Davis throws no-hitter for St. John's in win over St. Francis

Apr. 20—In hosting its chief rival on Monday, the St. John's Jesuit baseball team brought its hitting shoes, had its ace on the mound, and also mixed in some solid defense.

It all figured into an impressive 14-0 Three Rivers Athletic Conference victory by mercy rule over St. Francis de Sales that featured 11 Titans hits and a five-inning no-hitter by senior right-hander Jacob Davis.

"I scouted them out beforehand and I knew this was a big game for us," Davis said. "It's a rivalry game, and you've got to always come out and play hard. This is a great win for us, and I'm glad I could do my part.

"My fastball was working. I could locate it anywhere I wanted to, and then my curve ball started coming along in the last inning. I kept pumping the fastball."

Davis (4-0) struck out four batters and walked one.

St. John's (8-1 overall, 5-1 TRAC) wasted no time taking control.

After Davis retired the Knights (6-5, 2-2) 1-2-3 in the top of the first, the Titans used three hits to take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

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Reece Magers, who was 3-for-3 plus a walk in the game, ignited things with a one-out double to right field. After Trey Lake drew a walk, Ryan Snyder (2-for-2) followed with an RBI single to center, and J.P. Wagner (2-for-2) capped that rally with a two-out, two-run single to right.

"It just goes down to our guys," said first-year Titans head coach Sam Fischer, an Anthony Wayne graduate and former Generals player who was coaching in his first rivalry matchup against St. Francis. "I know it's a rivalry and everything, but if they can show up to play every day with energy and passion and stay behind each other, they're a great team. I love watching them play."

St. John's added five runs on four hits in the second to up its lead to 8-0.

Included were singles by Reece DiSalle (2-for-3), Magers, and Snyder, and the big blow against St. Francis starting pitcher Kyle Owens was Nick Pett's three-run home run over the right-field fence.

"We were just pumped up," Magers said. "It's a big rivalry game and this was a big-time win. I try to go out and compete on every pitch and keep working.

"We were working for fastballs in good counts and grinding at-bats. We get on base and take every base we can when we're on. This was huge, and it's a big momentum boost for the week."

The Titans added a one off Knights reliever Eli Klockowski in the third, then tacked on five more runs off the final St. Francis pitcher, Corey Dudley, in the fourth.

Two St. John's hits in that inning mixed with one of the Knights' four errors in the game, a hit batsman, and walk. The key hit was Wagner's two-run double.

"I kept telling them in the dugout, keep it going," Davis said of his hot-hitting teammates. "I'm happy for our team and the offense. It was a great game for us all around.

"I'm not going to forget this one. It's going to be in my memory for a while."

Davis faced the minimum 15 batters in the abbreviated no-hitter. The only blemish was his walk to Mana Bublick in the second inning, but pinch-runner Zach Spenthoff was subsequently caught off first on a pickoff throw from Titans catcher DiSalle to first baseman Carter Binkowski.

The St. John's defense finished off the no-hitter with two fine defensive plays in the fifth to end the game, one from third baseman Lake, the other from second baseman Wagner for the final out, touching off an infield celebration.

"We've really been focusing on having grinder at bats," Fischer said. "Going in with a plan, just grinding it, out and finding the barrel.

"Jacob Davis is a true competitor, He keeps the heartbeat for this team, and that's what we need."

St. Francis, the preseason favorite of TRAC coaches to win the conference title, shared the 2019 TRAC title with St. John's, and won the prior three conference championships outright.

The Knights also struggled to find offense in their previous TRAC loss last Wednesday, when they were down to their final strike before breaking up a seven-inning no-hitter with a two-out, two-strike single by St. Francis' Trey Talbots in a 5-2 loss to visiting Clay (11-2, 5-1)

The Eagles, who lost to St. John's, 6-4, on April 7, share first place with the Titans. St. John's lone loss was a 9-7 TRAC setback against Central Catholic (6-2, 4-2) on April 9.

First Published April 19, 2021, 9:33pm