Its 13th consecutive win, a 3-0 win over Bishop McCort, brought the Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School baseball team the Class AA state title.
With his baseball club off to a slow start about a quarter into their campaign, coach Kevin Schneider asked his charges at Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., whether they were content to register a decent year or utterly devoted to making an unprecedented date with history. The teenagers took the inquiry as motivation to maximize their talent and tenacity, with his East Passyunk Crossing-based bunch securing the first diamond-situated state title in school history June 16.
“This marks the culmination of a crazy year all possible through hard work,” Schneider said of last week’s 3-0 Class AA victory over Bishop McCort. “These guys are blue-collar, hard-nosed players who gave their all and made this such a memorable experience for themselves and their families. I’m so proud of them.”
In downing their Johnstown foes at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, the Plymouth Meeting denizen and the local heroes completed a sweep of the Catholic League, Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association District 12, and state titles, ripping off eight triumphs in doing so. The postseason prowess raised their record to 20-6, with each game, no matter the result, being an indication of their allegiance to one another.
“This season was about every guy giving his all,” Brian Verratti, arguably the heart and soul of the Saints’ roster, said of his unit’s remarkable run. “We know how fortunate we are to put on the Neumann-Goretti uniform, so we wanted to wear it one more time as winners.”
The resident of the 2800 block of South 16th Street and an impending West Chester University student proved the early catalyst for the decorated squad, scoring in the top of the first inning to give hurler Ethan Pritchett the lone tally he would require. He also made the duel less of a nail biter in the fifth frame by stroking a two-run triple, furthering his dedication to the “Losing is unacceptable” notion that has become a bit of a team mantra.
“Our seniors were huge this whole year,” Schneider said in acknowledging Verratti, Pritchett, third baseman Nicky D’Amore, pitcher Jeff Ciocco, and first baseman Lou Testa. “With the combination of them and the young guys we had to rely on, the momentum just grew and grew.”
Celebrating his 10th year as an assistant coach, Joseph Messina, who played for the program back in its days as St. John Neumann High School, formerly 2600 Moore St., has found himself around many tremendous players, with 13 graduates playing college ball this year and two alumni, Al Baur and Josh Ockimey, having made the professional leap. He had witnessed many outstanding runs in the state pageant before this one, including last year’s, when the Saints fell 9-0 to Neshannock, and knew after this tournament’s opener, a 5-1 dumping of Lancaster Catholic and stud pitcher Dillon Marsh, that they “weren’t going to be denied” this time around.
Along with upping the confidence of the inhabitant of the 2700 block of South Marvine Street, the inaugural contest marked the last time his staff would yield a run, as North Penn-Mansfield, North Schuylkill, and Bishop McCort would find themselves wondering how scoring might have felt. Pritchett obviously played his part, with his dynamic right arm tossing seven of the nine innings in the quarters and going the distance in the final.
“It’s amazing to think that we’re a part of the best team in school history,” the Camden occupant, who allowed only three hits and whiffed eight in the capper and who pitched 26 scoreless innings to end his career, said. “We came into this year wanting to win three championships, and that’s exactly what we did. Nobody can take that away from us.”
“We became hot just when we needed to,” D’Amore, who will join Pritchett as a Wagner University registrant, said of collecting 13 straight wins to add to his alma mater’s trophy case. “It was a crazy feeling to get it done, especially because of what happened last year.”
The resident of the 2400 block of South Hicks Street and his peers needed to wait 370 days to exorcise fully the sting of their institution’s initial trip to the state final, but when Pritchett tossed a comebacker to Testa for the final out, everyone could bask in the joy of a championship celebration.
“I think we embraced a bit of the doubt that people had about us,” Schneider said of the identity of his gang as it struggled for consistency. “We had to go out and show people that this team definitely still deserves respect and stands as an example of what can happen when there are great connections among the coaches and the players. It’s going to be a fun summer to celebrate.”
The playoff exuberance began when they pulled off a walk-off win against St. Joseph’s Prep to claim the Catholic League plaque, their fifth in eight seasons. Blanking MaST Charter 6-0 gave them their sixth straight City crown, and they entered the 16-team state affair with complete commitment to notching timely hits, playing stellar defense, and leaving opposing batters shaking their heads. All told, including the Catholic League and City matchups, the Saints outscored their adversaries 32-7, with the staff of Pritchett, Ciocco, Jared Healey, and Joseph Messina Jr. amassing an unbelievable 0.63 earned-run-average, with every player’s contributions letting observers know that when Schneider asked them what they want for people to remember them as, the only answer was “champions.”
“This team will always be remembered for being the first, but with the young talent we have, we believe it’s only the first of many,” the elder Messina said. “… We need to let every grade school parent and kid interested in baseball and academics knows that when they come to NG, they will be part of something that will last a lifetime.” SPR
Contact Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
Photos provided by Marisa Messina
Its 13th consecutive win, a 3-0 win over Bishop McCort, brought the Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School baseball team the Class AA state title.
Its 13th consecutive win, a 3-0 win over Bishop McCort, brought the Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School baseball team the Class AA state title.
Its 13th consecutive win, a 3-0 win over Bishop McCort, brought the Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School baseball team the Class AA state title.
