Baseball Playoffs: John Curtis makes statement in rout of St. Paul’s

BASEBALL BRACKETS

It is just one game and you have to win two times to advance.

While that is factual, one cannot ignore the show John Curtis Christian put on Wednesday evening at Heap Field.

The Patriots, who reached the Division I state championship game last season and won the Division I title in 2017 and 2018, appear poised to make another run in 2023.

Ninth-seeded John Curtis dominated from start to finish in a 17-1 win over No. 8 St. Paul’s in a game shortened to five innings in game one of their Select Division I series.

Delgado commit Josh Eames put on a show.

Eames was 4 for 4 with two home runs, two singles and seven RBI and scored two runs for the Patriots.

The Patriots led 1-0 on a single by Mississippi State signee Michael O’Brien, who stole second, advanced to third on a single by Eames and scored on a single by Andrew Martinez.

Curtis scored three in the second inning when Delgado commit Josh Eames blasted the first of two home runs, a 3-run blow, in the top of the second inning to make it 4-0.

John Curtis (19-9-1) then broke the game open with eight runs in the third inning, rallying to score all eight runs with two outs and no one on base. Two-sport star Dagan Bruno had a 2-run single, Eames had an RBI single and Syris McClinton had a 2-run double to highlight the rally and it was 12-0. McClinton finished with three RBI.

After St. Paul’s scored a run in the third, the Patriots scored two in the fourth and three in the fifth inning to finish it off. Eames hit a 2-run homer in the fifth inning to finish off an incredible day.

New Mexico signee Austin Ackel went the distance for the win. Ackel was sharp, allowing a run on three hits with one walk and struck out two. Ackel added an RBI single to aid his own cause.

John Curtis banged out 14 hits, leaving coach Jeff Curtis smiling.

“How can you not like that performance all the way around?” Curtis said. “We were really good with two strikes. We were really good with two outs. We executed small ball, we hit home runs and we pitched well. Austin only threw 59 pitches and we made all the plays behind him. It was really a complete win. I think it is the best we’ve played this year against a quality opponent and a district champion on their home field.”

Braden Farizo was the losing pitcher. Farizo allowed 12 runs, 11 of which were earned, on 11 hits with a walk and two strikeouts in three innings pitched. LSU signee Kade Anderson drove in the only run for the Wolves (16-13) with a double in the third inning. Drew Bode had the only other hit for St. Paul’s.

John Curtis beat St. Paul’s 2-1 in the Division I title game in 2018.

Game two is Thursday at 6 p.m. with game three, if necessary, set for Friday at 6 p.m.

“I told the team after the game that you can enjoy it for a couple of hours,” Curtis said. “When you get in bed, dream about tomorrow. That’s the only thing that counts at this point.”