DiBeneditto’s single lifts Shanahan to ninth straight win

By Peter DiGiovanni
pdigovanni07@gmail.com
@peteDLN on Twitter
DOWNINGTOWN >> Nine in a row.
That is the number of games the Bishop Shanahan baseball squad has won this season consecutively.
But, the Eagles will tell you none came harder than Monday afternoon’s 3-2, eight-inning Ches-Mont League victory over Oxford .
Dan DiBeneditto singled in Joe Hurley with one out in the eighth inning off hard-luck loser Noah Sperratore was the differnce as the Eagles (9-2 Ches-Mont, 9-2 overall) win streak moved on.
“I hit a curverball out over the plate,” DiBeneditto said. “I was down in the count and I was expecting something off-speed because he (Sperratore) was doing that all game. I just wanted to put the ball in play and help my team.
“I think the reason we have won nine games now in a row is that we are playing for each other and we are working as a team. We have been getting good pitching and today Matt (Thomas) threw real well in relief for us, and so did Austin O’Dell.”
Both Shanahan pitchers did pitch well as did Oxford’s (3-8, 3-8) Sperratore.
O’Dell was given an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single from P.J. Heintz to drive in Nick O’Day, who had singled to lead off.
And that was pretty much it as both starters put zeroes on the scoreboard until some sloppy Shanahan defense opened the door for Oxford in the fourth inning.
Mike Weber and Hunter Hall walked off O’Dell put runners on first and second with none out. With Tyler Blittersdorf up, O’Dell tried to pick courtesy runner Justin Culp off second.
The throw went into center field. When O’Day threw to second to try to   nail Hall, the ball went to the pitchers mound, scoring Culp and putting Hall on third. Blittersdorf then plated the second run by grounding out to second, scoring Hall.
The was where it still  until the Eagles tied things up in the bottom of the sixth. David Angelo led off with a bunt single, then went to second on an errant throw. He came around to score when  DiBeneditto smacked a single to make it  2-2.
In came Matt Thomas to pitch for Shanahan, and the left-hander held Oxford to just one hit in his three innings, striking out four along the way.
“Matt was out with an injury early in the season,” Bishop Shanahan coach Brian Boyko said. “But he has pitched well since he came back. Today, Austin fought through not having his best command and Matt did a great job. I have a lot of confidence in him.”
Sperratore allowed the Eagles just four hits in seven innings, but the Eagles did the job in the bottom of the eighth.
Joe Hurley led off with a single, then was sacrificed  to second by Angelo.
After O’Day walked, Di Beneditto came throguh again for his second hit and second RBI of the game to keep the Eagles flying on top of the National standings, one game ahead of Downingtown East.
“I mean, Noah had pitched a little in releif this year for us,” Oxford coach Andy Wendle said. “But he was great today. He was pitching to contact, he was spotting his pitches and his fastball had some zip. But, we could not get that hit that we needed for him.”
With the win streak at nine, Shanahan now heads to Coatesville on Wednesday night.
“They all play for each other this year,” Boyko said of his team. “They are all mostly juniors, and they played last year and they do things to help the team like lay down bunts and things like moving runners. They are an unselfish bunch. Today we did not bring a lot of energy early in the game, and we had to because Oxford is a good team and Andy does a great job with them.”

Bishop Shanahan 3
Oxford 2, 7 1/3 innings
OX    ab    r    h    bi    SHAN     ab    r    h    bi
Krvsnsky ss    3    0    1    0    O’Day cf    2    1    1    0
Hartman 2b    4    0    1    0    DiBnditto lf    4    0    2    2
Weber c    3    0    1    0    Heintz c    3    0    2    1
Culp cr    0    1    0    0    Samford cf    0    0    0    0
Hall    2    1    0    0    Dodds 1b    3    0    0    0
Blttrsdrf lf    3    0    0    1    Sqllnte dh    3    0    0    0
Tomsulo cf    3    0    0    0    Ziegler 3b    3    0    0    0
Stfnosky 1b    3    0    0    0    Hight rf    3    0    0    0
Sprratore p    3    0    1    0    Hurley ss    3    1    1    0
Marvel cr    0    0    0    0    Angelo 2b    1    1    0    0
O’Cnnor 3b    3    0    0    0
Totals    27    2    4    1    Totals    25    3    6    3
Oxford     000 200 00 — 2
Bishop Shanahan     100 001 01 — 3
No extra base hits-
IP    H    R    BB    SO
Oxford
Sperratore, L    7.1    6    3    2    4
Bishop Shanahan
O’Dell    5    3    2    3    2
Thomas, W    3    1    0    0    4
One out when winning run scored