Rogers, redeemed
Thrown out at home, Oklahoma recruit hits 3-run homer as Mount Carmel rallies past Providence
Brandon Rogers missed a chunk of his Mount Carmel baseball career with an ACL tear, but the senior outfielder has not lost his aggressiveness since making his return.
“I get that from playing football,” he said. “It carries into each and every thing that I do.”
Rogers was so aggressive Monday afternoon that the Oklahoma recruit tried to score from second base on a walk. That’s not a typo.
He stole third base when Providence’s defense didn’t expect it and then headed for home, where he was tagged out.
“I don’t like making mistakes like that,” he said. “I wanted to make up for it.”
He made up for it in a big way, hitting a three-run homer in the sixth inning to turn a two-run deficit into a one-run lead. That fueled the Caravan to an 8-7 Catholic League Blue victory in New Lenox.
An aggressive Rogers helped Mount Carmel (19-8-1, 12-3) snap a two-game losing streak and Loras recruit TJ Boyd pick up the pitching win.
The senior right-hander knew the fifth inning was going to be his last because he had thrown 96 pitches against Providence (11-14, 6-9) and was trailing 4-2.
Rogers’ swing, however, barely cleared the left field fence, sparking a six-run sixth inning that turned Boyd into the winner.
“I was fired up when he hit that home run,” Boyd said. “I knew he was due for one. Before the game, he said he was going to hit one. There was never a better time for it.”
Rogers said he wasn’t looking for a home run during that at-bat.
“I just tried to keep a nice approach,” he said. “I was looking to get our runners in scoring position and maybe get a couple of RBIs at the time.”
Rogers confirmed that getting thrown out in the first inning for being too aggressive was wrong but he had noticed the catcher slip and thought he could score.
“The play was right in front of him and I’m going to trust him as an athlete to make that decision,” Mount Carmel coach Brian Hurry said. “We’ll take aggressive mistakes.
“Since he has been back, he’s giving our team a lift. The more he plays, the better he is getting.”
Austin Mallee also had two hits and drove in a run for the Caravan, while Myles Supurgeci, Julien Hachem and Blainey Dowling each had RBIs.
Boyd had a quick six-pitch first inning but had to grind the next four, getting in and out of jams as the Celtics stranded nine runners. His two strikeouts with the bases
loaded to end the second loomed huge.
Providence, which is hoping to avoid its first losing season since 197273, held its senior day. Six underclassmen position players who regularly start for the Celtics sat out.
Despite using several backups, they still played the Caravan tough.
Starting pitcher Jack Wajda worked five innings and left the game with a 4-2 lead. Designated hitter John Serritella, who finished with two hits and three RBIs, put Providence on the board with a two-run double in the third.
Michael Oprondek, who entered the game in the fifth, had a run-scoring single in that inning and belted a two-run homer in the seventh to close the gap to one run.
“Senior day, seniors play — that’s always been my motto,” Providence coach Mark Smith said. “It’s not just about playing and getting one at-bat. No, this is their day to shine.
“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. They get to play. I’m proud of them.”