Chaminade tops Holy Trinity, pitcher Downing unbeaten at 7-0
Chaminade starting pitcher John Downing delivers to the plate during a CHSAA baseball game against Holy Trinity in Hicksville on Tuesday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Chaminade experienced something new on a baseball field last week, and the Flyers didn’t like it one bit. After winning 15 straight games to start the season, they felt the sting of losing.
“It was definitely a wake-up call for us, knowing that anyone can really beat us,” senior John Downing said of that loss to St. Anthony’s.
The first-place Flyers bounced back Tuesday, winning their NSCHSAA game, 4-0, at Holy Trinity in the opener of a two-game series.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that Downing was the one with the ball in his hand, trying to steer them back on track.
The Seton Hall-bound lefty hasn’t lost a game in his two-year varsity run. He’s now 7-0 after going 4-0 last season.
“No. 1, anytime we have John on the mound, we feel like we have a real good chance to win,” coach Mike Pienkos said. “Today, to be honest with you, I didn’t think John had his best stuff.”
Yet he was still plenty good enough. Downing allowed just two hits, walked four and fanned 12 in 6 2⁄3 innings.
“I just kept grinding through,” he said.
The Titans also sent out their ace on Senior Day.
Senior lefty Sadier Vicioso (5-1) yielded just two runs and four hits, with four walks and one hit batter, before leaving because of a blister after 5 2⁄3 innings.
Chaminade (16-1, 14-1) nicked him for an unearned run in the first and scored on Brian Heckelman’s sacrifice fly in the second.
Vinny Roman doubled the lead with a two-run homer to right in the seventh.
“It felt great,” Roman said. “It was just great to help my team get a win. We needed some insurance runs that last inning.”
The Flyers’ defense stood out, too. Shortstop Nolan Nawrocki made a diving catch. Second baseman Brady Steinert made a diving stop. And the catcher Heckelman threw out two Titans trying to swipe second.
“They’re the best defense on Long Island,” Downing said.
Despite the loss, the big picture looks sharp for an improved Titans team (12-5, 10-5) that only has four seniors.
“I’m very encouraged,” coach Dan Luisi said. “I think we’ve got a really good core group of players mixed in with seniors, mixed in with juniors and mixed in with sophomores . . . The future of the program is in really good shape.”
