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By Xavier Sanchez
Correspondent
Mount Carmel came into its Class 4A sectional matchup against Nazareth viewed as the underdog.
The favored Roadrunners did, after all, enter the game 37-0 and were gunning for a third consecutive state championship.
The Caravan have respect for the Roadrunners, but they would never call themselves an underdog; and they defeated undefeated Nazareth 5-3 at the Reavis Sectional on May 31 to clinch their first supersectional berth since 2015.
“We preached to the boys that the opponent is the game,” said Mount Carmel coach Brian Hurry. “We never get caught up with who is in the other dugout. Whether it is Nazareth, Providence — we play a great, tough schedule.”
The Roadrunners took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a Nick Drtina two-out double that scored Cooper Malamazian and Jaden Fauske. Drtina reached base in all three of his plate appearances.
Second baseman Brady Holland drove in Joey Ireland in the second inning to put the Caravan on the board. Holland finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
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Mount Carmel starting pitcher Jake Matise threw 1-2-3 innings in the second, fourth and fifth.
“Those help me as a pitcher to keep the pitch count low and go deep in the game,” Matise said. “It also helps our hitters to get back in the dugout while the momentum is rolling and keep scoring runs.”
Catcher Mario Medina hit a two-out double to drive in Anthony Chavez to give the Caravan a 3-2 lead in the third inning.
Nazareth’s Cooper Malamazian, an Indiana commit, tied the game the following half-inning with a long home run to left field.
Kolin Adams scored the go-ahead run for Mount Carmel on a passed ball in the sixth inning. Adams had two hits, walked twice and scored a run.
Pancho Vazquez gave the Caravan an insurance run with an RBI single to drive home Joey Ireland (2 runs).
“Those add-on runs are important,” Hurry said. “A two-run lead compared to just a one-run lead is gigantic.”
Vazquez believes he and his teammates can compete against anyone.
“We are built for this,” he said. “It’s just different over here.”
Mount Carmel had 12 hits and four different players had two hits apiece.
Matise went six innings, allowing five hits and three runs with 10 strikeouts in what Hurry called “a gutsy performance.”
“He went out there, did his job, and got outs,” Vazquez added. “It was amazing.”
Matt Murphy pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the save, allowing a hit to Malamazian. Murphy had UCL surgery in the offseason and pitched in his first game of the season against Moline on May 11.
“How about Matt Murphy,” Hurry said. “How about him coming in and closing the door and getting the three outs.”