Terriers Roar-Jump out quick with rout of McClancy in opener

If offense is St. Francis Prep’s weakness, as their ace Robert Casal thought before their league opener, this could be quite a season for the young Terriers. St. Francis pounded out 15 hits, as they overwhelmed Monsignor McClancy, 12-6, Thursday afternoon. First baseman Steve Buccellato and centerfielder Jason Kaye drove in four runs apiece. “We’ve been scoring a lot of runs in pre-season and we just got a lot of clutch hits today,” said junior Paul Karmas, who had two hits including a ringing RBI triple. “We put the ball in play, cut down on our strikeouts. Last year, we had more power. This year, we have more singles hitters, more speed.”
Still, they racked up six extra base hits. “Hopefully, we can do that all year,” Casal said.
Playing for the first time in a week due to the shoddy weather conditions, the Terriers, an almost entirely new team than the one that reached the city championship game last spring for the first time since 1995, were flawless early, taking advantage of the Crusaders’ sloppy fielding, jumping out to a 12-0 lead on Kaye’s bases-clearing double in the fourth. Casal, the lone returning starter from last year’s splendid rotation, was also sharp, striking out four of the first five batters he faced. “I feel like I have to prove something,” he said of his newfound ace status.
Unfortunately, Casal ran out of gas, and was yanked with two outs in the fifth after allowing four consecutive hits, including a two-run homer to Nicholas Condos. Overall, in four and two-thirds innings, he struck out 10, walked two and allowed four runs and eight hits for the win.
One of the many youngsters asked to carry a significant work load, sophomore AJ Boardman, replaced Casal with a pair of runners on, and immediately put his stamp on the game, snatching Dan Lopez’s sharp liner out of the air as he hit the ground. Junior Jon Matzelle replaced Boardman the next inning with the bases loaded and whiffed catcher Joseph Liberta on three pitches. “I think we can have a good team,” St. Francis Manager, Brother Robert Kent said. “We just have to put it together.”
Although the many youngsters are sure to make their share of mistakes - like relaxing with a 12-run lead and allowing McClancy to rally - but their ability is undeniable. “They have a lot of talent,” Casal said. “I think they fill the spots. They’re young, so they feel they have to prove themselves. It’s fun.”
The Crusaders added two more runs in the home half of the seventh, but were unable to make up for their lackadaisical play in the first four frames, continuing their troublesome April - they’re now 0-3, having lost to St. Francis (1-0), Holy Cross and Xaverian by a combined 33-10. “I think we kind of expected to have a rough start - we’re seeing good teams. It’s just very frustrating,” McClancy Manager Nick Melito said. “Right now we’re not getting any breaks and we’re not playing too well.”