If you thought this was the year that Chaminade was going to be vulnerable – you were sorely mistaken. After capturing the CHSAA in 2019 and graduating that entire team in ’19 and ’20, they are now one game away from repeating as champs.
They briefly struggled earlier this season as they stumbled out of the gate with a 3-3 record but now they have found their cruising altitude at the right time. The Flyers defeated Kellenberg in Game 1 of the NSCHSAA Championship Series by the score of 10-1 behind an all-around team effort and dominant pitching – which has been the hallmark for the program for decades.
Coach Mike Pientkos’ squad excelled not only on the mound, but also in the field and on the base paths today; outplaying Kellenberg in every regard. They even got a little help from the first base umpire along the way.
Chaminade RHP JJ Gatti on his Game 1 performance against Kellenberg pic.twitter.com/3BbPvX2HuE
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 9, 2021
JJ Gatti got the start for the Flyers, he’s been outstanding this season. He worked around a leadoff walk in the first issued to C.J. Picone and a hit by pitch of John Kwiatowski with an excellent 3-6-3 DP to end the inning. Gatti pointed out how stout their defense has been – and that is critical at the high school level as the team that makes the fewest errors typically comes out on top. But what separates teams like Chaminade is that they don’t just make the routine play, but their athleticism allows them to steal hits too.
That was on display today as well in the third inning. The Flyers had just gotten on the board in the top half of the inning on a leadoff triple by Nick Ungania to left center field and he came around to score on a sac fly to right center by Thomas Lebrecht. With their 1-0 lead, Gatti hit the leadoff batter in the third, who was then bunted to second with one out. A groundout back to the mound advanced him to third and brought up Joe Durso. The catcher broke his bat and hit a comebacker but it appeared it had eluded the grasp of Gatti and would be a run-scoring infield single. Chaminade SS Nolan Nawrocki had other plans, though. The Columbia-commit came charging in, barehanded it and made a perfect throw to nail Durso by half a step and keep the game at 1-0. It was another sign that the Flyers had not come here to lose.
In the next half inning, Matt Brandt and Michael Sweeney hit singles and a fielder’s choice advanced Brandt to third. Nawrocki hit an infield single to short to score Brandt and make it 2-0. After a bunt single by Ungania, a bases loaded walk issued to Lebrecht brought home a run to make it 3-0. That would extend to 4-0 after a wild pitch that scored Ungania.
Working with a 4-0 lead, Gatti worked around a leadoff double by Kwiatowski to fire another zero in the fourth inning.
Brendan McCann kept the score at 4-0 with a scoreless fifth inning against the meat of the batting order.
The game’s momentum appeared to be turning in the fifth. After retiring the first two batters of the inning via strikeout, Gatti ran into trouble. He allowed a two-out double to McCann just inside the first base line. He hit Picone and walked Durso to load the bases for Phil Schurr. Gatti’s day was done and Chaminade turned to reliable junior reliever Andrew Heiderstadt. Schurr check swung on a pitch in the dirt and the home plate umpire initially was not going to rule it a swing but they asked to check with the first base umpire and he disagreed – ringing up Schurr to end the inning and strand the bases loaded. I’m not saying Schurr would’ve hit a go-ahead grand slam or bases-clearing double but it was clearly not a swing and changed the complexity of the game.
After that, Chaminade completely blew it open. First a two-run single by Brady Steinert made it 6-1 and then in the seventh they scored four runs with three coming on wild pitches and a fourth on a sac fly to right.
The Flyers brought in Christian Sikoric. He allowed a two-out triple to Picone but struck out Durso to end the ballgame.
It was a convincing win for the Flyers. Typically championship games are not blow outs but it goes to show how complete of a team they are. They have future college players all over the roster, they have pitching depth that most high school teams simply cannot compete with, they run the bases exceptionally well and they have players like Nawrocki that can make barehanded plays to snuff out rallies. All told, they have won 10 of 11 and are now 13-4 overall and one win away from another title.
Now if you recall our Preseason CHSAA Coaches Roundtable in which Coach Pientkos noted the inexperience on his roster and losing their ace for the season – yet here we are three months later and they are on the precipice of yet another title. They will likely send sophomore LHP Matt Brandt to the mound tomorrow against RHP Jack Hughes and Kellenberg looks to extend their season.
