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Senior year is when athletes strive to close out the season on a high note. For senior shortstop Anthony Caines, that would have meant a championship encore for the Girard Academic Music Program baseball team. It would’ve been the perfect finish for the Second Team All-Public selection and fellow seniors Mario Malatino and David Scirrotto. All three played for the championship their freshman and junior years and advanced to the semifinals as sophomores.
Instead, Caines and his teammates were hit with the unexpected — a 9-3 quarterfinal loss to Northeast High. The season ended with an emotional huddle after the Tuesday afternoon game.
"It’s probably the toughest it has ever been," Caines said. "It’s only the third loss we ever took in the playoffs during my four-year career. It’s just about the worst feeling in the world."
Prior to this season, the Pioneers had Northeast’s number in the Public League playoffs. In 2000, GAMP pulled off an eight-run, seventh-inning rally against Northeast to advance to the semifinals and, eventually, to the championship for the first time in school history. The following year, the Pioneers once again eliminated Northeast in the quarterfinals. And last season’s 8-6 win over the Vikings scored GAMP its first-ever Public League title in any sport.
The local team, which split its two regular-season meetings with Northeast, entered the quarterfinal contest expecting to extend its playoff win streak over the Vikings. But this time around, Caines said, Northeast was the better team.
Throwing errors, dropped balls and clutch hitting by the Vikings did in the Pioneers. When GAMP came off the field in the bottom of the sixth inning, trailing 9-3, the defending champions wore a look of defeat. The players slowly walked off the field for their final at-bat, with the only smiles coming from the opposing bench.
"When the score was 7-3, I thought we would come back," said GAMP coach Art Kratchman. "They are never going to quit. They are going to keep trying to get it done," but, he noted, "it’s tough to come back from six runs against a real quality team."
In the Pioneers’ final at-bat, Scirrotto led off with a single, but the next three GAMP batters were retired in order.
Malatino, the team’s ace pitcher, had left the squad with a very different feeling after recording a no-hitter in the opening round of the playoffs last Thursday. The 5-1 victory over Mastbaum allowed just one run, in the fifth inning via a walk, fielder’s choice and throwing error. As a four-year playoff veteran and a First Team All-Public selection, Malatino is accustomed to delivering his best stuff at this time of year.
"I knew it was going to be a close game and not a walk in the park," said the athlete, who finished with 12 strikeouts. "I just came in knowing I had to stay focused and play an error-free game."
Despite running a lot of deep counts and walking three batters, Malatino’s teammates remained confident the pitcher could lead the team to victory. Outfielder Scirrotto, who went 3-for-3 at the plate, was one of them.
"With him pitching, we always have a chance to win," said the Second Team All-Public player. "We just have to catch the ball."
Malatino also came up big on offense by leading off the bottom of the first with a solo home run.
"I knew [Mastbaum pitcher John Marrero] would throw the first pitch over the plate to try and get ahead of the batter," the player said. "I just came out and said I was going to swing at a fastball, and came out and swung as fast as I could."
On the mound, Malatino did his best to maintain his composure as Mastbaum, who finished third in Division B with a 10-4 record, kept the bats active.
Malatino ended up walking three batters and running a high balls-to-strikes ratio. Several other pitches were fouled off across Packer Avenue. One ball was a direct hit to a reporter’s windshield. A small crowd of spectators and players took turns examining the damage and offering condolences.
In the end, Malatino and not the beaten-up Acura Integra was the star of the game. The home plate umpire presented the pitcher with a couple of baseballs to commemorate the occasion. Several people offered their congratulations, including Malatino’s proud father.
"I think I was probably more excited than he was," the father said.
Although that excitement was wiped out by Tuesday’s game, Kratchman hopes his departing seniors don’t forget about their tremendous postseason run at 22nd and Ritner streets.
"Probably somewhere down the road they will look back on their baseball experience and see what they accomplished, and it’ll be a little bit easier for them, " the coach said.
The Prep Charter Huskies also were hoping to advance to Tuesday’s quarterfinal round, but Washington, who finished second in Division A, proved to be too much for the rookie Public League squad. Washington pitcher Harry Parfitt limited the Huskies’ offense to three hits, while striking out seven in the 10-0 victory. Still, Prep Charter coach Shawn Magee remained pleased with the progress his team made this season.
"We got a taste of what the next level of competition is like," the coach
said. "I don’t think we are far off that."
Prep now plans to build on its 11-2 season — good enough for second in Division C this year. Magee is expecting his entire team back, including junior All-Public selections Matt Bridges, Kevin O’Donnell and Lenny Cavalier.
"I am just proud of them," Magee said. "I couldn’t ask for more. I know they didn’t want the season to end."
