By Sean Duncan

TINLEY PARK - Nick Dalesandro, the No. 1-ranked freshman in Illinois, made his first varsity start as a position player Wednesday for No. 11 Joliet Catholic Academy.

Judging by his performance, there will be many more to come.

On an extraordinarily windy and cold day, Dalesandro collected two hits and three RBI, including the game-winning two-run single in the top of the seventh to lift the Hilltoppers to a 4-2 victory over red-hot No. 8 Andrew.

Dalesandro also delivered a run-scoring single in the fifth that gave JCA (5-3) a brief 2-1 advantage.

“I was nervous,” said Dalesandro, who had two of the team’s five hits. “I just told myself both times to get it done.”

If only it were that easy.

The 6-foot-, 160-pound Dalesandro has established himself as the top-ranked Class of 2015 prospect chiefly because of his arm strength, both on the mound and behind the plate. On Wednesday against Andrew, he was the starting centerfielder – and looked like he had been playing there for years. In fact, in the bottom of the seventh, he tracked down a well-struck ball by Steve Carrabotta in right-center field. A poor jump off the bat and he likely wouldn’t have gotten there.

“Obviously the conditions were brutal today,” said JCA coach Jared Voss, who’s coached his share of thoroughbreds over the years, such as Joe Benson and John Ruettiger. “To have three RBI on a day like today is incredible. … He’s just a naturally-gifted player. He’s got natural baseball instincts.”

Junior left-hander Matt Testa earned the win in relief, working 2.1 scoreless innings. Testa (1-0) was called into a two-out, bases-loaded situation in the fifth and wriggled out of the jam with a strikeout on a 68-mph curveball. Testa, who yielded two hits, also struck out two in the seventh, including the final out to help the Hilltoppers snap their three-game slide.

Senior right-hander Matt Chignoli held the hot-hitting T-Bolts (7-3) to five hits and one earned run in 4.2 innings.

Andrew, which went 6-0 last week against top competition, tied the game at 1-1 in the third on a JCA error. After the Hilltoppers regained the lead in the fifth on Dalesandro’s RBI single, the T-Bolts came right back in the bottom half to tie the game on a passed ball and three walks.

Senior shortstop Pat Elget led Andrew with a third-inning double, a walk and reached base all three plate appearances. Junior catcher Ryan Supple led off the sixth inning with a single, which led to the game-tying run.

It was looking like the game was going to go into extra innings. That is, before Dalesandro delivered his two-run single up the middle with the bases loaded.