Cisper, Moeller pull away from Ignatius

Zac Jackson, OhioHSsports.com, June 05, 2009 6:05 p.m.

A couple rocket-shot home runs set the stage.

Cincinnati Moeller finally found an offensive groove, and a sparkling two-way performance from Brett Cisper helped the Crusaders pull away from St. Ignatius and win a Div. I state semifinal game Friday afternoon, 6-0.

In last year’s semifinals, Moller held leads of 4-0 after three innings and 5-4 in the seventh before Ignatius rallied to win, 7-5. This time around, Moeller struck first with a pair of solo homers – the first homers hit by high school players in Huntington Park – and tacked on four more runs, all with two outs, in the top of the seventh to blow it open.

The first homer came in the fourth from junior Tyler Hutchinson, who seemed to know he’d crushed one to the opposite field as soon as he hit it. The ball easily cleared the 365 sign in left center. It was also Moeller’s first hit of the game.

Cisper’s shot two innings later landed not far from the same spot. Cisper was also dominant on the mound, striking out seven.

Ignatius left two runners on base in both the second and fifth innings and through the first five innings trailed despite having six base hits to Moeller’s one. But the Crusaders’ late crush chased Neil Butara and his first replacement, Jim Piascik, from the game.

With two on and two outs in the second, Cisper struck out Jesse Franklin to end the inning. He hit 90 and 91 MPH on the in-stadium radar gun in the fifth when he struck out Brad Clement and got Brian Lawless to ground out, again leaving runners on second and third.

Cisper got leadoff hitter Kevin Hopkins to hit into a 5-4-3 double play in the seventh, effectively ending any chance of an Ignatius comeback this time around.

In the top of the seventh, Moeller got an RBI triple from Ian Hundley, and RBI double from Robby Sunderman, then two more RBI from Hutchinson and Cisper, the guys who provided the first two.

Moeller advances to play one of two first-time state tournament qualifiers, Green or Pickerington North, Saturday at 7 p.m. For St. Ignatius, it’s now three straight trips to the state tournament without a title.