JOURNAL SPORTS

There’s no need to look far as to why the Loyola Flyers allowed only five hits yet gave up eight runs Friday night at Cicero Field.

The answer can be found at that 17-inch five-sided object located at the intersection of the first and third base lines. Problem is, the Flyer pitchers had a hard time finding it.

Five Loyola pitchers combined to walk 10 batters – and hit three more to make matters worse – as Archbishop Hannan took an 8-0 win in Game 1 in the best-of-three quarterfinal series in the Division II (select) playoffs.

Of the 162 pitches the Flyers threw, only half of them were strikes. Of the eight Hawks’ runs, only three came from base hits.

Three Hannan pitchers were not nearly as generous to the Flyer offense. Loyola had only one hit (a double by Kingston Adams) and four total baserunners. The Flyers struck out a season-high 11 times. The previous most they had struck out in a game was nine, and that was in a 14-inning game.

“We couldn’t pitch, we couldn’t hit and we couldn’t really field it either,” said Loyola coach Morgan Brian. “That just about sums it up.”

Hannan starter Owen Stempel faced only 10 batters through the first three innings, but a 1:09 weather delay forced him out of the game after 43 pitches. Relievers Reed Long and Nick Tardo finished where Stempel left off.

The Flyers (24-12) will try to regroup in Game 2 (5 p.m. today, Cicero Field) with staff ace Gavin Brint (8-1) on the mound. A third game, if necessary, is Saturday at noon. The winner of the series will meet the St. Charles-E.D. White winner in the semifinals next week.