St. Anthony's baseball's Jacob Vaccariello hits go-ahead homer to cap rally against Chaminade
C.J. Alfano of St. Anthony’s, left. celebrates with a teammate after hitting a home run during a CHSAA baseball game against Chaminade on Tuesday in Hicksville. Credit: Kelvin Loarca
The seventh inning of the St. Anthony’s–Chaminade baseball game was an emotional roller coaster, to say the least. It certainly had its ups and downs for both squads. And this opener of a pivotal three-game series in the ultra-competitive Catholic High School Baseball League did not disappoint.
Let’s set the stage.
St. Anthony’s clawed back from a five-run deficit to trail by one heading into the top of the seventh. The Friars’ No. 9 hitter Alex Pagano singled to get the comeback started. Chaminade coach Patrick Kemp then went against conventional wisdom and ordered an intentional walk to the Friars’ C.J. Alfano to put the go-ahead run on first base.
It was understandable. Alfano, the CHSAA’s leading home run hitter, had already launched a long solo homer in the first inning and a three-run opposite-field blast in the fifth. Walking him was a no-brainer.
“I wasn’t letting him beat us,” Kemp said. “He’s just seeing the ball so well.”
With runners on first and second and no outs, Kemp brought in 6-7 Jonathon Walsh, a hard-throwing, righthanded reliever. Anthony Sanchez greeted him with a bullet at first baseman Nolan Fernandez, who snagged the line drive and fired to second base for a double play. Alfano retreated to first base safely.
The Chaminade bench erupted with the defensive gem — one out away from a big win.
“I slipped but got back avoiding the triple play,” Alfano said.
With two outs, Jacob Vaccariello ruined the Flyers’ short-lived celebration. He crushed a 1-and-0 changeup for a two-run home run to leftfield for the lead as the St. Anthony’s bench exploded.
“It was a fastball up in the zone,” Vaccariello said.
St. Anthony’s closer TJ Walsh retired three of four batters, including two by strikeout, for his third save as the visiting Friars edged Chaminade, 7-6, on Tuesday at Cantiague Park in Hicksville.
“I usually let the defense do the work,” TJ Walsh said. “My job is to throw strikes and not walk anyone.”
St. Anthony’s improved to 8-5 and Chaminade fell to 7-6.
Alfano led off the game with a 400-foot home run to dead center for a 1-0 lead. But the St. Anthony’s defense dug themselves a deep hole. Chaminade capitalized on three errors, three hit batsmen and scored five unearned runs in the second inning for a 5-1 lead. Bryce Valls’ sacrifice fly capped the rally.
“It says something about our character when we can come back from a tough inning like that one,” St. Anthony’s coach Paul Parsolano said.
Chaminade starter Carlos Pereira pitched a terrific game. He was victimized by two mistakes — the two home runs to Alfano. He allowed six hits, walked four, struck out six and was tagged with four earned runs in six innings.
St. Anthony’s lefty Aidan Ging came on in relief in the second inning and pitched 4 1⁄3 innings. He allowed six hits and one run to keep the Friars in the game.
“He did a great job,” Parsolano said.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
