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Judge routs Wood as Hammer fires four-hitter

Christian Lutz's aggressive approach at the plate has helped put Father Judge in position to make a run at its first Catholic League title since 2000.

Christian Lutz's aggressive approach at the plate has helped put Father Judge in position to make a run at its first Catholic League title since 2000.

"The first pitch, if it's there, I'm going for it," the junior designated hitter said. "It's usually worked pretty well for me."

Continuing his recent tear, Lutz went 3 for 4 from the cleanup spot as the visiting Crusaders downed Archbishop Wood, 7-1, in a first-place showdown Wednesday afternoon in Warminster.

Lutz, a lefty hitter, slammed two homers to right field in last week's 3-2 triumph over La Salle at Ramp Playground.

"He has a nice downward swing," Judge first-year skipper Kenny Devenney said. "He's looking to hit the ball as hard as he can. Even when he has outs, they're hard outs."

Against the Vikings, Lutz doubled to left-center field in the second inning and singled to right in the third and fifth.

"You miss being out there on defense," Lutz said. "But you do whatever is best for the team."

Judge's Dan Hammer, a hard-throwing senior righthander and Pittsburgh recruit, twirled a four-hitter. A possible selection in next month's first-year player draft, he touched 92 mph on the radar gun.

"He overpowers people with his fastball, his change-up is nasty, and he's got a good curveball," Lutz said.

Hammer (8-0) fired 78 pitches, with 52 for strikes. "I thought my fastball was there, but my off-speed stuff was lacking," the ace said. "I just had to work through it."

The Crusaders (15-3 overall, 10-1 league) totaled 10 hits while clinching the No. 1 seed in the upcoming 10-team playoff tournament.

"It feel great to be all alone in first place," Lutz said. "But we have to keep pushing. We can't go easy on anybody."

Tim Ulrich delivered RBI singles for Judge in the second and third; Hammer and Lutz did the same in the sixth; and Matt O'Connor (2 for 3, three RBIs) ripped an RBI double to left-center in the seventh.

Second-place Wood (13-3, 9-2) averted a shutout in the seventh. Sean Kelly tripled to right-center and scored on Matt Cummiskey's groundout to second.

"Give the credit to Judge," Vikings coach Jim DiGuiseppe Jr. said. "It wasn't just Hammer. They hit the ball well and also played good defense."

Father Judge 021 003 1 - 7 10 1

Arch. Wood 000 000 1 - 1 4 1

WP: Dan Hammer. LP: Sean Hughes. 2B: FJ-Christian Lutz, Matt O'Connor; AW-Sean Kelly. 3B: AW-Kelly.