run for the Mustangs, while Tommy Atkinson added a two-RBI triple.
“All these Catholic League Blue games are one- and two-run games,” St. Rita coach John Nee said. “They come down to the end.
You have to learn how to win close games. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re going to get there.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
All three of them.
The second one during a 5-3 Catholic League Blue win over St.
Rita, however, was the most adventurous in exactly how Laudando got from first base to home plate.
After a single in the fifth, the senior shortstop thought he had stolen second, but the umpires ruled batter interference on the Vikings. He thought his inning was over.
“That’s the second time this year,” he said. “The first time, they called me out. I was surprised when they sent me back to first base and called the batter out.”
He stayed put at first base for a bit as St. Rita pitcher Brandon Norred threw over three times, and twice Laudando came close to getting picked off.
But Laudando eventually got to second on a stolen base for St.
Laurence (15-4, 5-0). Norred again tried to pick off Laudando, this time at second, and that hurt.
“A guy came down and stepped on my whole hand,” he said. “(His spike) went straight through my pinkie. I was going to play with it, but the umpire told me I had to see the trainer because of all the blood that was coming out.”
After at least five minutes of having the finger bandaged up, Laudando returned to second base and soon was sliding headfirst into home as Angelo Luna’s single gave the Vikings a temporary 2-1 lead.
With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Laudando hit a chopper that was overthrown for a three-base error. Lucas Stulga scored what turned out to be the winning run.
Laudando then came home on Kevin McCormick’s second double.
“Michael has been great for us all year,” St. Laurence coach Pete Lotus said. “He gets on base. He causes disruption to the defense.
You could obviously tell they were worried about him stealing, and he did a great job picking his spot to go.”
Laudando, a St. Joseph transfer, plans to play baseball next year at Rockhurst.
Freshman pitcher Kannen Mosher made his second varsity start for the Vikings. Although he didn’t pick up the win, he left after five innings with a 3-1 lead and was showered with cold water after the game.
Mosher, who grew up in Joliet and Plainfield before moving to Merrionette Park, kept getting in and out of trouble against St. Rita (12-7, 3-2) but struck out five and allowed just one run on eight hits.
Stulga’s throw from right to Jason Krol to nail a St. Rita player at the plate in the fourth was helpful.
So was Mosher inducing a pop-up in the third with the bases loaded.
“Oh, man, it was crazy,” Mosher St. Laurence’s Mike Laudando rounds third base to score Thursday against St. Rita. GARY MIDDENDORF/DAILY SOUTHTOWN said. “That’s a tough team. You have to hit your spots. It you don’t, you are going to get hammered.
There was a lot of pressure on me to figure out what to throw.”
Some sore and tired arms pushed Lotus to pull up Mosher from the sophomore team. Lotus liked Mosher’s performance against a tough rival.
“We’re unbelievably happy with his composure,” Lotus said. “I don’t foresee him leaving the rotation for hopefully the next four years.”
Ryan Carroll picked up the win in relief. Johnny Wendling also drove in a run.
Norred gave up two earned runs in five innings and doubled home a run for the Mustangs, while Tommy Atkinson added a two-RBI triple.
“All these Catholic League Blue games are one- and two-run games,” St. Rita coach John Nee said. “They come down to the end.
You have to learn how to win close games. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re going to get there.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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