Peter Solloway, St. Francis shut out Marmion for 17th straight win

WHEATON – Peter Solloway pitched no-hit ball for the first 5⅓ innings, while James McGrath hit a home run, triple, and provided excellent defense in center field as St. Francis blanked Marmion, 9-0, Saturday in Wheaton.

Solloway, who walked four and struck out four in six innings, improved his record to 7-0 while the Spartans (21-3) extended their winning streak to 17.

“He’s one of the most dominant juniors in the state,” Spartans coach Tom Ciombor said of his right-handed pitcher. “His ERA is under 1.00.”

Staked to an early 4-0 lead, Solloway received a huge lift from his defense to start the second when McGrath sprinted to his left to make a diving catch in right-center.

“That felt great,” McGrath said. “It was full extension. I just had to hold on to it. I didn’t know if I was going to make it, but it stayed up and I made the catch.”

“It might have been the best catch I’ve seen in five years here,” Ciombor said. “That was spectacular.”

Solloway was glad to be the benefactor of McGrath’s web gem.

“I had to thank him,” Solloway said. “That probably saved him (the Cadets’ Matt Tulley) from getting three bases there. You love to have those plays behind you.”

St. Francis opened the game with a four-run first inning.

Following Ian Bagaconza’s one-out single, Nolan Galla singled to right, and Bagaconza came around to score on an outfield error. Joey Gainer delivered an RBI single before McGrath laced an RBI triple to left-center to make it 3-0.

McGrath came across with the fourth run of the inning on Colt Armbrust’s groundout.

“Our approach is better when we go oppo (opposite field),” Ciombor said. “Nolan Galla started it off with a line drive the opposite way. That’s when we’re at our best.”

The Spartans also played some small ball, as Galla (2 for 3) and Bagaconza (3 for 4) reached on bunt singles, and Armbrust added a sacrifice bunt.

“We’ve been working in it because the farther you go (in the tournament), you have to start doing those things,” Ciombor said. “That’s a good sign.”

Bagaconza added an RBI single in the fifth before McGrath belted his third home run of the season to open the sixth.

“I didn’t feel it off the bat,” McGrath said.

Solloway’s no-hit bid ended in the sixth on Michael Lio’s 1-out single to center.

“I thought about it (no-hitter) a little bit but I was just focusing on throwing strikes, hitting my zones, and relying on my defense,” Solloway said.

While remaining unbeaten in Chicago Catholic League White play, the Spartans opened a 2-game lead over second-place Marmion.

“Our goal at the beginning of the year is never to win conference — we want to be ready toward the end,“ Ciombor said. “However, if it’s (conference title) there, let’s take it.”

The Cadets are now 16-11-1.

“St. Francis played a good game and we didn’t respond very well today,” said Marmion coach Aaron Nieckula. “We’ll come out Monday and start all over again.”