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BASEBALL: Tantalizing Contest Ends with La Salle Nipping Archbishop Wood

By John Knebels (photos by: Mark Zimmaro), 05/11/21, 12:15PM EDT

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In a PCL Match-up bewteen two undefeated teams, La Salle takes home the 3-2 victory against Archbishop Wood.(Photo/Mark Zimmaro for PSD)

By: John Knebels

Photos/Videos: John Knebels & Mark Zimmaro

WARMINSTER, PA – In the grand scheme, it was just an exciting regular-season game. Actually, it was more than just exciting.

Okay . . . it was a bona fide classic.

With boisterous fans from both schools screaming non-stop start to finish from every direction, La Salle somehow survived hair-raising situations in the sixth and seventh innings and edged host Archbishop Wood, 3-2, in a Friday afternoon Philadelphia Catholic League battle between two undefeated squads.

Should the Explorers (11-0) and second-place Vikings (8-1) face each other again, it would likely occur in the league championship.  

“It’s nothing like I’ve ever experienced before,” said LaSalle’s third pitcher, senior Connor Bogansky, who recorded the final two outs via strikeouts – with three walks in between thanks to never-say-die at bats by sophomore Joey Gale, senior Kevin Cute, and senior Alex Neeld. “It was a lot of fun. Just being able to make my pitches and come out with a ‘W’ was huge.”

A hard-to-follow strike zone by the plate umpire was partly to blame for normally control-oriented pitchers combining for a ridiculous 18 walks – 11 by La Salle, seven of them over the final two frames. 

La Salle College High School at Archbishop Wood game highlights by: John Knebels and Mark Zimmaro

Conversely, the five composite hurlers collected 20 strikeouts – 11 by La Salle. The Vikings, in fact, had only one hit – a double by senior Luke Cantwell in the third inning. 

Of La Salle’s four hits, none were more important than senior Justin Machita’s two-run single in the third inning that scored seniors Dan Wagner and Joe Cattie, and followed a sacrifice fly by senior Eric Shandler that plated head-first-sliding senior Jake Whitlinger. Senior Mason Sermarini’s two singles and Whitlinger’s base hit accounted for the others.

“Good preparation at the plate,” said Machita, explaining his approach. “Doing my job. Get the barrel on the ball. That’s all you can do.” 

The Vikings’ constant noise on the base paths was muted by 12 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the first, sixth, and seventh innings. They did manage to dent the scoreboard when Gale lifted a sacrifice fly that scored junior Mike Trommer, who would later fly out to mega-deep left field with a runner on first in the seventh.  

The Explorers wasted chances of their own. They left the bases loaded in the second, two runners in the sixth, a runner at second in the seventh, and runners on first in both the third and fourth.

“A very intense game,” said Wood coach Jim DiGuiseppe, Jr. “A great atmosphere. It was awesome to see such an amazing turnout of fans.”

(L-R) La Salle seniors Connor Bogansky, Justin Machita and Nick Astolfi reflect on tantalizing 3-2 win at Archbishop Wood. (Video/Mark Zimmaro; Interview/John Knebels)

Researchers would be hard-pressed to find any other PCL contest in which 13 hitters came to the plate over two innings and only one scored. 

Such was the Vikings’ misfortune. They loaded the sacs in the sixth on three straight walks and then walked four times in the seventh, with junior Aiden Myers scampering home on a wild pitch.  

“I’ve seen all these guys a lot,” said LaSalle senior catcher Nick Astolfi, who walked twice. “I know what they do, what their pitches do, but it’s not easy to throw strikes in this environment. But we did, and we won, so it was great.  

“We had this one on our calendar. This was going to be a good game. But when it got rained out Wednesday, it was kind of hard to put it out of our heads, but we did, and then we showed up today.” 

Over the past three seasons, La Salle has made a habit out of winning these types of games. With 12 runs surrendered in their last eight games, the two-time defending champion Explorers are 11-0 this year, on a 14-game league winning streak and, including the postseason, 39-3 since 2018.

Still, LaSalle takes nothing for granted. 

“I have emotions, too,” said La Salle coach Kyle Werman. “When I’m starting to feel some anxiety, some of that energy, I know what they’re feeling. Having been here before, having played the game, you know you have to deal with that if you want to play winning baseball. 

“Fortunately we’ve been tested this year. We’ve had several games where we’ve been pushed to extras or won it late, so we’ve had moments where we’ve had to manage that.”

La Salle head coach Kyle Werman understands the emotions of playoff-type drama. (Video/Mark Zimmaro; Interview/John Knebels)

In the post-game talk, Werman reminded his players how important it is to fully experience such fierce competition . . . to not back down when one pitch or one catch or one swing could provide the balance between a win or a loss.

To not ever play scared.

“When you get emotions involved in a high school game, this matters to these guys different than it does in club ball or travel ball,” said Werman. “Playing for your school means something. When you see that whole student body here, there was pressure . . . there was expectation. It’s easy to forget that we’re playing a game. 

“These types of games . . . I just keep instilling that we are creating memories. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but you have to embrace that moment and hunt it. You have to want to be in that moment.”

For more than three hours and a combined 288 pitches, two communities marinated in “that moment.” 

That’s what classics are all about.

(Contact John Knebels at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)