Montini Catholic High School’s baseball team won an IHSA Class 3A regional title on its home field on Saturday, May 30. The Broncos secured the program’s 23rd regional championship by defeating Hinsdale South 4-1 in the championship game of the Montini Regional in Lombard.
Montini raised its overall season record to 24-13 with Saturday’s victory over the Hornets. The Broncos advanced to this week’s sectional at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park. Montini faced Nazareth in a sectional semifinal earlier this week. The winner of that game will meet De La Salle or Solorio Academy in the sectional final on Saturday, June 6. The champion of the Nazareth Sectional will play in the super-sectional at Ozinga Field in Crestwood on Monday, June 8.
Nazareth is the sectional’s No. 2 seed. Montini is the No. 3 seed. Solorio Academy (the No. 8 seed) upset top-seeded Lemont 5-4 in Saturday’s championship game at the Lemont Regional.
The Broncos opened post-season play with a lop-sided 21-0 win over Chicago’s Clark High School in a regional semifinal on May 27. The Broncos led Hinsdale South 2-0 after two innings of Saturday’s regional final. Sophomore Kameron Cox hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to give Montini a 1-0 lead. Junior Drew Chrastka launched a solo homer in the bottom of the second inning to push the Broncos’ lead to 2-0.
The Hornets cut Montini’s lead to 2-1 in the fourth inning. Montini scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to raise its lead to 4-1.
Senior Blake Heyer pitched the first five and one-third innings of Saturday’s regional final for the Broncos. Heyer earned the win after allowing one run, three hits and three walks. He recorded eight strikeouts. Senior Robert Sansone pitched one inning in relief for Montini. Senior Drake Palmer took the mound in the top of the seventh inning and picked up a save after the Hornets grounded into a game-ending double play.
