In character, Cardinal O’Hara shows fight before succumbing to North Schuylkill

WYNDMOOR — It was a simple preseason game in a far-away state, a reason for the Cardinal O’Hara High baseball team to bond, to work and to build a brand.

Months later, it would have served as a warning: The Lions were never going to let their season go quietly.

“It showed who we are,” coach Rob Benedict said.

On that day in Myrtle Beach, S.C., against Big Walnut High from Ohio, the Lions were an out away from being eliminated via the 10-run rule. They would win by a run. So it was Monday that visions of that revival remained fresh and relevant as O’Hara battled, then battled some more, before finally falling, 9-8, to North Schuylkill in the opening round of the PIAA Class 4A tournament.

Despite trailing from the third batter of the game, and despite falling behind 5-2 and 9-3, the Lions’ season ended with the winning run on base in the seventh.

“That’s the way we’ve been all year,” said shortstop Jim White, the Catholic League Player of the Year. “We just keep fighting.”

As for the elimination game Monday at neutral-site LaSalle High, the Lions’ late fight was slightly bettered by North Schuylkill’s early bite. And a quick lead was enough of a boost for the 22-3 Spartans and highly touted, 6-foot-4 left-hander Reggie Crawford, who was expected to be an early major-league draft selection.

Crawford was effective enough through four to register the win. The Lions, though, were able chip away against the Spartans’ bullpen and gave themselves a chance in the bottom of the seventh.

Trailing, 9-8, Bryan Pazulski began the flurry with a sharp single to left. Frank Parrott Parrotti followed with a bunt near toward the mound, reaching first on an infield hit. Brandan Schumm sacrificed the go-ahead runs into scoring position, but soon after North Schuylkill shortstop Zack Stokes threw Pazulski out at the plate, the momentum ceased.

“First and second, no outs, and it’s second and third with the top of the order coming up,” Benedict said. “It couldn’t have been scripted any better. We had a chance. And that was awesome. Our kids in that position wanted to be up. That’s what you want from your kids. And that’s the kind of kids we have.”

North Schuylkill announced its presence early when Stokes walked, Mike Little provided a one-out single, Payton Jenkins doubled to right-center and Jake Green singled, good for the three-run pad. But O’Hara manufactured a pair of second-inning runs on two walks, two North Schuylkill errors and a successful squeeze bunt from Parrott Parrotti.

With that, the script was clear: Punch, counter-punch, repeat. Though the Spartans took a 5-2 lead in the top of the third, Dan Hopkins answered with a solo home run to center in the bottom of the inning.

“He is a flat-out hitter,” Benedict said. “He lives for the moment. Back in Myrtle Beach, we faced Will Bednar (of Mars High in Western Pennsylvania). He is going to be drafted. He throws 94 to 96 and Danny hit a double off the wall against him.”

Hopkins had two hits and scored three runs Monday, determined not to let what had been a satisfying Lions season end too soon. Crawford, however, made that difficult with a three-run homer over the center field fence to put the Lions in a 9-3 hole in the fifth.

Pazulski, who’d entered in relief in the fourth inning, settled from there, keeping the Lions close.

“I’d give that kid the ball any time, any game, anywhere,” Benedict said. “He’s ‘that’ kid.”

Joseph Sperone and Pazulski provided consecutive run-scoring singles in the bottom of the fifth. And after White led off the sixth with a solo home run, Luke Sprague would drive a two-run single into center. But after the Lions’ early, seventh-inning flurry, North Schuylkill turned to closer Brandon Rockwell, who retired the final three, striking out one.

“It’s not the way we wanted it to end,” White said. “But it was a lot of fun this year.”

That was the O’Hara plan, from Myrtle Beach, through an appearance in the Catholic League championship game, to a battle Monday against North Schuylkill.

“It was,” Benedict said. “It was. We had a lot of fun. We played loose. We didn’t get tight. That starts with the coaching staff (Rob Benedict III, Mike Essery, Paul Craskey) I have. We have an awesome coaching staff that keeps these guys light. We want them to have fun. It’s a great game and that’s the way you have to play it.

“And I think our guys exemplified that the whole year.”

Early. And late, very late, too.