Neumann-Goretti wins Catholic League title

Mark Donato spent his first year of high school at Roman Catholic. Despite his baseball success there, the South Philly resident wanted a shorter commute to school and to be back with his grade-school and neighborhood buddies.

Along with a transfer to Neumann-Goretti came a promise from baseball skipper Lou Spadaccini. "I told him, 'You're here to pitch in the championship game. We'll get there.' "

Thanks largely to Donato's efforts as pitcher and first baseman, the Saints made good on Spadaccini's guarantee of reaching the final. And yesterday afternoon, with Donato tossing a three-hitter, the squad took it one step further. And, boy, was it a huge stride.

Neumann-Goretti downed La Salle, 3-1, in eight innings under overcast skies and an occasional drizzle at Widener University to claim the program's first Catholic League championship in 49 years.

"It's the best experience I ever had," Donato said. "It's a great, great feeling. It'd hard to describe the emotions involved."

The last title came in 1960, when, as Bishop Neumann, the team, then called the Pirates, downed Father Judge, 10-2, at La Salle College.

"It's so exciting," Spadaccini, in his third season at the helm, said. "This is an amazing bunch of kids. I absolutely love them."

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Donato, a southpaw, scattered three singles and fanned 10. He struck out the side to clinch the victory. The celebration erupted when designated hitter Brendan McCoy swung and missed on an 0-2 curveball.

McCoy had stepped to the plate with runners on first and second base. "He's a good fastball hitter," Donato said. "I didn't throw him anything good to hit. It was all curveballs for him."

The Explorers' only run came in the first inning: McCoy's single past the outstretched glove of third baseman Al Baur scored Tyler Freeman.

Donato's pitching counterpart was fellow lefty and first-team all-Catholic selection Shawn O'Neill, a Richmond recruit. The 6-2, 180-pounder, equipped with a fastball in the mid 80-m.p.h. range, yielded six hits and whiffed eight while going the distance.

"Shawn pitched well," La Salle coach Joe Parisi. "It was a 1-1 game after seven innings, so that says a lot about his effort. On the other side, Mark Donato pitched every bit as well."

In the eighth, after O'Neill opened with a strikeout of the No. 9 batter, Baur doubled to center field to knock home Reno Regalbuto (single, stolen base). Donato (2 for 3, walk) followed with a double in the same direction. Blaze Cendrone, a pinch-runner for Donato, scored when Joey Armata's two-out grounder to second base resulted in a throwing error.

Neumann-Goretti (17-3) overcame baserunning blunders. In the fifth, on Baur's one-out groundball single to right, Nicky Nardini and Regalbuto were gunned down at home in bang-bang fashion. Nardini tried to score from second on the hit, and Regalbuto darted toward the plate on a follow-up throw to second base by catcher Sean Abbott.

"We've been aggressive all year," said Spadaccini, who waved home both Nardini and Regalbuto. "I wasn't going to stop being aggressive. Fortunately, the kids bailed me out at the end."

The Explorers (13-7) were likewise hurt on the bases. Donato picked off runners at first to end the third and fourth innings. The latter came on a 3-0 count, with a runner also on third.

Neumann-Goretti 000 010 02 - 3 6 0

La Salle 100 000 00 - 1 3 2

WP: Mark Donato. LP: Shawn O'Neill.

2B: NG-Al Baur, Donato.