Sink's One Out RBI Single In Bottom Of Seventh Gives McGivney Dramatic 3-2 Win Over Marquette  

GLEN CARBON - Ben Sink's one-out RBI single to right scored Drew Kleinheider with the winning run as Father McGivney Catholic took a dramatic, and key, Gateway Metro Conference win over Marquette Catholic 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Griffins Field.

The win allowed McGivney to win their 20th game of the season for the fourth consecutive year, and are now 20-2. The Explorers fall to 8-10 for the season.

The Griffins scored first in the second inning, starting with a lead-off single by Kannon Kamp, going to third on a Kleinheider double to the gap in right-center. Kamp scored on a RBI grounder to shortstop by Nick Franklin to score Kamp and make it 1-0. Marquette tied it up in the fourth, starting with a walk to Will Fahnestock, who was forced at second by Scott Vickrey. Elijah Rodgers reached on an error, with Vickrey going to third, then scored on a Joe Stephan sacrifice fly to center to tie the game 1-1.

McGivney took back the lead in the fifth, starting with a one-out single by Kamp, who was caught stealing, but Kleinheider drew a walk, with Franklin singling Kleinheider to second, and Justin Terhaar's RBI single scoring Kleinheider and sending courtesy runner Reilly Sutberry to third, giving the Griffins a 2-1 lead.

Marquette retied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth, starting with back-to-back lead-off singles by Karson Morrissey and Fahnestock. Both advanced on a one-out grounder by Rodgers, with Joe Stephan's RBI single scoring Morrissey to tie the game again 2-2. The Griffins won it in the seventh, starting with a Kleinheider leading off with an infield single to short, and was sacrificed to second by Franklin. Terhaar was intentionally walked, and Sink delivered his game-winning hit to right, scoring Kleinheider with the winning run to give McGivney the 3-2 win.

Kamp and Kleinheider both had two hits each for the Griffins, while Franklin, Justin Terhaar, and Sink all had a hit and RBI each, and Nathan Terhaar had a hit. Mason Holmes went six innings on the mound, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits, walking two and striking out four, while Evan Koontz threw in the seventh, striking out the side.

Stephan had a hit and two RBIs for the Explorers, while Fahnestock, Morrissey, and Mykai Taylor all had hits. Drew Zacha went 5.2 innings on the mound, allowing two runs on six hits, walking four and fanning five, while Keller Jacobs went the final 0.2 innings, allowing a run on two hits, walking one and having no strikeouts.

The Griffins and Explorers play each other again on Thursday at Lloyd Hopkins Field at Gordon Moore Park, with McGivney playing at Alton Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., then host Valmeyer on Monday, and are at Belleville West on Wednesday, both games starting at 4:30 p.m.

After Thursday's rematch against the Griffins, the Explorers host Staunton on Saturday morning at 10 a.m., then host Carrollton on Tuesday, and play at Roxana on May 1, both games starting at 4:30 p.m.Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.

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Dan Brannan also contributed to this story

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