Photos/Videos: Mark Zimmaro
By: John Knebels
DREXEL HILL, PA – Methodical.
From scoring early, to maintaining a lead, to adding insurance runs at the end, La Salle’s baseball team did what it does best in Wednesday afternoon’s 6-2 Philadelphia Catholic League semifinal victory over five-seed Neumann-Goretti at Bonner-Prendergast High School.
For the fourth time in five years, the Explorers have reached the final. La Salle has captured a PCL-record 12 titles, most recently 2018 through 2021. At 11 a.m. Saturday at Neumann University, two-seed La Salle will meet top-seed Father Judge.
“That win was huge for us,” said La Salle senior Tim Schuler. “It means we are able to extend our season one more game and hopefully more with a win on Saturday.”
Nearly every player in the starting lineup and those used as substitutes contributed to La Salle’s triumph.
After juniors Matt Gannon (2-for-3, RBI) and Casey Nealon (1-2, RBI) notched RBIs in the first and second inning, respectively, to put La Salle ahead, 2-0, Neumann-Goretti halved its deficit to 2-1 in the third. La Salle got that run back in the fourth when junior Kevin Schmidt (2-for-2) doubled, was sacrificed to third by Nealon, and scored on a one of senior Tahir Parker’s three singles from the leadoff spot.
La Salle vs. Neumann-Goretti - 2023 PCL semifinal Highlights by Mark Zimmaro for PSD
The Saints fought back to within 3-2 in the fifth, but the Explorers ended all expense with a three-run sixth. Singles by Parker, Schuler (1-3, run scored), and senior Nate Kress (1-4, RS, RBI) plated Parker (3-for-3, 2 RS, RBI) with the fourth run. A walk to Gannon loaded the bases, and senior Colin Dunlap swatted a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2. A wild pitch ended the scoring.
In relief of senior winning pitcher Tristan Helmick, junior Cole Kochanowicz recorded the final eight outs and avoided two-on, two-out damage in the seventh when junior David Vozzo flipped to Gannon for a game-ending force out.
La Salle’s sixth straight league win followed an extremely rare two-game losing streak over a tough 24-hour stretch. After losing at St. Joseph’s Prep, 4-3, on April 18, the Explorers dropped a 6-5, 10-inning decision at Archbishop Wood.
Then at 4-3 and in an uncharacteristic sixth place, the Explorers completely changed direction. They defeated Conwell-Egan and Devon Prep, and in a brutal one-week, three-game stretch on the road, they upended Neumann-Goretti, defending PCL champion Bonner-Prendergast, and previously undefeated Father Judge by scores of 5-3 (in eight innings), 8-4, and 7-2. Then they shut out seven-seed Cardinal O’Hara in the quarterfinals.
La Salle vs. Neumann-Goretti - PSD Semifinal Gallery by Mark Zimmaro
“Those two losses in the middle of the season hurt, but it only added fuel to the fire,” said Schuler. “We know how talented we are and how much potential we have. We were trying too hard to be perfect, causing us to play stressed out. We knew what we had to work on, hammered it in practice, and played great baseball the rest of the year.”
No one has enjoyed La Salle’s return to winning more than Schuler.
As a junior, Schuler missed a few games after getting his arm sliced open by a cleat. He came back from that injury and played up until the PCL semifinals, when he broke his hamate bone on a swing.
“Getting back on track was strange because I was only cleared to lift but not swing,” said Schuler. “So I spent my whole summer in the weight room until I was cleared to hit. I came back hitting the fall well and that carried onto the spring season.”
La Salle coach Kyle Werman has appreciated Schuler’s gradual ascent from youngster to mentor.
“As a three-year varsity player, Tim stepped into a leadership role this spring and has been a consistent presence at the top of our lineup,” said Werman. “He's been the target of opposing teams, yet has handled that challenge and provided the kind of production expected out of a senior leader. His teammates look to him to set the tone of the ballgame, and he's risen to that challenge.”
COLE KOCHANOWICZ TALKS ABOUT COMPETING IN HIGH PRESSURE SITUATIONS & IS READY FOR THE PCL FINAL - PSD VIDEO BY MARK ZIMMARO
TAHIR PARKER TALKS ABOUT BATTLING THROUGH ADVERSITY TO MAKE IT TO THE PCL CHAMPIONSHIP - PSD VIDEO BY MARK ZIMMARO
Having committed to Villanova University at the beginning of his junior year, Schuler experienced myriad emotions.
“It definitely took the performance jitters out of the picture,” said Schuler, “but definitely, the expectations went up, which stressed me out a little.”
That stress obviously subsided, as Schuler joined teammates Kress and Helmick as first-team All-Catholics.
That trio won’t be thinking of individual goals on Saturday.
“The final championship game means absolutely everything to us,” said Schuler. “We know it’s our biggest game of the year.”
(Contact John Knebels at jknebels@gmail.com and on Twitter @johnknebels.)