Senior left-hander Danny Sheehan, a longtime stalwart on Brother Rice’s pitching staff, has been working out of the bullpen most of the postseason with junior Braydon McKendrick and sophomore Brady Cunningham getting the big starts.
Sheehan took the move in stride. And when the Crusaders needed him Friday night, he surely answered the call.
“Getting moved to the pen, it was about not taking it personally, just knowing my role and being ready when I’m called upon,” Sheehan said. “When your back’s against the wall like that and you know it could be your last time going out there, I just had to give it everything I had.”
Pressed into duty in the middle of a nightmarish first inning for Brother Rice, Sheehan limited the damage and then delivered 4 2/3 strong innings in relief to keep his team in the game.
The Crusaders ultimately came up short, losing 4-1 to McHenry in a Class 4A state semifinal at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet.
Sheehan struck out three, allowed three hits and gave up two earned runs, both of which scored after he had departed the game for Brother Rice (37-4).
Eastern Michigan recruit Aidan Nohava came through with an RBI single, while Louisville commit Colin Campbell singled and drew a walk. Conner Stack and Kentucky recruit Nolan Ramoley each added a single.
The Crusaders, who fell short on their quest to win the program’s second state title and first since 1976, will play at 4 p.m. Saturday against Normal Community (36-5) in the third-place game.
“It’s tough, but we’ll be back,” Stack said of Saturday’s last game of the season. “Us seniors want to end on a ‘W,’ so we’ll get the guys going.”
Louisville recruit Brandon Shannon was dominant on the mound for McHenry (36-4-1), striking out eight holding the Crusaders to one run on four hits over six innings.
“They had a good guy on the mound,” Nohava said of Shannon, a senior righty. “We put together some good at-bats. He threw a lot of pitches. Sometimes, it just doesn’t go your way.”
Sheehan did his best to match Shannon.
After McKendrick struggled with his control, walking three and hitting two in the first, Sheehan was called upon with the Crusaders already down 2-1 and the bases loaded with two outs. He got a flyout to end the inning.
Brother Rice coach Sean McBride felt confident giving Sheehan the ball.
“We made that early move because we knew we had another guy who could keep us in the game,” McBride said. “Danny’s a No. 1 on a lot of staffs. We trusted him, and he did what we expected him to do.”
Sheehan went into cruise control after escaping the jam in the first. McHenry did not have a hit until the fifth inning but led 2-1 nonetheless.
“It’s the same approach,” Sheehan said. “My job has always been to throw strikes and get guys to put the ball in play. I’ve always had great defenses behind me the last three years.
“Just letting them do their thing and facilitating a great defense, that’s always been my mentality and it’s the same approach today as it’s always been.”
It turned out to be by far Sheehan’s longest outing of the playoffs as he threw 61 pitches.
“My arm hurts, but it’s fine,” Sheehan said. “It didn’t really bother me.”
McHenry grabbed some insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth as Kaden Wasniewski ripped a two-run single with two outs.
McBride credited the Warriors with beating his team at “the little things” and praised Shannon’s performance.
But he also tipped his cap to Sheehan.
“Danny’s a top guy, too,” McBride said. “Danny’s had one of the better careers here. He’s pitched in some of the biggest games and done very well.
“He did what he needed to do to keep us in the game.”
