Catholic League pitches its way past Delaware South in Carpenter Cup quarters

PHILADELPHIA >> There was only one point where it looked like the Philadelphia Catholic League would not beat Delaware South in the Carpenter Cup quarterfinals Friday morning at Richie Ashburn Field in FDR Park.

Archbishop Wood’s Sean Hughes came on to pitch in the seventh inning with a one-run lead and immediately got into a bases loaded, no-out jam and things did not look good.

The junior right-hander got out of it unscathed and the PCL advanced to the Carpenter Cup semifinals with a 5-2 win.

The bottom of the seventh started with a Justin Gray single. Miguel Rivera followed by getting hit by a pitch and Nolan Henderson hit another single to load the bases with no outs.

Hughes then got back-to-back strikeouts of Kyle Lux and Justin Hill before getting Ryan Seymour to fly out to Bobby Heck (Wood) in center field to end the threat.

“I think I left the ball over too much,” Hughes said. “I think one of them was an 0-2 count, tried to run a fastball inside and I hit him. Next thing you know bases are loaded and no outs. I just had to bare down and hit spots.”

Hughes’ three straight outs were exactly what the Catholic League pitchers were doing all game. The team used five different pitchers who combined for seven strikeouts and two walks and allowed six hits in nine innings of work.

Neumann-Goretti’s Jeff Ciocco got the start and retired the first five batters he faced. He surrendered a pair of two-out singles, but tallied his second strikeout to end the threat and finish off his day of work.

Bonner-Prendie’s Evan Raiburn was up next and he allowed the only two runs of the day. Delaware South’s Brett Willett hit a two-out RBI double in the third and Riley Klepacki plated a run on a fielder’s choice in the fourth.

Carroll’s James Kelly took over in the fifth and threw a pair of no-hit innings. He struck out two batters and walked two.

Hughes, Roman’s Aidan Welch and Wood’s Kody Cracknell each threw one inning. Welch threw a perfect eighth and Cracknell sat Delaware South down in order in the ninth to close out the victory.

“Just come out, do your job, warm up,” Hughes said of the quick pitching changes teams make in the Carpenter Cup. “I don’t think anything different. I just try to come out, throw strikes and take it one pitch at a time.”

The PCL did all of the offensive damage it needed in the third inning. After Delaware South pitcher Ryan Steckline retired the first seven batters he faced, La Salle’s Langston Livingston hit a shot to first that was too hot to handle to get on base. He reached second on a wild pitch and, after a Greg Grandelli (Roman) walk, scored on a Marquise Wood (Roman) single to make it 1-0.

“I just tried to enjoy the moment,” Livingston, who went 2-for-2, said. “I just figured let me get a pitch to hit and try to be aggressive.

“You have to make the most of your at-bats,” he added about playing in a tournament where the lineup changes after five innings. “I realize I’m only going to get two, maybe three, at-bats at most. I figured I have to do something, especially in that situation — I have to get the team going.”

La Salle’s Gregg Sywulak singled home Grandelli and Wood scored when Steve Furman (Bonner) hit into an error to make it 3-0 after the top of the third inning.

Two more insurance runs were added in the eighth. Heck scored on an error and Archbishop Carroll’s Nick Argentieri crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

The Catholic League will face Suburban One League American/Continental in the semifinals Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park.

“I can’t wait,” Livingston said. “I never played there before, so it’s going to be exciting.”

“It’s going to be a fun time,” Hughes added. “We have a good group of guys. I think we’ll do well.”