As St. Laurence starter Anthony Robles weighs his college destination, the hard-throwing lefty is hoping performances like Wednesday’s keep his options wide open.
Robles struck out 10 and St. Laurence rallied for a 3-2 Catholic League crossover victory against De La Salle. Jake Diaz scored the winning run when Tom Farrell coaxed a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh.
“I hope (colleges) see that I battle and compete,” said Robles, who was quick to share the spotlight. “I gotta thank my catcher, Anthony Rios, for sticking a lot of pitches. He stole a lot of strikes for me.”
Robles allowed just four hits and a walk in earning the complete-game victory.
“(Robles) was outstanding,” St. Laurence coach Pete Lotus said. “He was around the plate all day. His ball moves so much, he gets a ton of ground balls.”
Robles didn’t allow a ball to leave the infield until the fourth inning.
St. Laurence (10-2, 3-0 Catholic Blue) trailed 2-0 after the top of the fourth. The Vikings tied up the game with runs in the fourth and sixth innings.
In the seventh, Diaz rapped a base hit, took second on a bunt single and went to third after Brian Lyle was hit by a pitch. Farrell drove in Diaz in a gutty at-bat against closer Tommy Duddleston.
“That was a little stressful,” said Diaz, who added an RBI single in the fourth. “It seemed like a long game. It gets more stressful throughout the game just knowing, every inning, that you haven’t put a run on the board. And even more so when your pitcher is doing so well.”
“We were kind of pressing there,” Lotus said. “Especially after the first couple innings when we didn’t get anything offensively.”
Mike Sanfratello started for De La Salle (3-7, 0-4 Catholic White). He went six innings, allowing seven hits and two runs.
It was his first start of the year, and had the date circled for quite some time.
His older brother, Anthony, played for St. Laurence before graduating in 2014. He died in January in a car crash.
“I looked up to my brother,” Mike Sanfratello said. “I wanted to do it for him.”
Mike Sanfratello hoped he proved himself as a viable starting pitcher.
“(Sanfratello) did an outstanding job,” De La Salle coach Chris Hall said. “That was a special game for him. I really wanted him to have it. I saved the game for him, marked it on the calendar. He was relaxed. It meant so much to him, I think he was really focused.”
Duddleston (2-for-3) and Justin Jackson (1-for-3, RBI) each scored and did most of the damage at the plate for De La Salle.
St. Laurence received another strong showing from third baseman Matt McCormick (2-for-3, stolen base).
Logan Malloy is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.
