by Max Edelman
FINAL: @CHSFlyersBall 2 – @SAFriarsBase 1
John Carroll finishes off a complete game, in which he struck out nine. The Flyers hold off a late Friars surge to open their season with a win. pic.twitter.com/vqAKeEUyil
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 26, 2024
On a day where all seven Catholic League teams played at the Moriches Sports Complex to celebrate the beginning of a new season, the Chaminade Flyers defeated the St. Anthony’s Friars 2-1.
Entering the top of the seventh and final inning up 2-0, Chaminade starting pitcher John Carroll needed only three outs to give the Flyers the win, and his first complete game shutout of the season. However, that’s where things got dicey.
The top half of the seventh began with Carroll getting sophomore CJ Alfano to hit a fly ball to left field, only for it to be bobbled and dropped by Chaminade’ outfielder. Alfano was able to find his way around the bases, eventually scoring on a wild pitch. After Alfano’s run, Carroll was able to limit the damage, and ended the game striking out Jagger Duque looking.
“I just wanted to get the ball in play.” Carroll said following the game. “Get the ball in play, then get a strikeout. It worked out in the end.”
Carroll was the star of the show for the Flyers in their season opener, In seven innings, the Navy-commit struck out nine, and allowed only one run, four hits and only walked one batter. Carroll also picked up his first victory of the young season.
The Flyers stayed true to their name, and got off to a flying start to their 2024 campaign. After leadoff hitter and Binghamton-commit Sean Sweeney led off the game with a double, he scored the Flyers first run of 2024 two batters later, when Stony Brook-commit Michael Cervoni connected on a sacrifice fly to center to give Chaminade an early 1-0 lead.
The score would remain 1-0 until the fourth inning, when Sweeney would drive in a run of his own, sending an RBI single into center field. Those two runs proved to be all the Flyers needed to pick up their first victory of the year.
Overall, Chaminade had seven total hits in the game, with Sweeney being the only member of the team with multiple hits. Along with Cervoni, three other Flyers were able to pick up base knocks in the season opener. Sweeney, Collin Anderson and Colin Brosnan each had doubles in the game.
For the Friars, it was a struggle offensively, as they were only able to manage four hits. Catcher Philip Mazzola was responsible for two of St. Anthony’s hits, while Brendan Howard and Kevin Baez had the others. Baez was also the only Friar batter to be walked by Carroll.
John Parpis comes up big, stranding runners on 2nd and 3rd to keep the Flyers off the scoreboard in the 6th.
2-0 @CHSFlyersBall in the bottom of the 6th. pic.twitter.com/iRAeAfa9Fx
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) March 26, 2024
On the mound, the loss was charged to St. Anthony’s starter John Didden who, despite being charged with the loss, turned in a strong performance. In three innings, Didden allowed only one run on four hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Didden was relieved in the fourth inning by John Parpis, who pitched the final four innings of the game for the Friars. In those four innings, Parpis struck out six and allowed one run on three hits.
The Chaminade Flyers open the season 1-0, while the St. Anthony’s Friars drop to 0-1 on the new campaign.
