TCA blanked by Holy Spirit
HAMILTON » The Trenton Catholic Academy baseball team was hoping for a noisier finish to its final home game of the 2018 season at its Kuser Road field.
Fifth-seeded Holy Spirit had other plans as it scored three runs in the first two innings to begin an 8-0 win over the fourth-seeded Iron Mikes in NJSIAA Non-Public B South play.
The loss ended the season for 16-10 TCA, while Holy Spirit (168) advance to play at top-seeded Immaculata Friday. Immaculata (20-3) rallied to defeat ninthseeded St. Joseph’s of Hammonton, 2-1.
While the Spartans from the Cape Atlantic League came out hitting TCA senior starting pitcher Latrell Reid, the Iron Mikes had trouble getting much started against Holy Spirit pitchers Alec Sachais and Jake DiNatale.
Sachais threw 70 pitches over the first 4 1/3 innings and limited the home team to Ali Pompey’s second-inning single to center field. DiNatale relieved him in the fifth and limited TCA to another single to center field, this time by Jesse Guerrero in the seventh.
“Their pitcher was good,” Pompey said. “But as a team, I don’t think we were mentally prepared today.”
Sixth-year head coach Keith Naylor agreed with Pompey’s assessment.
“Mentally was out issue,” Naylor said. “I’m still proud of them because we had a good season, but I wish we’d played better today.”
Sachais, a junior right-hander, Trenton Catholic’s Latrell Reid pitches against Holy Spirit in a Non-Public B South playoff game on Tuesday.
set the tone on the mound and continued to cruise, while his teammates tacked on runs.
“It’s always huge to have runs and hits,” Sachais said. “It’s good to have that support behind you when you are pitching.”
The Spartans gave their pitcher all the runs he would need in the top of the first inning when Vince Letizia walked and Matt Rivera singled ahead of a sacrifice bunt by Dan Marczyk.
Jimmy Pasquale followed with a two-run single, then was brought home on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Castellini before Reid escaped the inning when catcher Jedier Hernandez threw out Jake LaMonaca (walk) stealing.
Reid got the first two outs the following inning before walks to Steve Petrosh and Letizia led to more trouble. La Salle University-bound catcher Rivera doubled to right-center to score both runners before his courtesy runner, C.J. Egrie, scored for a second time when Marczyk singled.
Pompey took over for Reid, one of two seniors in TCA’s fold along with first baseman Sam Raymond, in the third inning and limited the Lancers to two more runs the rest of the way. The hits, however, kept coming for the visitors, who finished with 12 on the game.
The Iron Mikes were not as lucky in a game when they wanted to be.
Besides the two hits, TCA batters walked four times and were hit three times, but no one officially advanced past second base after courtesy runner Angelo Herrera got gunned down trying to steal third base by Rivera in the fourth inning.