GLEN CARBON - Jacob McKee had one hit and three RBIs for Father McGivney Catholic's baseball team on Monday, but it was a big one as he hit a three-run homer as part of a four-run sixth inning that helped give the Griffins a 7-2 win over Metro-East Lutheran in an IHSA Class 1A regional final Monday afternoon at Griffins Field.
The win puts McGivney into the sectional semifinals, where they will host Carrollton, an 8-6 winner over Moweaqua Central A&M in another regional final on Monday, with a berth into the last 16 on the line.
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The Griffins took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and fourth before the Knights rallied with two in the top of the fifth to tie the game. McGivney plated a single run in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good, then added their four runs in the sixth to put the game away and advance.
McKee's homer was his only hit of the day, while Jackson Rodgers added a hit and RBI for the Griffins, and Austin Callovini, Daniel Gierer and Luke Deakos also had hits.
Luke Neath had a hit and the Knights' only two RBIs on the day, while Nathan Butler, Erik Broekemeier, Bobby Werden and Mike Reynolds had the other Metro-East hits.
Gierer went all the way on the mound for McGivney, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six. Broekemeier also pitched well for the Knights, fanning six, while Reynolds struck out one on the mound.
Metro-East concludes its season with an 8-9 record, while the Griffins improve to 26-6, and will host Carrollton in the sectional semifinal on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., with the winner going on to Friday's sectional final against the winner of Okawville and Greenfield Northwestern. The sectional winner moves to the last eight and will play in the super-sectional at Lincoln Land College in Springfield next Monday in a 6 p.m. first pitch.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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