Gallagher closes out Chaminade's title

Andrew Gallagher is used to pressure situations as Chaminade's closer. But Monday, the righthander's task was more daunting than his usual one-inning assignment.

Gallagher entered the game against St. Dominic in the top of the fifth inning with the bases loaded, one out and Chaminade holding a two-run lead. Gallagher got a strikeout and grounder to end the inning.

Though he allowed a leadoff homer to Spencer Bilello in the sixth for the lone hit he gave up in 22/3 innings, Gallagher got the save as No. 2 Chaminade swept the best-of-three CHSAA baseball finals with a 4-2 win over No. 1 St. Dominic at Holy Trinity.

"I just figured you need to get the first out with a strikeout," Gallagher said of the fifth-inning jam. "You don't want them to put it in play so a run scores. I got the strikeout and the infield took care of the rest."

After giving up the home run, Gallagher created his own trouble in the sixth by hitting two batters. With the tying runs in scoring position with two outs, he got a strikeout to end the inning, then pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.

"I lost my control for a bit," Gallagher said. "I regained my composure and started throwing strikes again."

Kevin Weissheier pitched 41/3 innings and allowed four hits, walked four, allowed no earned runs and struck out three for the win. Michael Ferranti went 2-for-3 with a double, walk and an RBI. Tommy Roulis, the CHSAA Player of the Year, went 2-for-2 with a run and two intentional walks, and Gallagher went 1-for-3 with a walk and RBI.

SEE PHOTOSCHSAA finals: Chaminade sweeps St. Dominic

Then there was Terrence Connelly, who went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two sacrifice bunts. The Chaminade coaches had been imploring their players to bunt since the beginning of the season since there are a lot of one-run games in the wood-bat league. It wasn't well received at first.

"Most of us didn't believe in the bunt," Connelly said. "We worked on it throughout the year and it was huge for us."

Connelly's sacrifice bunt led to a run-scoring single by Gallagher in the third to tie the score at 1. And Connelly's bunt played a part in an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Ferranti led off with a double, went to third on the bunt by Connelly and a throwing error to first on the play allowed Ferranti to score for a 4-2 lead.

Ferranti and Connelly hit consecutive singles to score runs in the fourth to give the Flyers (19-4) a 3-1 lead.

SEE PHOTOSNewsday's best high school photos

"We're very fundamentally sound and that's thanks to the coaches," Ferranti said. "Those long three-hour practices helped us win games."

After losing two of three to St. Dominic (17-6) in the regular season, the Flyers won 14 of their final 15.

"It's satisfying as a coach to get to this point and the kids played better and better at the end of the season," Chaminade coach Mike Pienkos said. "We put a great run together at the right time."