Pat the Stat

      Patrick "Pat the Stat" Gordon is one of our trusty statisticians/observers. He is not to be confused with Phillies slugger Pat "The Bat" Burrell. "Stat" is a 2000 North Catholic grad now studying journalism at Temple. He will report on occasional Falcons' games and maybe some others as well. He promises to provide balanced reports.
     You may contact Pat at GlassJAw49@aol.com
      His own site is here.

FINAL REPORT ON NORTH'S SEASON
    Another season in the books and it certainly was not a pretty one. Many
fans of the organization must look at the 8-28 record of the team over the
past two seasons and think the coaching staff must be the reason why the team
has fared so poorly, but don't let the record fool you. Trust me, it's not
the coaching staff.
    The Falcons' coaching staff has given the organization everything they
possibly could, it is the lack of commitment and concentration on behalf of
the players as to why the team has fared so poorly over the past two
seasons. Sure, many of the players on the team have talent, but too many lack
real knowledge of the game of baseball to succeed at the Varsity level.
    Baseball is not a game where you can rely on athletic ability to succeed.
Sure it helps but you need to know the fundamentals, the intricacies of the
game. Many of the players affiliated with the organization lack the
knowledge I'm speaking of. So why doesn't the managerial staff teach it, you
ask? The answer is simple, because it's Varsity baseball, a brand of
baseball where you are supposed to know what to do in a given situation.
Varsity baseball is a brand of baseball where knowledge of the game
supercedes ability. By no means am I saying the Falcons players lack
ability, but I am stating that ability alone is surely not enough. If you
want evidence look no further then the 4-14 record the Falcons posted this
season.
    At this stage in a baseball career, you have to know what you are doing
and what to do in any given situation. Luckily, I was a student of such
local baseball men like Tony Monte, Joe McCourt, and Joe Kwortnik. These
three men gave me a sound foundation of what to do and how to play. I've
built on that foundation by watching countless games on television and in
person, reading books and articles and absorbing as much information as I can
to fully understand the game.
    Sadly, it seems the players in the North Catholic organization have
fallen by the wayside when it comes to learning the game before they reach
the Varsity level.
Varsity baseball is not the place to be swinging at 3-0 pitches or the place
to be taught what a secondary lead is. Varsity baseball is not a place where
you should be taught how to field a routine ground ball or the difference
between a sacrifice bunt and a drag bunt. However these are the things the
North coaching staff are forced to deal with. How can you win against teams
such as La Salle and Carroll if you cannot lay a bunt down the first base
line? How can they think about teaching things such as turning double plays
and rotation defenses when they have to give their time hitting routine
grounders and popups at practice? They simply can't and items such as
double plays and rotation defenses are what the Catholic League is all about.
     So before looking at the 4-14 record and the 8-28 record over the past
two seasons and thinking the coaches are at fault, you have to come to a game
and see for yourself, the lack of knowledge possessed by the players.
Somewhere along the lines, these players were not taught how to play smart
baseball and are instead playing what Head Coach Tom Wenger labels "stupid
baseball."
    The coaching staff can't really do anything; the players are the ones
who have their work cut out for them. Let's hope this off-season they learn
something other then how to party in their shore houses. For my sake and the
sake of the coaching staff and the fans, let's hope they finally learn how to
lay down that sacrifice bunt or understand the concept of a rotation defense.
    Trust me, it will make my spring as well as yours more enjoyable come next
season.

CATHOLIC LEAGUE
La Salle 7, North 2
    It's Last game of the season. Some would look at the Falcons record and
see the 4 and 13 mark and have the mindset that the Falcons are going up
against the CL heavyweight and that they would just roll over and give La
Salle the game. Think again.
    Although the Falcons fell behind early due to some really poor
fundamental baseball, they kept fighting and kept the game close.
    Trailing 7-0 heading into the sixth, the Falcons used everyone on their
bench and were using bench players and backups at almost every position.
Meanwhile La Salle, prepping for the CL playoffs, kept their staff ace on the
mound, Dan Watters.
    North led the sixth off with three straight singles and with one out
Bobby McMonagle stepped to the plate. A bench player all season, McMonagle
ripped an 0-2 pitch down the third base line scoring two runs and drawing the
Falcons back to within five.
    That was as close as they would come, losing the contest 7-2. In
actuality, the Falcons had a shot to win if they executed the fundamentals.
Too many balls were thrown away and ground balls missed.
    Hopefully the North players get some playing experience in the off-season
and can further their knowledge of the game and actually become "students" of
the game. It seems as if too many players are just getting by on the team by
athletic ability and are not fully aware of the basics. This is a keen reason
why the team finished 4-14. This season was certainly not the coaching
staff's fault; I mean it is High School Varsity baseball. Players are
expected to know how to do certain things before going out for the team.
    For those players on the team who think athletic ability is all you need
to succeed in the game, I ask you to look at the team's final record. 4-14
is not the record of a thinking baseball team.
    Many of the Falcons games this season came down to simple things not
being done properly and it cost the team dearly. Some things just cannot be
taught and if you are playing Varsity baseball and do not know how to field a
ground ball properly or need to be told constantly when to take a secondary
lead, perhaps the varsity team is not where you belong. Hopefully the
players coming back next year understand that and will come with some
newfound knowledge to go along with their ability.
The Final Stat of the Season:
To those coming back next year: Baseball is 80% mental --- 20% physical.
You have to learn how to become a student of the game to succeed in the game.

CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Neumann 4, North Cath. 3 (8 inn.)
In a meaningless late season game the Falcons met the Neumann Pirates and
played one of the most entertaining games I have seen all season long.
Jr. RHP Shaun Gallagher took the hill for the Fightin' Falcons and was
opposed by So. RHP John Brady of Neumann.
Though the Falcons took an early 1-0 lead thanks to a Tom Wenger fielder's
choice scoring Stan Orzechowski, the Falcons started the game off just as
they have all season, leaving men on base. The Falcons left four runners on
base in the first two innings, three of which were left in scoring position.
Neumann struck back in the third inning, tying the game at one on a sacrifice
fly to center field. The Pirates would add two more in the fourth thanks to
two costly errors at the hands of the Falcons defense.
Pitcher John Brady led the fourth off for Neumann with a base hit and Tom
Daly followed, knocking a single to center. With runners on first and third
and with no outs, Gallagher struck out the next two Pirates who stepped up to
the plate. Daly stole second and Billy Canady came to the plate with runners
now on second and third. Canady, who has blazing speed, hit a sharply hit
grounder to Falcons shortstop Danny Paluch. Paluch bobbled the ball and then
threw it away, allowing Brady and Daly to score making the score 3-1.
The Falcons rallied back in the seventh, scoring two runs on a double play
ball that scored Mike Karpovich from third and a base hit by Danny Paluch
that scored Craig Kubis from third.
Heading into the eighth, Neumann brought Jr. RHP Billy Sheridan in and he
fanned the first two batters he faced before getting Falcons So. Mike
Berretta to pop out to short.
Gallagher, who threw about a hundred pitches at this point, gave up a leadoff
single to Neumann shortstop John Chambers. Chambers bolted for second as
soon as the ball was briefly bobbled by the Falcons left fielder.
Gallagher noticeably upped his velocity and got two outs in succession and
seemed as if he was poised to head into the ninth. Tom Daly then stepped up
to the plate.
Daly, a junior, was 1 for 3 at this point and waited for his pitch. Daly
then whipped a Gallagher fastball to center, scoring Chambers and ending the
game in the eighth with the Pirates taking the contest 4-3.
Gallagher picked up the loss for the Falcons, striking out six.

CATHOLIC NORTH
Wood 10, North 7
    Who would have thought it? The Falcons starters couldn't give up eight
runs in the first inning again could they? No way right? Hold on a sec, we
are talking about the North Catholic Falcons, anything can happen. Sr. RHP
Steve Cross, who started his first game of the season, did just that, minus
one.
   Cross gave up seven runs, six of which were earned while walking the first
five batters he faced. Needless to say, Cross just didn't have it. Wood
took the contest and defeated the Falcons 10-7. Scoring eight runs in the
first inning alone.
    Jr. RHP Brian Wehrman looked remarkable in relief of Cross. Coming into
the game Wehrman had an ERA over 30 and gave up twelve hits in less then two
innings of work on the season, but Wehrman was impressive. Going the final
six plus innings, Wehrman gave up just three runs while striking out six.
    The Falcons offense also sparked, scoring six runs of their own in the
first. Led by a Tom Wenger RBI double and a RBI single by Justin Etsell.
Mike Karpovich also kept his hot streak going by knocking in a run in the
first on an RBI base hit.
    So. Craig Kubis went 2 for 2 with a pair of singles and a run scored for
the Falcons while Mike Piotrowicz homered in the sixth inning, his last at
bat at home in a Falcons uniform.
    The game was the Falcons seniors last home game and luckily they made the
game close, enjoyable, and entertaining. Although it was a loss you could
see the Falcons were having fun and since the game was meaningless in the
standings, it was good to see.
    The game, although a bit wild, was one of the better ones the Falcons
have played all season. If you take away the wild start in the first inning
you have a well-played game by North in all aspects.
   The Falcons next two games are on the road against Neumann and LaSalle
respectively.

CATHOLIC NORTH
Ryan 15 North 5
    Giving up eight runs in the first inning is usually not a key to success.
Falcons starter, Jr. RHP Justin Etsell learned that the hard way, giving up
seven earned runs, six hits, and two walks within just 2/3 of an inning
against Ryan. The final score favored Ryan by ten, with North losing 15-5.
The loss officially eliminated our beloved Falcons from playoff contention.
    Etsell looked horrific on the mound and did not have good command. It
looked as if he lacked concentration and just was not ready to pitch in a
must win situation. I explained in last week's column that Etsell and Jr.
RHP Shaun Gallagher would have to come up big in these final games to help
the Falcons at least finish with a respectable record. Gallagher did his
part despite the 5-3 loss at the hands of McDevitt but Etsell failed
miserably.
    So. RHP Craig Kubis, a late season call up, looked somewhat impressive in
relief of Etsell. Throwing three plus innings and showing decent speed and
movement. Kubis did a decent job at stopping the onslaught that Ryan was
handing North.
Brian Hannan and Danny Paluch hit back-to-back homers for the Falcons in
the sixth and claimed the only highlights of the game.
In other baseball news, four members of the Falcons program were nominated
for possible selections as All Catholic's. Seniors Mike Piotrowicz and Brian
Hannan were nominated, as were Jr. Danny Paluch and So. Stan Orzechowski.
Mike Piotrowicz, the Falcons starting first baseman was voted as an All
Catholic last year and has been on a hot streak as of late.   The selections
for All Catholic will be made at a later date.
Congratulations to the Falcons four nominees!
Stat of the Game
Again, North left an obscene number of runners on base, twelve!

CATHOLIC NORTH
McDevitt 5, North 3
    Jr. RHP Shaun Gallagher received the loss as the Falcons dropped to 4-10
on the season with a loss at the hands of Bishop McDevitt, 5-3. The loss did
everything but mathematically eliminate the Falcons from the Catholic League
playoffs.
    Gallagher went the distance for the Falcons but yielded two solo homers
in the visiting eighth. Yet again, the Falcons offense was bewildered,
collecting just five hits throughout the contest and leaving nine runners on
base.
    Mike Piotrowicz led the Falcons lackadaisical offense, going 2 for 4. One of
Piotrowicz hits was an RBI double in the fifth inning that put the Falcons on
the board and tied the game at two.
    Unfortunately, McDevitt hammered Gallagher around in the eighth inning and
collected back-to-back homers, one being a two run shot. With the two run
shot and solo bomb, McDevitt took the lead 5-2 and never looked back.
    The Falcons put up a fight in the extra frame, but came up short scoring
just one run thanks to a Mike Karpovich RBI double. Karpovich's double
scored Steve Cross who reached on a fielder's choice.
   With the loss, the Falcons split the season series with Bishop McDevitt.
Stat of the Game
The Falcons left a total of six runners in scoring position during the
contest and left one in scoring position in each inning except for the
second.

CATHOLIC NORTH
Judge 4, North 2
    Looking for the first sweep of Judge in nearly ten years, the Falcons
were eyeing a victory, a victory that would give them their first winning
streak in two years. Unfortunately, Judge thought otherwise and silenced the
Falcons, taking the contest by a final score of 4-2.
    The Falcons could only muster together five hits in the losing effort.
The loss knocked the Falcons to 4-9 on the season and may have nailed the
coffin shut on the Falcons 2002 season.
    Jr. RHP Justin Etsell received the loss for North.   Hurling a complete
game, Etsell allowed four runs, gave up seven hits, and walked seven, hitting
two batters.
   Etsell also struck out in his two appearances at the plate before being
lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh.
    Not much could be said for the rest of the Falcons offense, leaving seven
men on base, four within the first two innings of the contest. North left
the bases loaded in the second inning with just one out.
    The loss at the hands of Judge was not the only bad news handed to the
Falcons this past week.
    The rumored loss of Sr. LHP Keith White, the Falcons ace thus far, has
left the team scrambling. White is expected to miss the rest of the season
due to elbow problems. With the loss of White the Falcons pitching staff is
looking quite thin.
    Justin Etsell has struggled to say the least this season, and Shaun
Gallagher is coming off an arm injury from earlier in the season.   Etsell
and Gallagher will have to come up big in the stretch run if the Falcons wish
to clinch the final berth in the Northern Division.
    With the pitching staff at its weakest point this season, seniors Steve
Cross and Mike Piotrowicz will have to add something extra to help the
Falcons offense score some runs.
    If one of these final games comes down to a slugfest, the Falcons have a
legitimate chance to compete, but if one of these final games comes down to
getting a crucial out in the seventh inning, no one is quite sure what to
expect. A scary feeling heading into a stretch run of must-win games.

CATHOLIC NORTH
North 5, Ryan 4
    Jr. RHP Shaun Gallagher collected the win for North while scattering five
hits and two strikeouts in six innings of work. The 5-4 victory over Ryan
helped push the Falcons record to 4-8 on the season and yet again kept the
Falcons window of opportunity open as they are fighting for the last playoff
spot in the Northern Division.
   Jr. Mike Karpovich, riding a recent hot streak, led the Falcons offense going
2 for 3 with two RBI's, one of which was the game winner.
    Trailing 4-2 heading into the sixth, Danny Paluch and Brian Hannan each
walked to lead the inning off. Sr. Mike Piotrowicz then smashed a single to
centerfield, scoring Paluch from second. Hannan advanced to third on the
play.
    Sr. Tom Wenger then came to the plate and laid a suicide-bunt down the
first base line, scoring Hannan and tying the game at four. Piotrowicz
advanced to third and later scored on Karpovich's game winning base hit.
     Jr. RHP Justin Etsell recorded the save for the Falcons, striking out
the side in the seventh.
    The Falcons will travel to meet Ryan on May 15th.

CATHOLIC NORTH
North 11, Dougherty 9
    In a game that was seemingly made for Comedy Central, the Falcons pulled
out an 11-9 victory over visiting Cardinal Dougherty. The win helped keep
the Falcons season alive by bumping their record up to 3-8 and leaving a
slight glimmer of hope for the Falcons to creep into the playoffs as a last
seed.
    Jr. RHP Justin Etsell picked up the win in relief of starter Keith White,
hurling three plus innings while fanning three and walking just two. The
victory was Etsell's first of the season.
    Junior catcher Mike Karpovich led the Falcons 14 hit assault, going 3 for
4 with three RBI's. Brian Hannan also played a huge part in the Falcons win
with a bases clearing triple in the first inning, tying the game at three and
setting the offensive tone for the afternoon. Danny Paluch, vowing for an
All-Catholic berth, went 2 for 4 with a stolen base and three runs scored.
   The game, which rivaled the previous meeting between these two teams in
entertainment value, featured two ejections, both involving North personal.
Sr. Of. Steve Cross was tossed in the second inning after a strikeout for
arguing balls and strikes. The problem with the ejection was that Cross said
very Litel to deserve it.
    Apparently that's what angered home plate umpire Kevin Litel the most.
After Litel rung Cross up, Cross stood in the box seemingly surprised at the
call and looked towards the North bench. Without saying anything, Litel
ejected Cross.
    "No player is going to show me up in the box like that," said Litel after
the game.
    Litel also tossed Falcon Head Coach Tom Wenger in the middle of the
fourth for arguing balls and strikes. A shouting match quickly ensued and
ended with Wenger getting the best of Litel.
    "You should donate the money you got today to charity," fumed Wenger.
    With the win, the Falcons earned a split on the season with Dougherty.
    "It feels like we beat two teams today," said assistant coach Eddie
Quittmire after the victory.

MAY 1
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Conwell-Egan 11, North Cath. 1
    The 2002 season is slowly slipping away from the grasp of the Falcons as
they lost their fifth consecutive game, a romp at the hands of Conwell Egan
by a score of 11-1.
    With the loss, the Falcons find themselves with a 2-8 record with eight
games remaining in the season. If the Falcons have any hopes of contending
for a playoff spot they will have to win at least seven of the final eight
games and hope for a lot of help from the teams within the Northern Division.
    Jr. RHP Shaun Gallagher, starting his first game of the season, picked up
the loss for North.
    Again, just as the past few games have been, the Falcons gave up a
handful of runs in horrific fashion, committing six errors as a team in the
contest, tying the season high set previously against Dougherty in a 10-9
loss.
    Jr. RHP Shaun Gallagher pitched well enough to keep the Falcons in the
game, although his line of four innings pitched, nine runs, and nine hits
surely would not seem it from a statistical standpoint. Again, as has been
the case so much this year, the defense faltered, allowing five unearned runs
to score.
    Jr. shortstop Danny Paluch, the Falcons offensive leader, was unable to
attend the game because he was receiving a Good Citizenship Award. Paluch's
absence was sorely felt as the Falcons were only able to muster together four
hits, two of which were from the bat of So. Stan Orzechowski.
    Orzechowski, who is the Falcons starting centerfielder, filled in at
shortstop for Paluch.
Stat of the Game:
   27% of the Falcons' at-bats this season have resulted in strikeouts. (76 of
280)

APRIL 29
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Carroll 14, North Cath. 8
    Despite another last inning comeback, the Falcons fell to the Archbishop
Carroll Patriots by a score of 14-8. The loss dropped the Falcons to 2-7 on
the season and extended the Falcons longest losing steak of the season,
pushing the streak to four games.
    Sr. LHP Keith White started the game for North and received the loss,
hurling five plus innings while giving up nine hits and four walks. The loss
dropped White's record to 2-4 on the season.
    Sr. RHP Mike Costanzo picked up the win for the Southern Division-leading
Patriots, coming within one out of a complete game. Costanzo fanned 13 while
walking five; three of the eight runs Costanzo gave up were unearned.
    Costanzo, a 6'2", 190-pound senior from Springfield, PA, was throwing
heat all afternoon, being clocked as high as 85 mph. Reports say that the
righty has a legitimate chance of being drafted in the MLB amateur draft
which takes place later this year.
    On the flipside, the Falcons looked awful, heading into the bottom of the
seventh trailing by a score of 14-4. The Falcons scored four runs in the
inning thanks to four hits, led by a RBI double by second basemen Brain
Hannan. A Patriot error also helped get the runs across for the Falcons.
    So. Stanley Orzechowski went 2 for 4 while scoring a run for the Falcons
in the losing effort.
Stat of the Game:
   Brian Wehrman had another frightening outing in relief. Throwing just 2/3 of
an inning, Wehrman gave up six hits while allowing five runs to score.

APRIL 23
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
Wood 7, North Cath. 5
    Despite a last inning comeback, the Falcons fell to Archbishop Wood by a
score of 7-5. The loss dropped the Falcons to 2-5 on the season, leaving the
squad in the seventh spot in the Northern Division, ahead of last place
Archbishop Ryan by just two points.
   SR. LHP Keith White received the loss for the Falcons, dropping his record to
2-3 on the year.   White completed six innings of work while allowing eight
hits and seven runs, three of which were earned.
   Again, the Falcons' defense did not help matters, committing five costly
errors and allowing the Vikings to ultimately take the game, despite the
quality start from White.
   North attempted to come back from a 7-3 deficit in the bottom of the seventh
but came up short despite scoring two runs on back-to-back doubles by SR.
Steve Cross and SR. Mike Piotrowicz.
JR. Danny Paluch, who went 2 for 4 on the day, led the seventh off for the
Falcons by reaching on a throwing error by Wood shortstop Justin Cunnane.
Steve Cross then proceeded to hit a laser into the right-center gap scoring
Paluch from first base. Mike Piotrowicz, who has struggled thus far this
season, followed by blasting a liner into the right-center gap as well,
scoring Cross. Unfortunately, Piotrowicz was thrown out trying to advance to
third on the play and two groundouts followed, ending the Falcons' chances at
mounting a comeback.
In the loss for the Falcons, Danny Paulch went 2 for 4 with an RBI, two
stolen bases and three runs scored while Mike Piotrowicz went 2 for 4 with a
pair of doubles.
   Wood will visit the Falcons on May 17th.
In other scheduling news, May 6th has been set as the make-up date for the
Falcons contest against struggling Ryan. The game will be played
at Piccoli with a start time of 3:30, so come out and show your support of the
North Catholic baseball program.
Stat of the Game:
   The Falcons 5 thru 9 hitters went a combined 2 for 15 in the loss, a .133
average.

APRIL 17
CATHOLIC LEAGUE
SJ Prep 16, North Cath. 4
    The Falcons went into the bottom of the sixth inning carrying a 4-3 lead
and held hopes of achieving their first winning streak in over two years and
a chance at breaking a five game losing skid against Southern Division
opponents.
     Unfortunately, four pitchers and a half-hour later, the damage was done
as the Prep lineup had batted around twice, scorched 13 hits, and crossed the
plate 13 times, gaining a 16-4 lead and a victory over the Falcons.
    "Our seniors didn't show anything today, and our juniors just followed
suit," said an angered Tom Wenger after the loss. The wallop at the hands of
Prep dropped the Falcons season record to 2-4.
       JR. RHP Justin Etsell received the loss for the Falcons, dropping his
record to 0-2 on the year. In just 5 2/3 innings of work, Etsell allowed
fourteen hits and gave up nine runs, seven of which were earned while
striking out only two.
       In relief for the Falcons, SR. RHP Steve Cross and JR. RHP Brian
Wehrman combined to allow five hits and walked three while giving up seven runs, all
of which were earned. SR. LHP Mike Piotrowicz stopped the bleeding for the
Falcons, getting the first batter he faced to pop out.
    Eric Smith led the Prep onslaught, going 5 for 5 with a two-run blast and
five RBI's, including the game-winning RBI. Pete Chromiak followed, going 4
for 4, while driving in three runs and scoring four of the Prep's 16 runs.
    The loss knocked the Falcons to seventh place in the division; six points
behind first place La Salle who the Falcons will play on the 25th of April.
Stat of the Game:
   In the sixth inning, Justin Etsell gave up seven consecutive hits, including
a double and a two-run homer that gave Prep the lead and ultimately the win.

APRIL 15
CATHOLIC NORTH
North Cath. 6, McDevitt 0
    Despite showing up "fashionably late" due to bus troubles, the Falcons
defeated Bishop McDevitt behind a Keith White one-hit shutout, winning by a
score of 6-0. The win helped bolster the Falcons record to 2-3 on the season.
    SR. LHP Keith White pitched a masterpiece, going the distance for the
Falcons while allowing just one hit and striking out seven. White kept the
McDevitt offense guessing all afternoon, changing speeds and locations often,
consistently getting ahead of hitters by throwing first pitch strikes.
    With the win, White dropped his ERA to 1.17 on the year and improved his
record to 2-2 on the season. Bob Mitros recieved the loss for McDevitt.
    SR. Brian Hannan, led the Falcons offensive assault, going 4 for 4 with a
double, three RBI's, and two runs scored. SR. Steve Cross went 2 for 4 with
a double and an RBI and JR. Danny Paluch stole three bases, scoring two of
the Falcons six runs in the game.
    With the victory over McDevitt, coupled with last week's win over Father
Judge, the Falcons have recorded back-to-back wins for the first time in over
two years.
    McDevitt will visit the Falcons on May 13th, possibly with a playoff
berth on the line, so make sure to mark your calendar and come out to see the
2002 Falcons as they battle for new found respect in the Catholic League.
Stat of the Game:
    Keith White has hurled three complete games and has pitched in four of the
five games played thus far, pitching a total of 24 innings, striking out 21
and carrying a minuscule ERA of 1.17.

APRIL 12
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
    Covering North Catholic baseball is somewhat like watching the Phillies
of the mid 90's. You root and cheer for them to win but you're always waiting
for that costly error, or the untimely strikeout to kill a rally. Things
always seem to unravel and the game turns into another game to be thrown in
the loss column. Thankfully this season for North, that has not happened.
The team has turned a corner.
    The Falcons played Bonner to an excellent ball game, lost to Egan due to
some questionable calls by the umpires, and lost to Dougherty on a fluke
play. When compared to last year, these three losses all indicate a step in
the right direction. This leads me to a key topic that has affected every
game North has played thus far and may have even tainted what could be a 3-0
start and helped make it an 0-3 start.
    You guessed it, I'm talking about the umpires.
    By no means am I trying to berate or disparage those who rush home from
other jobs and such to umpire the CL games. I totally understand it is a
difficult job, however some of the calls I have been witness to in just these
first few weeks of the season have been downright awful. I'm talking about
calls that were beyond simple cases of bad judgment, and I'm not talking
about balls and strikes here. I'm talking about plays that have played
noticeably huge parts in the outcomes of the game.
     I do realize that umpiring is not an easy job, but if you decide to take
the responsibility and be paid good money for doing so, at least pay
attention to the game and be fair. Be reasonable when it comes to making
game altering decisions and admit that you may need help with a call
periodically.
    Bad umpiring is a part of baseball… once in a while, not three out of
four games. I mean, wake up and do the job right, let the kids decide the
outcome of the game. Last time I checked I didn't see an umpire on any
team's roster.

APRIL 11
CATHOLIC NORH
North 5, Judge 3
    Sr. LHP Keith White dominated throughout and the North defense finally
gelled to help preserve a 5-3 victory over visiting Father Judge, the first
victory of the season for the Falcons.
    White pitched superbly, throwing a complete game, allowing eight hits
while striking out three and allowing just one earned run. The win was the
first of the year for White, the newly anointed Falcons ace. Jon Keller got
the loss for Father Judge.
    Heading into the bottom of the sixth the Falcons were trailing 3-1. Sr.
Steve Cross, playing his first game of the season, led the inning off with a
walk. Jr. Mike Karpovich then laid down a picture-perfect bunt, advancing
Cross to second.
With one out, pinch hitter Jr. Brian Wehrman cracked a single to centerfield
scoring Cross from second and helping cut the North deficit to 5-2.
    A fielder's choice and two singles later, the bases were loaded with
Falcons for Keith White. Keller walked White and the tying run came into
score for North, leaving the score knotted at three. North was not finished.
    With the game possibly on the line and with two outs and the bases
loaded, Sr. Brian Hannan smacked a grounder to Judge second basemen Dan
Winterbottom. Winterbottom tossed the ball to second for a force but
shortstop Harry Crane could not hold on and the ball skidded into left field,
allowing two runs to score and giving the Falcons a 5-3 lead.
    White came out in the seventh and sent the Judge lineup packing, getting
three quick groundouts to finish the game.
     The victory for the Falcons was Tom Wenger's fifth in two years as
Varsity Head Coach, and surely his sweetest.
    "It's always nice to kick Judge butt," Wenger said with a grin.
Stat of the Game:
   The Falcons lost to Dougherty because of a defensive mishap in the eighth,
ironically, North won this game off a Judge defensive mishap in the sixth,
proving that a good defense is the key to winning ballgames.

APRIL 9
CATHOLIC NORTH
Dougherty 10, North 9 (8 inn.)
    North Catholic scratched and clawed all afternoon in the face of a steady drizzle and could not pull a win out against Cardinal Dougherty as they dropped the contest in eight innings, 10-9. The loss dropped the Falcons record to 0-3 on the season.
    Falcons starter, JR. RHP Justin Etsell, pitched five innings, giving up ten hits and allowing nine runs, seven of which were earned. The Falcons defense did not help matters by committing six errors, including an error in the eighth allowing the winning run to score.
    Offensively for Dougherty, Dustin Overturf went 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored while Ed Hilbert went 2 for 4 with a pair of triples, three RBI’s, and two runs scored, including the winning run in the eighth.
    If there was one star for the Falcons it was JR. Danny Paluch. Paluch went 4 for 4 with two homers, scored three of the Falcons nine runs and drove in five. The performance raised Paluch’s batting average to .600 for the season, the highest on the team.
    SR. LHP Keith White received the loss for the Falcons, dropping his record to 0-2 on the year.
    The winning run scored on a Tom Kee base hit that rolled under JR. rightfielder Scott Kessler’s glove, scoring Ed Hilbert who reached on a walk to lead off the eighth inning.
Stat of the Game:
   The North Catholic infield committed four of the Falcons six errors.

APRIL 5
CATHOLIC NORTH
Conwell-Egan 4, North Cath. 2
    SR. LHP Keith White went the distance for the Falcons, striking out ten,
allowing three hits, walked one and still received a loss at the hands of
Conwell-Egan as the Eagles nipped the North Catholic Falcons by a score of
4-2. The loss dropped the Falcons season record to 0-2.
    SO. LHP Tim Carroll got the win for Egan, pitching a complete game,
striking out three, and allowing one earned run. Carroll also led the Egan
offense going 2 for 4, scoring two of the Eagles four runs.
    Offensively for the Falcons, SR. Brian Hannan went 1 for 3 with an RBI
and a run scored, JR. Mike Karpovich went 1 for 3 with an RBI double and
Keith White went 2 for 3 with a pair of singles.
    Again defense caused headaches for North, allowing three errors in the
final two innings of the game, letting the Eagles take the lead and
ultimately win the contest.
    Falcons SR. Mike Piotrowicz is still looking to get his first hit of the
season, riding a 0 for 6 slump heading into the third game of the season.
    The Falcons will again attempt to get in the winning column Tuesday when
they travel to Cardinal Dougherty, a team they swept just a year ago.
Stat of the Game:
   From the bottom of the first inning until the bottom of the sixth, Keith
White recorded 13 consecutive outs, including six strikeouts.

APRIL 2
CATHOLIC NORTH
Bonner 7, North 3
    North Catholic opened up its Catholic League season with a 7-3 loss to
Msgr. Bonner, despite a rather decent pitching performance by JR. RHP Justin
Etsell, who went six innings, striking out eight while walking three. SR.
RHP Randy Milia picked up the win for Bonner, hurling a complete game and
striking out nine. JR. Frank Nunan led the Bonner offense going 1 for 3 with
a 330-foot homer and three RBI's. For North, SO. Stan Orzecheski made his
Varsity debut going 4 for 4 with a homer and three stolen bases while scoring
two of the Falcons three runs, an implausible way to begin a Varsity career.
SR. LHP Keith White pitched a scoreless seventh for the Falcons, striking out
one and allowing a base hit. Defensively for North, JR. 3B Brian Wehrman
committed three errors, costing the Falcons two runs.
    Overall, the Falcons look like a completely different team when compared
to the 4-14 squad of just a year ago. The bench is incessant with noise; the
team has a positive attitude, and ultimately came to the Bonner game looking
for a victory, not just a close game. If the Falcons can tighten the mental
screws when out in the field and when at the plate, this team will be one to
be reckoned with come playoff time, mark my words!
The Falcons will look to rebound Friday as they open their division schedule
against Conwell-Egan, who went 8-10 last season.
Stat of the Game
Offensively, the Falcons' 6 thru 9 hitters went a combined 1 for 11, with six
strikeouts, that's a .090 batting average!