Photos/Videos: Zack Beavers, Tommy Muir, Kathy Leister, Mike Nance, Ryan Nix, Lennie Malmgren, James Williamson, Mark Zimmaro & John Knebels

By: John Knebels

PHILADELPHIA – Starting in December and finishing in late March, winter sports seem to go on forever. Then spring competition hits, and in about six weeks, it’s time for the postseason.

So with no time to waste, let’s get to a Philadelphia Catholic League roundup.

In PCL baseball, the ascent of Archbishop Carroll continues to soar. The Patriots started 0-3 last season but finished with three wins in its last four games. That trend has continued.

Grosse was particularly impressed with the win over the Prep.

“Great team win,” said Grosse. “Prep jumped out to a lead. Evan Wineburg (senior) did a phenomenal job in relief giving us zeros. Offense did a really good job with a pretty good arm for them. Got to their bullpen and we took our shot. Chris Tomlinson was awesome with the glove playing shortstop.”

To label Tomlinson, a senior, excited about playing defense is putting it mildly.

“Our defense is what we know we can count on,” he said. “Sometimes we’ll be coming up against a stud pitcher or someone that we’re going to have to work for every base we can get and every run, but all of our pitchers know that they don’t need a strikeout to get out of a pinch. We all trust each other and we know how to play together.

“That feeling when someone tells you that your team looks sharp defensively is almost unmatched. Winning is one thing, but we’ve been playing at an elite level in the infield and outfield, and that makes everything easier on our pitchers and on our batting lineup.”

Neumann-Goretti needed a signature victory.

The Saints nabbed one.

With sophomore Jayce Park going the distance and allowing only one run and two walks while striking out seven, N-G defeated La Salle, 6-1, and improved to 3-0. Senior Joe Brasky knocked in a pair of runs.

Nine days earlier, Archbishop Wood also managed a win at La Salle, though this one included several twists and turns.

Trailing 5-3, the Vikings plated six runs in the sixth and collected a 10-6 victory to partially avenge their heartbreaking 3-2, eight-inning loss to La Salle in last year’s PCL championship.

Senior Mike Trommer ignited the comeback with a three-run blast. Teammates Braden Kelly (sophomore) and Pat McKinney (senior)  added two RBI each. Senior Connor Woodson earned the win in relief.

The Vikings have not stopped winning ever since.

A 14-4 win over Archbishop Ryan included an epic performance by junior Dan Tiburcio, who went 4-for-4 with five RBI, a homer, and two runs scored. A 4-0 victory at Cardinal O’Hara was highlighted by senior Justin MacCain’s near no-hitter. The senior went six innings and only surrendered two walks, but his pitch count reached 102, so he had to be lifted by league rules. Trommer aided the offense by belting a homer.

In yesterday’s 8-3 triumph over the Prep, Trommer allowed no earned runs and struck out 10.  McKinney drilled a home run and a double and knocked in three. Senior Sean Slowinski added two RBI.  

“In the first at bat I got to two strikes really quickly, so I was just looking to get my foot down early and put the ball in play,” said McKinney. “Later in the game when I hit the double, it made think of a game last year where I was in almost the same situation, and I’ve wanted a moment just like that to come up again.”

Father judge junior Liam Newhouse’s single in the bottom of the seventh lifted the Crusaders past St. Joseph’s Prep, 3-2. Now at 2-1, Judge is one of five PCL teams with a winning record entering the break.

Scoring a run against Bonner-Prendergast is not an easy task. Getting the Friars to make three outs isn’t exactly simple, either.

Enveloping the Friars’ 4-0 record is a run differential of 38-4, with three shutouts. Among the scorchers are sophomore Irvin Fisher (.455 average, 1.571 OPS), Kevin McGonigle (.538, 1.838, 2 homers, 6 RBI), Mike Anderson (.462, 1.303), Joey DeMucci (.400, 1.167), James Sousa (.364, .825), and sophomore Harry Carr (.333, .887).

B-P’s league opener, an 8-0 win over visiting Roman Catholic, was highlighted by Fisher’s outstanding two-out catch with the bases loaded in the first inning that saved three runs. He later smashed a three-run homer in the fifth. Sophomore Jaxon Kehoe entered in relief and mowed down all nine Cahillites to earn a perfect three-inning save.

On the third pitch of the game, McGonigle clubbed a home run.

“It was awesome to get us on the board early on and get the boys pumped up,” said McGonigle. “It was a great team win today. If I got a big hit and we end up losing, it doesn’t matter. That big hit wouldn’t have been good enough to help the team win. But the boys fought today and we enjoyed the big win.”

McGonigle lauded Carr’s lead-off single that sparked the winning tally.

“It was huge,” he said. “Harry was confident, and I knew he was going to get on and help the team out.”

Bonner-Prendergast coach Steve DeBarberie appreciates Carr’s transition.

“It was great to see,” said DeBarberie. “He has been hitting into some tough outs. He is adjusting on the fly how teams are pitching him differently. He went from the eight-hole most of last year as a freshman to the three-hole right now as a sophomore. We have all the confidence in him, as well as the rest of our players.

After stampeding to an undefeated season in the PCL last year and later capturing the PIAA state title, La Salle has experienced uncharacteristic struggles.

The Explorers are 1-2, with both losses at home. However, every PCL coach realizes that a week from now, or come playoff time, La Salle remains the team to beat. That’s just how it goes when you’re the defending champion.

At 1-3, Lansdale Catholic is undergoing growing pains, but the Crusaders know how to win.

In their opener against visiting Cardinal O’Hara, junior Mark O’Brien issued an outstanding seven inning, five-hit, one-walk performance on the mound, but the Crusaders trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh.

In LC’s home half, O’Brien delivered a two-run double that scored seniors Ryan Martinez and Jack Ferko for the walk-off success.

“We had a crash course in Catholic League baseball this week and told the boys we have four days here to rest up, think about what just happened and what we need to do better so we can get back on track," added Ferko.

Needing only one point to reach the career century mark for points, Lansdale Catholic senior Pat McKeever couldn’t wait to play against Archbishop Carroll last Monday.

His mission didn’t take long.

On an assist to star senior Connor Mann, McKeever became the second LC player to reach 100 points since . . . Mann, who is only 14 points from reaching 200.    

Lansdale Catholic coach Mark Princehorn echoed his star player’s sentiments.

“Pat McKeever is the blueprint for what you want a player to be like on the field, off the field, in the community, at school, and in the locker room,” said Princehorn. “He’s a fabulous leader and fantastic teammate. He comes to work each day with a huge chip on his shoulder and it shows.

“He’s got a relentless motor and incredible work ethic. He gets it done in every phase and checks every box for what a coach wants in a player.”

After losing its league opener to St. Joseph’s Prep, Devon Prep has won four straight, and in dominant fashion.

The Tide has outscored their four foes, 63-23. When they return, they will face Father Judge and La Salle in consecutive road games.

Consolo said injuries and “tough” non-league losses could be blessings in disguise.

“It’s good for us,” he said. “It’s been great to see them as a group respond with positivity and keep battling to make the program better. They take the ‘family’ chant in the huddles to heart and show it on and off the field. We are proud of them so far, but know we have a long way to go.” 

Atop the standings on its usual perch stands La Salle.

The 4-0 Explorers appear as formidable as ever. Their most recent success – 12-2 at traditional championship finalist St. Joseph’s Prep – undoubtedly left the rest of the league mumbling same old, same old.

“St. Joe’s put up a great fight,” said La Salle senior Jack Pilling, who contributed two goals and one assist. “They have some extremely talented players and it was a battle from start to finish. 

“A huge shout out should go to our defense. Keeping St. Joe’s in check is no easy task. They did a great job and helped get us possessions on the offensive end.” 

Teams that face La Salle in a volleyball match have nothing to lose.

The Explorers have won the last five PCL crowns. Since defeating Roman Catholic three sets to one on April 15, 2019, not only have the Explorers not lost a PCL match – they haven’t even lost a set.

Including the three triumphs at the one-third part of this season, La Salle’s set shutout streak has reached 22.

St. Joseph’s Prep opened PCL play with a 3-0 victory vs. Archbishop Wood. The Prep won the first set 25-10, the second set 25-22 and the third set 25-18. The Hawks were led with great performances from freshman libero, Fernando Nido, and junior captain, Jack Owens.

The freshman jitters did not exist for Nido, as the talented underclassman exuded confidence after the Hawks initial win. Nido dished out great passes all night, which made it possible for every Prep outside hitter, especially Owens, to get to work. He credited his great performance to his teammates.

“The hitters weren’t as quick or strong as I expected, and I was always able to find the hole in the block,” said Nido. “When everyone’s firing on all cylinders like today, that really opens things up for our outside hitters.”

Click here to see full-story by SJPrep Jr. Reporter Zach Reagan.

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