Baseball Catholic League State Playoff Recaps, 2009-

Philadelphia High School Baseball
Recaps of Catholic League State Playoff Games, 2009-

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.

2012
CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle University
La Salle 10, Upper Dublin 1
Kevin Long scattered five hits and fanned three over six innings, and helped himself with two RBI. The Explorers' five-run fourth, reversing a 1-0 deficit, was highlighted by Chris Melillo's two-run double.
QUARTERFINAL
At Muhlenberg High
La Salle 7, Central Dauphin 6
The Explorers overcame deficits of 2-0 and 5-3 and the disappointment of losing a 6-5 lead in the visiting seventh. Ryan Otis' sacrifice fly to left won it while Chris Melillo went 3-for-4 with four RBI, a one-run single in the third and a three-run double over the centerfielder's head in the sixth. Colin Pyne (single) and Tyler Kozeniewski (triple) drove in runs in the fifth, providing a 3-2 lead. Dom Cuoci took a liner off the inner part of his left foot in the third and toughed out five innings. The win went to Mike Piscopo, who moved over from third base and gloved a liner to retire the one batter he faced.
SEMIFINAL
At Spring-Ford High
La Salle 7, Hatboro-Horsham 5
P.J. Acierno used a single and triple (worth two apiece) to bag four RBI and after drawing a walk to bring home an insurance run, Dom Cuoci fired a 1-2-3 seventh to save Kevin Long's win. The Explorers rallied from a 5-2 deficit.
FINAL
At Penn State
La Salle 3, Council Rock South 1
Kevin Long allowed hits to South's second and third batters, then a passed ball put runners on second and third. He escaped unscathed and wound up twirling a three-hitter with eight strikeouts and one walk as the Explorers became the first CL squad to win a state baseball title. The RBI went to Colin Pyne, Mike Piscopo and Dom Cuoci on singles and Corey Baiada started the two-run fourth with a double. South scored on a three-base error followed by a sac fly. Discounting one shaky inning, Long fashioned a 1.11 ERA through the playoffs (2.17 total).
CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle University
Neumann-Goretti 2, Twin Valley 0
Joe Kinee went the distance, allowing seven hits, striking out five and wriggling out of bases-loaded situations in the fourth through sixth innings. TV stranded 12 runners total. Kinee's single drove in the first run and Josh Ockimey added a homer.
QUARTERFINAL
At Muhlenberg High
Neumann-Goretti 9, Blue Mountain 2
On June 7, a pair of 57-minute weather delays forced a suspension with the score tied at 2-2 in the home fourth. Marty Venafro started the resumption with a sac fly and Josh Ockimey followed with a 380-foot, three-run homer to center. It was his fourth postseason dinger. Venafro wound up with three RBI on no hits while John LaMotta (four innings) and Joe Jaep did the pitching.
SEMIFINAL
At Spring-Ford High
Lampeter-Strasburg 2, Neumann-Goretti 0
The behavior of some N-G fans caused S-F officials to summon local police and, irate about the result of three major calls, coach Mike Zolk maintained the umps had "cheated." The Saints were no-hit through six. Josh Ockimey (HBP) reached base to start the seventh and Jimmy Kerrigan fired a double to right-center. A strikeout later, Joey Glennon, 1-for-22 in the postseason to that point but terrific at second base, inside-outed a one-run single to right. A squeeze bunt by Mario DiFebbo got a run home; nope, the plate ump ruled the ball had hit him off the bat. He also got down the next bunt, but Kerrigan slipped at third and was unable to score. Meanwhile, Glennon was colliding hard with L-S' second baseman and obstruction was called. The umps' decision left the bases loaded. A strikeout and forceout off Nicky Nardini's smoked one-hopper to third ended it.
CLASS AA
None. Conwell-Egan lost in District 1-12 subregional semifinal.

2013
CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
At Ashburn Field
Pennridge 11, La Salle 4: The winners' first four hitters combined to go 12-for-17 with four RBI and eight runs scored. All 27 hits in the game were singles. Pennridge won that contest, 19-8. For La Salle, Nick Dermo went 2-for-3 with two RBI, Jimmy Herron went 3-for-4 with a run scored and Pete Auteri turned two hits into one RBI.
CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle High
West York 9, Bonner-Prendie 6 (8 inn.): The Friars scored two apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth after WY plated its first six batters in the visiting first. Two of the three runs in the eighth were unearned. Dan Furman pitched eight innings in relief, allowing five hits. He added two RBI. Frank Saviski went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
CLASS AA
FIRST ROUND
At Ashburn Field
Salisbury 6, Neumann-Goretti 2 (8 inn.): The visitors won the extra frame, 5-1. For N-G, Pat Doudican went 2-for-3 while RBI were posted by Charlie Jerla (single) and Joey Glennon (grounder). John La Motta went 7 1/3 innings.

2014
CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
At Ashburn Field
La Salle 6, Boyertown 3: Though Dominic Cuoci allowed 10 hits, six never left the infield. Nick Dermo (first inning, single), Jimmy Herron (fourth, single) and Cuoci (fourth, double to base of fence in right) lashed hits worth two RBI apiece.
At Neumann University
Methacton 4, Washington 0: The Eagles were disheartened by the son of a former Pub star. Kyle Lowery, whose dad, Ed, was a first team All-City infielder for Roxborough in '78 (and reached AAA in the minors), broke a scoreless tie with a two-run, fifth-inning double. Washington rapped five hits, and Eddie Tingle's double was the best.
QUARTERFINAL
At Parkland High, in Allentown
La Salle 3, Hazleton 1: This one featured an all-time crazy ending. With two away and the bases loaded in the home seventh, Robert John hit a grounder toward shortstop AJ Grezeszak. It never got to him. The ball hit the baserunner, ending the game. John Scheffey went the distance while RBI went to Dominic Cuoci (groundout in first), Nick Dermo and Brian Buckley (back-to-back walks in fifth). Brad Schneider and Jimmy Herron halved four hits. This rare night game started at 7:11.
SEMIFINAL
At Neumann University, in Aston
La Salle 3, Spring-Ford 0: Dominic Cuoci fired a two-hitter with nine strikeouts and notched the game-winning RBI with a squib infield single in the sixth. Brian Buckley and Nick Dermo added authoritative RBI singles in that same frame. Cuoci showed his brass in the second inning after Shane Emrich thumped a leadoff triple. He whiffed the next three batters.
FINAL
At Penn State
La Salle 4, Conestoga 2 (8 inn.): Working on three days' rest, Dominic Cuoci became eligible to earn the win when Brian Buckley lined a two-run single to center in the visiting eighth. John Scheffey posted the save with a 1-2-3 bottom half. The state title was the Explorers' second in three years and, as in 2012, they rebounded after falling short for Catholic League honors. Buckley finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI and twice made strong plays at first base to prevent throwing errors. Cuoci (single) and Jimmy Herron (sac fly) had the Explorers' earlier RBI. Cuoci allowed eight hits (three did not leave the infield) and two walks (one intentional) while striking out two.
CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle High
Northeastern 3, Wood 1: Matt Funk scored the Vikings' only run on a fielder's choice off Erik Bowren's bat. Joe Lancellotti started the seventh with a double, but the momentum was not sustained.
At Stump Stadium, in Pine Grove
Tamaqua 12, Franklin Towne 2 (6 inn.): For Towne, Brian Bradley lofted a sac fly to score Phil Gilchrist and Matt Schlernitzauer tallied on the back end of a double steal.
CLASS AA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle High
Neumann-Goretti 5, Berks Catholic 3: Charlie Jerla, in relief, pitched shutout ball (three hits) over the final six innings as the Saints overcame an early scare. Pat Doudican was touched for three unearned runs (no hits) in the first and was replaced by Jerla after walking the leadoff batter in the second. Tommy Nardini stroked a two-run single in the fourth as a three-spot reversed a 3-2 deficit.
QUARTERFINAL
At Parkland High, in Allentown
Neumann-Goretti 1, Bloomsburg 0: Ethan "E" Pritchett spun a two-hitter with nine punchouts as the Saints won by shutout for the fifth time in 10 postseason contests; the MLB record is four by the Giants in 1905, 2010 and '12 and the Yankees in '98. The run scored in the third thanks to singles by Brian Verratti and Vinny Vaccone, a passed ball and a wild pitch.
SEMIFINAL
At Northern York High, in Dillsburg
Loyalsock 4, Neumann-Goretti 3: Poor throws on rundowns enabled Loyalsock to leave behind a 2-2 tie with one run apiece in the fifth and sixth. In the seventh, with two away and two strikes, recent Boston Red Sox draftee (fifth round) Josh Ockimey sent a scorcher down the leftfield line for an RBI double. Another runner tried to score from first, but was tagged out by the catcher in a short rundown between third and home. Reliever Charlie Jerla allowed an unearned run in the sixth; it was the only run (of any kind) scored against him in 23 postseason innings. Ockimey also had a sac fly and milked two walks.
CLASS A
FIRST ROUND
At Ashburn Field
Schuylkill Haven 12, Masterman 2 (5 inn.): The Blue Dragons' two runs scored on an infield error. Liam Shanahan, a freshman lefty, began the game at shortstop, then pitched the last two innings, allowing no earned runs.