Vazquez, Mount Carmel cruise past Bremen
Senior shortstop goes 3-for-4 with triple, 6 RBIs
Mount Carmel’s Jorgie Vazquez saw the wideopen spaces.
There’s an old saying in boxing — styles make fights. In baseball, fields influence styles, especially a field wide and deep, where the ball just moves when hit on the ground.
Playing in the vast and fast surface at Chicago State for the first time in his three-year varsity career, Vazquez recognized the multiple opportunities playing out before him.
The senior shortstop knew all he had to do was put the ball in play. Chicago State’s field is all turf, the only natural part being the dirt spread out over the pitching mound.
“Coming into the game, I was just trying to hit the ball to all fields,” Vazquez said. “We came into the game a little cold. I wanted to make contact and get into a groove.”
Vazquez got into a good groove Friday, blasting a double and triple and producing six RBIs for the Caravan in a 20-3 nonconference victory over Bremen in five innings.
Mount Carmel (3-3) piled up 18 hits. Vazquez was the centerpiece, going 3-for-4. Batting in the second spot, Vazquez delivered an RBI triple in the first inning.
He was just getting started.
“I was just trying to get on base, produce runs and drive guys in,” Vazquez said.
His double with the bases loaded in the fifth sparked an 11-run inning.
“I just shortened my swing there and got great contact,” he said.
Senior catcher Colin Horneman hit his second home run of the season with an inside-the-park shot for two RBIs.
“I’m the energy guy on the team,” Horneman said. “I try to bring energy and give the rest of the offense a boost.”
Horneman reached base in all five at-bats, going 2-for-2 with two walks and three RBIs.
“I was just waiting for a fastball and trying to drive it up the middle
each time up,” Horneman said. “This field is so big. I was just trying to find the gaps.”
The game illustrated the big-play capability of Mount Carmel’s attack. Sophomore infielder Luka Romic added two RBIs with a triple.
Senior shortstop Timmy Sanzeverino, who hit .504 last season, is Bremen’s top returning player.
His RBI single was the offensive highlight for the Braves (1-21), who did pull within 6-3 in the second inning.
Mount Carmel starter Michael
Kelly (1-1), however, shook that off. The Western Michigan recruit struck out three and walked four in three innings to earn the victory.
“I wasn’t too proud of my performance,” Kelly said. “It’s still early and I’m still getting my reps in.”
Kelly is coming off a brief but consequential run with the Caravan in wrestling.
After injuries forced him to miss the entire individual season, he went 4-0 in helping Mount Carmel capture the Class 3A dual team state championship.
His younger brother Colin, a sophomore, won the 160-pound individual state title.
“It was awesome to be a part of that,” Michael said. “I had some problems in that second inning, but I was happy with how I pitched through that adversity.
“I think last year in that situation, I would have struggled with that.”
Denny Furlong, a senior, pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Caravan.
With four Division I recruits, Mount Carmel features a deep and versatile rotation.
The hitting matched the pitching prowess as the Caravan won their second straight game.
“We have a great group of guys on this team,” Vazquez said. “We play together and we play for each other. You saw that bond and what we could do out there.”