Palladino gets HBP and Kellenberg wins

Michael Palladino had envisioned the situation many times and of course he was the hero with the winning hit in extra innings. The Kellenberg leftfielder stepped to the plate Wednesday with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth inning.

He already had reached base three of four times and kept the score tied with a running catch on a blistering line drive in the seventh. It was shaping up to be a memorable game.

Palladino got the run home, but it wasn't in a way that he will be bragging about in the future. He was hit by a pitch, forcing home Niko Costalas, who walked with one out, for the deciding run in Kellenberg's 2-1 road victory over Chaminade in CHSAA baseball.

"The dream scenario is to get a hit and win the game," Palladino said. "I got hit and the run scored and we still won the game. I'll definitely take it."

Kellenberg (2-0, 1-0) had just five hits and produced the run in the ninth without one. Chris Tricarico was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second before John Palladino walked to load the bases.

Pitching was the story of the game. Kellenberg starter Timothy Deegan allowed the leadoff batter to reach in every inning but the seventh and gave up just one run. He went 61/3 innings, allowing seven hits, two walks and struck out six.

"I was in the stretch a lot," Deegan said, "but I kept throwing strikes and trusted my fielders. I located my fastball well and my changeup was really good."

SEE PHOTOSKellenberg 2, Chaminade 1

Robert Kelly got the final two outs of the seventh and Thomas Bishop pitched around a single and a walk in a scoreless eighth to get the win. Anthony D'Angelo issued a walk and hit a batter, but got the final out on a pop-up to short for the save.

Chaminade starter Kevin Weissheier was dominant in five innings. He allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out 10. He was on a pitch count and removed after 82 pitches. Scott Goldberg struck out two in one inning and Brendan Mulligan pitched the final three innings with four strikeouts, giving the Flyers 16 for the game.

Thomas Roulis gave Chaminade (0-1, 0-1) a 1-0 lead with a run-scoring single in the fifth. Kellenberg tied the score in the sixth on a single by Brian Karp.

"We had one bad inning and it's a one-run league," Chaminade coach Mike Pienkos said. "We hit the ball right on the button many times. We had our chances and we couldn't get that big hit."