LaMotta's heroics boost Neumann-Goretti
John LaMotta said the best words to describe his feelings had switched from excited to relieved.
Then, maybe 15 minutes after he'd emerged as the hero in one of the most amazing playoff games in city baseball history, LaMotta felt justified in reporting another change.
"Now I just want to sleep," he said.
No wonder.
Prior to Friday, LaMotta, a 6-1, 200-pound junior righthander at Ss. Neumann-Goretti High, had pitched ONE inning all season in Catholic League games and had suffered the Saints' lone loss in those 10 contests.
So what happened this time? What didn't?
Summoned to relieve to begin the sixth inning, LaMotta wound up going NINE frames -- the most allowed in one day by PIAA rules -- as N-G outasted Monsignor Bonner, 8-7, in 14 innings and 4 hours, 15 minutes, in a Catholic League semifinal at Widener University.
It was the longest postseason game in CL history, eclipsing a second-round game in 1988 that saw Archbishop Ryan beat Father Judge, 11-10, in 13 innings. And it tied the city record of 14 innings, set in 1971 when Roxborough outlasted Frankford, 1-0, in a Public League semi.
This one ended at 8:12, with darkness warming up in the bullpen, as soph first baseman Josh Ockimey drew a four-pitch walk from junior righthander Pat Vanderslice (six-plus innings) with the bases loaded.
Nicky Nardini started the uprising with a single off a swinging bunt. Joey Gorman's sacrifice bunt was then misplayed and Marty Venafro, making contact with an 0-2 pitch near his shoulder, beat out a would-be sac for a single.
When Ockimey drew the free pass, the Saints, understandably, went bonkers. Well, as much as they could after expending so much energy on a hot day/night. In front of the third base dugout, different guys took turns trying to hoist LaMotta. He never quite made it to spots on teammates' shoulders.
LaMotta allowed four hits, one run (earned) and one walk while striking out 10. Only 21 of his 97 pitches missed the strike zone.
"I wouldn't say I'm a junkball pitcher, but I do throw a lot of changeups and curves," LaMotta reported. "I was getting most of the popouts and groundouts on a two-seamer, and most of the K's with a changeup.
"I felt good the whole way. I was kind of bummed about giving up a run in the seventh (each team scored once) but after that I knew we were going to win. It was just a matter of how many innings it would take."
LaMotta, who lives on Jackson near 10th, said he'd made a half-dozen pitching appearances this season and had thrown as many as seven frames just once, in a non-league win over St. Joseph's Prep.
When asked if he'd ever thrown as many as nine innings in one game in his life, he shot back with a laugh, "Not that I can recall."
He added, "I wasn't thinking about how long I was out there. Things were going pretty well and I wasn't throwing that many pitches" -- in five of his innings, he threw nine or fewer -- "so I felt OK to keep going.
"It's funny. At practice on Wednesday, one of my teammates asked me, 'If you could get to pitch in a playoff game, would you rather start or relieve?' I told him I'd rather relieve because you're going to be out there when the game's being decided. More responsibility. More chance to be the one in control.
"At (Thursday's) practice, the coaches said I'd be the first reliever, if one was needed. So I did my usual preparation. I was relaxed going out there."
Five guys combined for all 10 of N-G's hits by posting two apiece. The headliner was the lefty-swinging Ockimey, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. In the third inning, his bomb of a solo homer to dead homer -- it left the field near the 400-foot sign and landed on a hill not exactly right behind the fence -- capped a three-run rally that forged a 4-4 tie. In the seventh, as the Saints matched Bonner's one-run effort, he doubled and came around on an error.
For Bonner, Jim Haley went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, Frank Saviski turned two hits into as many RBI and frosh Rich Tecco went 3-for-6 with a run scored.
Bonner led in miscues, 9-5, while N-G won the LOB contest, 17-16. The 14th inning started at 7:57 after the coaches and umpires had a quick confab. They'd been inclined to suspend play after 13, but that frame had gone rather quickly.
In the Other Semifinal . . .
La Salle 10, Carroll 0 (5 inn.): Dom Cuoci pitched four-hit shutout ball and joined Tyler Koziniewski in stroking a two-run single in a five-run fourth. Corey Baiada went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI while P.J. Acierno slugged a solo homer. Matt Maerz (double) and Justin Roman (triple) laced extra base hits for Carroll.
