Baseball Catholic League State Playoff Recaps, 2009-

Recaps of Catholic League State Playoff Baseball Games, 2005-

2009
CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle University
SJ Prep 4, Garnet Valley 3
Kyle Mullen struck out nine while yielding as many hits as the Prep built a 4-0 lead, then held on. The final out was recorded as Ray Toto threw out a would-be basestealer at second. Kyle Gillen drove home a run in the fourth. Toto (on a double) and Jeff Lynch (two-run single) had RBI in a three-run fifth. This was the CL's first win in a state baseball playoff, as the game started one hour earlier than Neumann-Goretti's. Lynch, leading off the second in the cleanup spot, posted the first hit on a line drive single to center. Greg "Buddy" Brooks, son of football coach Gil Brooks, was the Hawks' first baserunner (one-out walk in the first).
QUARTERFINAL
At Glen Mills
SJ Prep 2, West Chester East 1
Following two postponements caused by rain, coach Chris Rupertus opted to bring back Kyle Mullen on four days' rest. The result -- a two-hitter (one was a misjudged popup) with seven strikeouts. The Hawks scored twice in the third without a hit as RBI went to Greg "Buddy" Brooks (fielder's choice) and Jeff Lynch (sac fly). Ray Toto collected two hits.
SEMIFINAL
CLASS AAAA
At Spring-Ford
Parkland 6, SJ Prep 2
Three errors and a balk dumped the Hawks into a 3-0 hole in the first and they were no-hit through six innings. Pinch-hitter Bobby Della Polla led off the seventh with a single and Ray Toto followed with the first homer by a Catholic League player in PIAA playoff history. Pat Carbone pitched 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief (one hit, six whiffs).
CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
At Stump Stadium, Pine Grove
Neumann-Goretti 8, Blue Mountain 4 (8 inn.)
With two away in the home seventh, Al Baur served up a game-tying, two-run homer. His teammates had his back, though, witness their four-run eighth. Dom Riverso drove in two runs with a triple (he doubled earlier), Marty Venafro got another one home with a fielder's choice and Reno Regalbuto delivered an RBI single. Baur finished with 10 strikeouts in a five-hitter.
QUARTERFINAL
At Spring-Ford
Neumann-Goretti 1, Twin Valley 0
Under gray skies and occasional rain, Mark Donato spun a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts and allowed no one beyond second base. The Saints scored in the third on a double steal as Reno Regalbuto thieved second and Marty Venafro ran home. As did some N-G parents, Regalbuto acknowledged afterward that he'd probably been tagged out (that call would have ended the inning). TV's players and coach convinced the second base ump to confer with his partner at first; the call stood.
SEMIFINAL
At Wenger Field, Fredericksburg
Abington Heights 9, Neumann-Goretti 4
Nicky Nardini gave the Saints a 1-0 lead with a second-inning single, but AH roared back with four runs and finished with 13 total hits. Al Baur went 2-for-4 with a two-run single, cutting the deficit to 7-4. Dom Riverso also posted two hits.
CLASS AA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle University
Tulpehocken 8, Kennedy-Kenrick 1
Christian "Ya-Ya" Walker stroked two of the five hits managed by the Wolverines, who whiffed 14 times. Coach Tom Sergio sent six subs to the plate in the seventh. Evan Basile led off with a single and eventually scored on a strikeout/wild pitch/bad throw trifecta.

2010
CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
At Richie Ashburn Field
Great Valley 4, Bonner 1
Matt Ruggieri's RBI single gave Bonner a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Josh VanHorn and Steve Markus had the Friars' only other hits. Anthony DiGalbo took the loss. The final 14 Friars went down in order.
CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle High
Wood 10, West York 6
The Vikings spotted West York a 6-0 lead, then roared back with five apiece in the second and sixth. Kyle McCrossen's two-run single highlighted the second. In the sixth, Matt McAllister barely beat the relay to prevent an inning-ending doubleplay and drive in the tying run. Brian O'Grady and McAllister then scored on a hit-error combo and Brady McNab capped the outburst with a two-homer over the fence in dead rightfield. Larry Brittingham won in relief. His 2.2 innings included no runs, no hits and four strikeouts. The game started at 4. Wood's graduation had begun five hours earlier at Villanova's Pavilion.
QUARTERFINAL
At Boyertown
Twin Valley 2, Wood 0
Jeff Courter allowed eight hits, but worked out of several jams to limit TV to two runs. Alas, Wood managed just one hit, Kyle McCrossen's first inning single. Thinking he'd homered, McCrossen was slow out of the box. The ball hit the fence and he was gunned down at second.
CLASS AA
FIRST ROUND
At Richie Ashburn Field
Kennedy-Kenrick 2, Delone Catholic 1
In just 1:21, Joe Harvey kept the Wolverines' athletic program alive by mowing down 10 in a three-hitter. Rob Barth (fifth inning) and Sal DiPrinzio (one out in home seventh) delivered RBI singles. Barth walked to start the seventh. Alex Frederick bunted him over, then Cullen Rota (2-for-3) was issued an intentional walk before DiPrinzio surfaced as the final hero. Before the game, Harvey used tweezers to remove a small piece of broken glass from the ball of his left foot. The night before, he'd walked barefoot around Ocean City, N.J., while celebrating Senior Week.
QUARTERFINAL
At Northern York
Loyalsock 9, Kennedy-Kenrick 1
The Wolverines went quietly in the final game of the school's 17-year existence. Greg Guidone, immediately following one by Anthony Carr, rapped the last hit in K-K history in the seventh. An error loaded the bases, but the next two batters were retired. The Wolverines were held hitless for four frames. Rob Barth posted the final RBI.

2011
CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
At Richie Ashburn Field
Council Rock South 8, Bonner 3
The Friars fell into an 8-0 hole before posting three in the fifth on Jamie Juisti's RBI single and Jim Haley's two-run double. Matt Dolan started for Bonner.
CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
At Richie Ashburn Field
Twin Valley 3, Neumann-Goretti 1
Only one of this game's runs was earned and it went to TV. John Snyder singled twice and scored for N-G, which finished a wonderful season 22-1, while Joey Gorman allowed seven hits (all singles) and three walks while striking out nine. The Saints advanced runners to second and third in the home seventh. A strikeout ended it.
CLASS AA
DISTRICT 1-12 SUBREGIONAL SEMIFINAL
At Glen Mills
Springfield Montco 5, Conwell-Egan 1
At Glen Mills, Matt Brach doubled and C-E scored a first inning run. This result meant C-E and Esperanza, the Pub's AA champ, would not play for the City Title.