Park earns C Conference crown with extra-innings triumph over Pallotti
Cyr’s RBI triple, Cohen’s walk-off sacrifice key Bruins’ first-ever MIAA baseball title
by Nelson Coffin
It took Park’s hitters more than a little while to figure out St. Vincent Pallotti pitcher Henry Heard, whose slew of off-speed offerings and an occasional fastball had them handcuffed.
In the end, though, the Bruins (17-1) caught up to Heard and were eventually able to secure the program’s first-ever MIAA baseball title with a 2-1 victory in eight innings.
Despite having very little experience on the hill, Heard’s stuff was keeping the Park lineup off-balance — and hitless — through the first five innings of the C Conference championship on Sunday at Joe Cannon Stadium in Harmans Park.
“i’m not a pitcher,” Heard said. “That’s the second game I started all year. I was supposed to be an opener for the guy who was going to pitch after me, but they just left me out there.”
Pinch hitter Dylan Katz broke up the no-no for the Bruins when he smacked a single to center to open the sixth inning before sophomore catcher Owen Cyr tripled him home to knot the score at 1-1.
Cyr said that he picked on a fastball for the three-bagger.
“He had thrown me a fastball in my last at-bat, so I was ready for it,” he said. “I was on it. We haven’t done well against slower pitchers and we excel against high velocity (pitchers). Third time through the lineup, I thought we started to adjust well and we really broke out and got the win.”
“It’s what he’s been doing all year,” Park coach Chris Hagan said. “He’s not afraid to hit in pressure situations. He plays like he’s a senior and, honestly, it’s what we expect of him. We’ve put him in those positions and he’s always answered the bell.”
In addition to his hitting, Cyr calls pitches for his staff.
“He’s been a stalwart behind the plate all year,” Hagan added. “After the first game, he did so well I decided I didn’t need to (call pitches). And it’s been that way for the remainder of the season.”
Park subsequently loaded the bases with one out before senior reliever Joseph Ruddy coaxed a ground out by junior second baseman Alex Mahn and whiffed freshman shortstop Jack Rogers to end the threat.
The winning rally started on Cyr’s infield single in the eighth. A couple of errors and a walk to junior third baseman Max Rogers loaded the bases again and junior first baseman Jack Cohen ended the game with a walk-off sacrifice fly to right.
The Panthers grabbed an early lead against junior starter Seth Katz on Ruddy’s ringing triple that one-hopped the 310-foot sign down the right field line.
He was brought home on sophomore catcher Gus Chakmakian-Lodge’ grounder to give Pallotti (14-9-1) a 1-0 advantage that would last until the Bruins rallied in the sixth.
Katz settled down to retire freshman second baseman Justin Dorsey on a come-backer in the second after junior left fielder Andrew Armstrong’s single, and he got Heard on a grounder after Chakmakian-Lodge’s single in the third.
Katz walked sophomore second baseman Diego Milton to open the fourth before striking out two Panthers and getting Armstrong on a grounder to short.
Ruddy, who singled to center in the fifth, was stranded when Chakmakian-Lodge stroked a liner to left that was tracked down by senior Landon Shapiro.
Katz escaped trouble again in the sixth after singles by senior outfielder Warren Waddell and senior DH Mason Castillo when Armstrong flyed to center.
“He’s been our road warrior,” Hagan said about his starter. “Several times he’s been put in pressure situations like this and didn’t try to do too much. He used the advantage of having eight other players with him. And he didn’t get overwhelmed when he realized guys weren’t hitting (for him). He continued to throw strikes and that allowed us to play defense.”
Mahn took over on the mound in the seventh and induced all six hitters he faced to ground out — four of which went to Seth Katz, who had switched to shortstop.
“We call him ‘The Professor,’” Hagan said about Mahn. “Ever since he’s put those glasses on, it seems like he’s pretty much untouchable with that submarine delivery. When I first got to the team I wanted to change it, but then I realized how dominating it was. He’s been lights out for us all season long.”