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SPRINGFIELD >> La Salle entered Wednesday afternoon with a chance to solidify its spot atop the Philadelphia Catholic League standings. The Explorers were one game ahead of visiting Neumann-Goretti and at least two games ahead of everyone else with five games remaining in the regular season.
After a tough day for La Salle offensively, defensively and on the basepaths, they share the top spot with Neumann-Goretti.
The Explorers committed five errors and allowed runs on a pair of wild pitches in a 5-2 loss against the Saints at Ward Field.
“We gave them more than 21 outs,” La Salle coach Kyle Werman said. “It’s going to be hard to win a game.”
“Coming off a big game Monday (win over Bonner-Prendergast),” La Salle second baseman Matt Gannon said, “it’s sometimes hard to push past that and come ready for this one, but (Neumann-Goretti) threw a good arm, we didn’t get hits when we needed them and we’ll face them again.”
All five of the La Salle (7-1) errors occurred in the innings that Neumann-Goretti (7-1) scored.
Jayce Park led off the top of the third inning for the Saints with a single to right field. The ball got away and allowed Park to advance to second. He moved to third when a pickoff attempt went into center field and scored on a wild pitch, giving Neumann-Goretti a 1-0 advantage.
In the top of the sixth, two Saints reached base on errors and another advanced on a pickoff attempt. One run scored on an error and another on a wild pitch before Will Gural’s two-run double put his side ahead by five runs, 5-0.
La Salle pitcher Logan Potter started and took the loss. In 5 1/3 innings he allowed three runs on three hits. He struck out seven batters to no walks.
“I thought Potter threw fantastic,” Werman said. “He did everything he needed to do. We just didn’t make plays behind him today and they got a couple big hits when it mattered. That’s usually what turns the tide.”
La Salle’s offense managed six hits in the game and scored its runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Park threw a complete game for the Saints, striking out eight batters to three walks.
“(Park is) an ace in this league,” Werman said. “He’s been around for a while and that’s a guy where there is not a lot of margin for error.”
“(Park) threw a couple pitches for strikes,” Gannon said, “and was changing his looks, changing his speeds and he got us off-balance. He did well.”
Park was able to leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning and recorded the final out of the game with the tying run at the plate.
Gannon had a hand in both of the Explorers runs. In the bottom of the sixth inning he worked a walk before moving to second on a single and third on a groundout. He scored on a balk. In the seventh he grounded out with the bases loaded to knock in a run and get the Explorers within 5-2.
Behind La Salle and Neumann-Goretti in the PCL standings are Conwell-Egan (6-3), Archbishop Wood (5-3) and Bonner-Prendie (5-3).
“There’s a lot that’s still going to play out in this league,” Werman said. “I think one thing that you’re seeing in the league this year is teams that maybe have been historically at the bottom of the pack – some of those teams have an arm and they’re going to upset some people. I think coach (Jeff) Manto is going a great job at Egan and certainly they’re a force right there. I think with some time left in the league there is still a lot that’s going to shake out.”
Neumann-Goretti 5, La Salle 2
Neumann-Goretti 001 004 0 – 5
La Salle 000 001 1 – 2
WP: Jayce Park 7 IP 8 K 3 BB6 H 2 R
LP: Logan Potter 5.1 IP 7 K 0 BB 3 H 3 R
2B: NG: Christian Cerone, Evan McCoach, Will Gural. LS: David Vozzo.
