BASEBALL: Walk-Off Heroics, Neighborhood Rivalries & Unblemished Records – Get Caught Up to Speed in This Week’s Catholic League Round-Up (4/22)

2018 Philadelphia Catholic League Baseball Round-Up (4/22)

PHILADELPHIA – Years from now, decades from now, Roman Catholic senior John Kelly and Cardinal O’Hara sophomore Chad Walker will remember the moment like it was yesterday.

That’s part of the treasure when you win a baseball game for your team on a walk-off hit.

Kelly’s heroics occurred April 19 in a 6-5 win over Archbishop Ryan. In the bottom of the eighth, the Cahillites trailed the Raiders, 5-4, with the bases loaded and two outs. On a 2-2 pitch, Kelly singled to right field, scoring senior Jimmy Ferioli (pinch running for junior Frank Jaworski, who had walked) and sophomore Gaetan Grandelli (hit by pitch) with the tying and clinching tallies.

“I wasn't really having a great day at the plate but my teammates kept me into it,” said Kelly, a first baseman. “I just took a swing on the first fastball I saw and then it happened to fall. It has always been a dream and when everyone ran out, the feeling was unreal to celebrate a huge win with my brothers.”

Speaking of brothers, Kelly’s epic at bat made a winner out of his true brother, sophomore Jason Kelly.

“It was definitely special to have my brother on the field with me because we have never been on the same team,” said John, who also started for the Roman basketball team that won this year’s Catholic League championship at the Palestra and then the PIAA Class 6A state title in Hershey. “Having him out there just made it a great win. It was a total team effort to pull that out.”

Jason Kelly, a starting third baseman who pitched the last 2 1/3 innings to earn the win, couldn’t have been more thrilled for his older brother. He also felt like he owed him one, because in the ultimately victorious eighth, he had struck out with two on and one out.

Sophomore Robert Buckley (two runs batted in) had kept the inning alive and loaded the bases with an infield single.

“I was thinking, ‘John, please get a hit,’ and I hear my coach screaming, ‘He’s in the Palestra, he’s in the Palestra.’ So when I saw the ball get hit over the second baseman’s head my heart dropped, and when the runner scored, I was never so happy.”

Jason said his striking out and John singling home two runs in the same inning was symbolic.

Roman Catholic's John & Jason Kelly after the 2018 PCL basketball championship- photo courtesy of the Kelly Family

“We just support each other and always try to help each other out,” he said.

The aforementioned Walker’s game winner on April 17 was just as exciting. O’Hara trailed St. Joseph’s Prep, 6-3, in the bottom of the seventh before stunning the Hawks with four runs.

With junior Dan Hopkins at third and no outs, Walker entered as a pinch hitter. On a one-strike pitch, Walker ripped a shot over the right fielder’s head, and the Lions roared with delight as they paid homage to the clutch performer at first base.

“I was very nervous,” said Walker. “I didn’t want to let my teammates down. I just looked to get the ball up in the air to drive in the run. I was mobbed like crazy. It’s a great feeling winning the game for your team.”

Walker, however, had already experienced a walk-off.

“In Little League, when I was like 11 or 12 years old, we were down three in the last inning and I was up to bat with the bases loaded and I hit a walk-off grand slam over the fence to win the game,” said Walker. “I’ll never forget that moment.”

Other memorable moments from around the league include . . . On April 18, Archbishop Wood junior pitcher Jack Colyar fired a 5-0, one-hit masterpiece against Cardinal O’Hara. The senior surrendered only three base runners and struck out eight.

“It was my best game of the season so far but just the beginning of a long season,” said Colyar. “I want to build off that game and continue to get better each week. I'm looking forward to pitching against Carroll this week because it's going to be a battle.

Archbishop Wood junior Jack Colyar, a Duke University baseball commit - PSD Photo by Kevin Murphy

“We are taking a one-game-at-a-time approach. We know that the league is very tough this year, and we just want to get better every day. That's all we can control.”

Bonner-Prendergast received splendid pitching from junior Steve DiBattista as the Friars upended Father Judge, 3-1, for their first league win. DiBattista pitched the initial 5 and 2/3 innings before surrendering to junior Eric Lachette, who induced the last four outs for the save.

“It was a great one,” said DiBattista. “We came out with a lot of energy, played good baseball, and never gave up. We've been struggling in the league a little bit record wise, but we've been competing in every game and hopefully this win gets us on the right path.

“The win is very important for us as a whole. As a group, coaches included, we’ve been grinding every day and just haven’t gotten the results we hoped for. But this win was sort of a relief for us and we want to build big-time off of that. It was also our new head coach’s (Steve DeBarberie) first Catholic League win, so that was really important to us.”

B-P shortstop sophomore Nate Furman agrees.

‘It was really important for us,” said Furman. “We’ve been working really hard but haven’t been as successful as we have wanted to. We’ve all just kept our heads down and kept grinding, and this was a great win for us.”

Archbishop Carroll junior Tyler Kehoe overwhelmed Roman Catholic, 8-5, on April 18, as the senior pitched 4 2/3 innings and struck out nine for the victory while also adding two hits and two runs scored.

“It’s been a little different this year with my role as a (reliever and closer) every game instead of starting games, but I’ve adjusted well,” said Kehoe. “I go into every game knowing that I will be closing but I don’t worry about that. I just worry about what I can do at the plate to help my team win and then when I’m called upon to get on the bump and finish it out, it’s no problem for me at all.”

Now at 4-0, the Patriots have the look of a playoff team.

“Our team is special this year and we all know our roles,” said Kehoe. “We know what we have to do individually and as team to get what we all want – a plaque.”

Father Judge and Archbishop Ryan players experienced a first on April 18 – they played a night game under overhead lights.

With a loud, packed house at Ramp Playground, Judge stopped its rival Ryan, 7-4. Highlighters included senior Matt Spaeth (two hits and four runs batted in) and senior Nick Conway (one run in five innings of pitching).

Father Judge senior Matt Spaeth - PSD Photo by Kevin Murphy

“That was a huge win,” said Spaeth. “It certainly was special going up against our rival Ryan our senior year with all of my guys one last time. It meant a lot coming out with the win for our school.

“It was cool going up against my old teammate from summer ball, (senior) Jason Keen, who pitched for Ryan. Judge versus Ryan is basically a battle between neighborhoods and whoever wins earns that bragging right till the next time we play.”

Conway downplayed the 6:30 PM start.

“It was a tough game versus all neighborhood guys,” said Conway. “It wasn't special. It was just like any other game in the Catholic League. I know it's our rival, but as Coach (Mike) Metzger said, don't get caught up in the trash talk and all the other stuff. Just go out there, make plays, and play your game. We made plays and executed when we had to, and we pulled out the win.”

La Salle is off to a blistering 6-0 start, during which the Explorers have outscored the opposition by 72-15. They’ve notched two shutouts (seniors Joe Miller and Dan Karrash) and allowed one run (Miller) in another. La Salle’s only close game was a 10-7, eight-inning win over Father Judge that necessitated a five-run Crusaders rally in the sixth inning to tie the game at 7-7.

“Offensively, everyone has been swinging the bat well and racking up extra base hits,” said senior Andrew Cossetti, who slugged a two-run homer in the eighth against Judge. “We had a total of eight home runs last season and already have 11 this season. Most importantly we’ve been driving in runs when we have the opportunities and not leaving many runners on base.

“Defensively, we’ve been solid and pitching has been lights out. A lot of it is attributed to our heavy senior lineup. We have a team full of leaders who are very experienced and it’s given us the edge in all of our games thus far.”