Matt Simmons’ RBI single enough for Lucas Grant, Joliet Catholic to get past Ottawa

PONTIAC – Joliet Catholic No. 9 hitter Matt Simmons delivered a two-out single to center to drive home AJ Perez and break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning of Saturday’s Class 3A Pontiac Regional championship game.

“In those situations, you’ve just got to slow the game down, trust in your preparation, trust in your ability,” Simmons said. “I knew the guys believed in me. I just had to believe in myself, simplify my approach, catch a barrel, and good things will happen.”

Although the Hilltoppers added a handful of insurance runs against the Ottawa Pirates over JCA’s next couple at bats, pitcher Lucas Grant didn’t need them in JCA’s eventual 6-0 victory to claim the program’s fourth straight regional title and advance into next week’s 3A Metamora Sectional.

Joliet Catholic (23-14) will play Washington at 4:30 Wednesday.

The Pirates (18-17) see their first above-.500 season since 2021 come to an end.

Simmons finished with his shutout-breaking, game-winning single and a later run scored. Zach Pomatto (2 for 2, two runs), Keegan Farnaus (RBI double), Ryan Yurisich (two-run double) and Steve Martin (single, RBI) also led the offense in support of Grant, though the Purdue University-bound southpaw didn’t need much.

Grant twirled a one-hit shutout, walking three and striking out 18 Pirates, including four in the seventh and final inning to close things out. After allowing four baserunners over the opening two innings (his three walks plus JCA’s lone fielding error), Grant permitted only two more over the final five – Colt Bryson tapping a high-chopper into left in the fourth for Ottawa’s only hit, and pinch hitter Jackson Mangold reaching on a dropped-third strike in the seventh.

“[My stuff] definitely felt better later on,” Grant said. “That first, second inning, I was kind of figuring out the zone, looking where [the home-plate umpire] was at. I had a few outside pitches 0-2 where I was throwing [them high], but the fifth, sixth, seventh inning, I was able to get it down and locate there.”

“Part of postseason baseball is the draw that you get,” first-year Ottawa head coach Levi Ericson said, “and we ran into one of the top arms in the state. He’s been dominant all year, and let’s be honest, we don’t see arms like that in the regular reason, and when you don’t see it, it’s hard to make that adjustment in the matter of a day ... going to low 90s, right at ya’.

“But credit to our guys. We had our opportunities [early]. We just didn’t get that timely hit.”

Grant’s highest-leverage outs came as Ottawa threatened with runners at second and third in the first and at first and second in the second. Both came via strikeouts, two of his dozen and a half on the day.

“That’s where it all starts,” Joliet Catholic coach Jared Voss said. “Lucas, he’s been that guy for us all year. He’s down until next Saturday now – hopefully we get there – but when he’s out there, you feel pretty good.

“I’d like to get a little more support early, but we felt pretty good with him on the mound for sure. Eighteen strikeouts? That’s unbelievable.”

Ottawa starting pitcher Lucas Farabaugh, who earned the win in relief during the Pirates’ 10-inning shutout of Streator in the regional semifinals Thursday, did a fantastic job keeping his team in the game despite Grant’s dominance. Farabaugh went five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and four walks, recording five strikeouts in a gutsy effort for him and the Pirates as a ballclub.

“Credit to these guys,” Ericson said, “and these seniors are a special group. To have 10 guys stick together, play all four years together and take the challenge I made in November when I got this job to leave this program in a better spot. These seniors 100% did.”