After a loss to Cumberland in Game 1 put its title defense in jeopardy, the Bishop Hendricken baseball team responded with two wins to secure its fourth consecutive Division I championship at McCoy …
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After a loss to Cumberland in Game 1 put its title defense in jeopardy, the Bishop Hendricken baseball team responded with two wins to secure its fourth consecutive Division I championship at McCoy Stadium in June.
An offensive breakout and strong pitching performance from ace Mike McCaffrey helped the Hawks even the series at 1 to force a decisive Game 3.
Cumberland’s Jake Rockefeller and Hendricken’s Matt Kennedy each started with eight shutout innings before the Clippers drew first blood in the ninth. Rockefeller gave himself some assistance with an RBI hit to drive in Nathan Mercure, putting the Clippers up 1-0.
Three outs away from a loss, the Hawks stepped up. Rockefeller hit two-time Gatorade Player of the Year Gian Martellini to start the ninth, and All-State third baseman John Toppa singled down the right field line to put runners on the corners with no one away.
The next batter, Dante Baldelli, would make solid contact, but it was right to the glove of shortstop Josh Brodeur. Brodeur nearly had Toppa doubled up at first base, but his throw went over the head of his first baseman, allowing Martellini to score from third and tie the game.
Cumberland loaded the bases with no one out in the top of the 10th, but senior Mike Webb forced a pop-up, groundout and flyout to end the threat.
“He didn’t fluster, he battled and did a great job for us out there,” Hendricken head coach Ed Holloway said of Webb. “We had a lot of MVPs today. Without the job that Mike Webb did, we lose the state championship.”
Martellini would come up clutch again for the Hawks, scoring All-State shortstop and Series MVP John Willette on a shot over the head of the left fielder to bring the Hawks their fourth title in a row.
“In that at-bat, I was just looking to put the ball up the middle because I knew we had some speed with Willette on second,” Martellini said. “I knew that if I got the ball into the outfield that he was probably going to score, but I was lucky enough to get it over the left fielder’s head. The rest is history.”
- Jacob Marrocco
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