Sunday, May 31, 1998

Jackson burns Mohawks

By Jim Fetzer
Sports Writer

CASTALIA -- St. Wendelin kept waiting for Mike Jackson to run out of gas.

The Southington Chalker righthander struck out all seven batters he faced in Friday's regional semi-final win over Calvert. Then Chalker coach Tim Cope sent him right back to the mound in the championship game with a berth in the state tournament at stake.

Jackson didn't disappoint. Though tiring in the seventh, he had enough left in the tank to register a complete game 7-4 victory over the Mohawks.

Chalker (21-3) moves on to play Toronto, 12-2 winners over Leesburg Fairfield, Thursday in Columbus. It is the school's first ever trip to the state baseball tournament.

Thanks to Jackson. He struck out 11 and didn't surrender a walk. Through four innings, he was pitching a perfect game to all the Mohawk batters with the exception of Aaron Rouser, who touched him for a first innings single and then blasted a lead-off home run in the fourth.

Then in the seventh, St. Wendelin mounted their first serious rally against Jackson, scoring two runs on four singles. The next batter was Rouser, representing the potential tying run.

''You can't ask for a better situation,'' St. Wendelin coach Paul Feasel said. ''I was fully expecting the game to go to extra innings.''

Jackson had struck out Rouser leading off the sixth inning and repeated the feat to end the game, a performance that Cope rates higher than Jackson's one-hit shutout in their ly.

''For the caliber of team we were playing and the situation we were in, this has to be his best game,'' Cope said. ''At the end of the game, the heat was getting to him.''

Jackson had the full arsenal working against the Mohawks. His fastball whizzed by at a nearly unhittable speed. His breaking pitches were in the strike zone.

''We wanted him to throw as many pitches as possible after he threw Friday,'' Feasel said. ''I'd almost swear he was intentionally missing with his fastball and then spotting his curveball.''

Jackson struck out the side in the second and seventh innings. Only two of the runs he allowed were earned.

St. Wendelin starter Mike Shumaker had no such success. He struggled in his two innings of work, walking four and allowing six earned runs.

''We threw him last week against Mohawk and earlier against Toledo St. John and he did fine, but we didn't want to dig the hole we dug, but reality set in,'' Feasel said.

Chalker opened the game with two singles. A wild pitch and a sacrifice fly gave the Crusaders a 2-0 lead.

The wheels completely fell off in the second for Shumaker. Chalker mixed three singles, three walks, two stolen bases and a hit batter to score four runs, sending 10 men to the plate.

Matt Reiter relieved in the third, and continued to show the fine form he had in Friday's semi-final win over Kidron. He allowed one tainted run in four innings of work.

''We wanted to jump on them early,'' Cope said. ''We're going to test the catcher's arm and took advantage of that today.''

Chalker stole six bases, giving them 12 for the regional tournament.

St. Wendelin's other run came on a long RBI double by Ryan Smith in the fifth. In the end they couldn't get the heroic hit they needed.

''St. Wendelin baseball is something we're proud of and we wouldn't be here if we weren't dedicated,'' Feasel said. ''(The loss) is going to hurt, but that's just normal.''