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Fordham Prep wins CHSAA 'A' intersectional title
By Dylan Butler June 14, 2009
Steve Pettus lifts the championship trophy after the sixth-seeded Rams defeated No. 2 Archbishop Stepinac Sunday. Photo by Damion Reid
Jesus Jaile said he’s heard all the talk, he’s well aware of the Fordham Prep baseball team’s reputation.
“We know the history,” the senior catcher said. “Fordham Prep doesn’t get it done in the big games.”
That changed on Sunday afternoon. The sixth-seeded Rams erased an early two-run deficit to defeat No. 2 Archbishop Stepinac, 5-3, to win their first CHSAA Class A intersectional title in 17 years at St. John’s University’s Kaiser Stadium.
“We’re definitely going down in history at Fordham and it feels good to be part of it,” second baseman Mike Maschi said.
Fordham Prep (19-9) faced a difficult task after falling to the same Crusaders in the double-elimination intersectional quarterfinals. To lift the championship trophy, the Rams had to win five elimination games. First they beat No. 5 St. Peter’s, then top-seeded Xaverian and No. 3 Monsignor Farrell on Saturday.
All that was left was the daunting task of beating Stepinac, which had won two of three meetings this season, twice on Sunday.
“We said five games, five games we have to win to win the city championship,” shortstop Jack Giannini said. “We took it one game at a time. This group has some heart. It’s unbelievable.”
Fordham Prep jumped all over Stepinac ace Mike Bradshaw, opening up a 7-0 lead before holding on for a 9-4 victory that forced a decisive second game.
“We had the momentum going because we were just waiting here and we were playing and winning all these games,” rightfielder Dom Dimele said. “When we won the first one there was no stopping us.”
But it was Stepinac (16-7) that took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Momentum, it seemed, had swung right back to the Bronx/Manhattan ‘A’ division champions.
Fordham Prep, though, had come too far to let a two-run deficit get in its way.
“When they scored the first two runs, we kind of got down a little bit,” Jaile said. “But we found something and brought it back up.”
The New Jersey Institute of Technology-bound catcher drove in Dan Turner in the third and then the Rams tied the game in the top of the fifth, capitalizing on one of four Stepinac errors.
“We made the plays all year,” Stepinac coach Pat Duffy said. “We were a marquee defensive team.”
Stepinac briefly regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth before the Rams scored twice in the top of the seventh on a huge two-out error by first baseman Rich Reilly.
Maschi led off with a walk and Dimele followed with a bunt single. After Giannini grounded back to the mound, advancing both runners, Jaile was intentionally walked to load the bases. George Perrotta hit a ground ball to third and Anthony Muccio got the lead runner at home. Catcher Eddie Martinez attempted to complete the inning-ending double play by firing to first.
But Reilly couldn’t make the catch and the ball rolled loose. Dimele scored what proved to be the winning run and, in the confusion at first, Jaile rumbled home from second to score a pivotal insurance run.
Ironically, Jaile would normally not even have that opportunity, but courtesy runner Kevin Aguiar had pinch-run for first baseman Sal Annunizata in the sixth, meaning the catcher would have to run for himself with the game on the line.
“It felt like I was meant to be out there,” Jaile said. “I’m not the fastest guy, but if I get on base I’m a smart base runner. If he hesitated at all, I was taking off.”
Jaile, who drove in the lone run against Farrell on Saturday, was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, three walks and reached on an error in eight at-bats Sunday.
“Jesus is our team MVP,” Fordham Prep coach Steve Pettus said. “You don’t have a great staff unless you have a great catcher. He’s been our team leader all year.”
The Rams weren’t out of the woods yet, though. Muccio led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to right and Ed Martinez had a two-run single up the middle to put the winning run at the plate.
But Ryan Fedak, who also came out of the bullpen to throw 2 1/3 innings in the opener, induced a flyout to center out of Jackson Markey. T.J. Mangan made the catch, igniting a wild celebration around the mound that was 17 years in the making.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Sal Annunziata said.
And it’s one that lasted a while on Sunday as the Rams stayed on the field for close to an hour after the final out. After such an arduous journey, Fordham Prep was going to soak it in as long as possible.
“It’s special,” Jaile said. “If I can write an ending to it, this would be it. To have a good day in a big game is just amazing.”
dbutler@fiveborosports.com
“We know the history,” the senior catcher said. “Fordham Prep doesn’t get it done in the big games.”
That changed on Sunday afternoon. The sixth-seeded Rams erased an early two-run deficit to defeat No. 2 Archbishop Stepinac, 5-3, to win their first CHSAA Class A intersectional title in 17 years at St. John’s University’s Kaiser Stadium.
“We’re definitely going down in history at Fordham and it feels good to be part of it,” second baseman Mike Maschi said.
Fordham Prep (19-9) faced a difficult task after falling to the same Crusaders in the double-elimination intersectional quarterfinals. To lift the championship trophy, the Rams had to win five elimination games. First they beat No. 5 St. Peter’s, then top-seeded Xaverian and No. 3 Monsignor Farrell on Saturday.
All that was left was the daunting task of beating Stepinac, which had won two of three meetings this season, twice on Sunday.
“We said five games, five games we have to win to win the city championship,” shortstop Jack Giannini said. “We took it one game at a time. This group has some heart. It’s unbelievable.”
Fordham Prep jumped all over Stepinac ace Mike Bradshaw, opening up a 7-0 lead before holding on for a 9-4 victory that forced a decisive second game.
“We had the momentum going because we were just waiting here and we were playing and winning all these games,” rightfielder Dom Dimele said. “When we won the first one there was no stopping us.”
But it was Stepinac (16-7) that took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Momentum, it seemed, had swung right back to the Bronx/Manhattan ‘A’ division champions.
Fordham Prep, though, had come too far to let a two-run deficit get in its way.
“When they scored the first two runs, we kind of got down a little bit,” Jaile said. “But we found something and brought it back up.”
The New Jersey Institute of Technology-bound catcher drove in Dan Turner in the third and then the Rams tied the game in the top of the fifth, capitalizing on one of four Stepinac errors.
“We made the plays all year,” Stepinac coach Pat Duffy said. “We were a marquee defensive team.”
Stepinac briefly regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth before the Rams scored twice in the top of the seventh on a huge two-out error by first baseman Rich Reilly.
Maschi led off with a walk and Dimele followed with a bunt single. After Giannini grounded back to the mound, advancing both runners, Jaile was intentionally walked to load the bases. George Perrotta hit a ground ball to third and Anthony Muccio got the lead runner at home. Catcher Eddie Martinez attempted to complete the inning-ending double play by firing to first.
But Reilly couldn’t make the catch and the ball rolled loose. Dimele scored what proved to be the winning run and, in the confusion at first, Jaile rumbled home from second to score a pivotal insurance run.
Ironically, Jaile would normally not even have that opportunity, but courtesy runner Kevin Aguiar had pinch-run for first baseman Sal Annunizata in the sixth, meaning the catcher would have to run for himself with the game on the line.
“It felt like I was meant to be out there,” Jaile said. “I’m not the fastest guy, but if I get on base I’m a smart base runner. If he hesitated at all, I was taking off.”
Jaile, who drove in the lone run against Farrell on Saturday, was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, three walks and reached on an error in eight at-bats Sunday.
“Jesus is our team MVP,” Fordham Prep coach Steve Pettus said. “You don’t have a great staff unless you have a great catcher. He’s been our team leader all year.”
The Rams weren’t out of the woods yet, though. Muccio led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to right and Ed Martinez had a two-run single up the middle to put the winning run at the plate.
But Ryan Fedak, who also came out of the bullpen to throw 2 1/3 innings in the opener, induced a flyout to center out of Jackson Markey. T.J. Mangan made the catch, igniting a wild celebration around the mound that was 17 years in the making.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Sal Annunziata said.
And it’s one that lasted a while on Sunday as the Rams stayed on the field for close to an hour after the final out. After such an arduous journey, Fordham Prep was going to soak it in as long as possible.
“It’s special,” Jaile said. “If I can write an ending to it, this would be it. To have a good day in a big game is just amazing.”
dbutler@fiveborosports.com