By Joseph Staszewski
St. Francis Prep reliever Devin Coy was warming up often during the Terriers’ two playoff games against St. Raymond’s.
The senior was tossing prior to the completion of the Game 1 victory and getting prepared to go in again starting from the third inning of Game 2.
“I was ready to go all day,” Coy said.
He was finally called on to relieve starter Victor Persad in the bottom of the sixth with a runner on first, no outs and St. Francis Prep clinging to a two-run lead. St. Ray’s had erased its four-run deficit from earlier in the game.
Coy surrendered a single to put runners on first and second, but he then got St. Ray’s Rafael Perozo, who missed a bunt sign, to hit into a double play. Then Pete Tagios made a diving catch in rightfield on a ball hit by the next batter to end the frame. And the Ravens didn’t threaten again.
“I’m pretty good under pressure,” Coy said. “It’s always been like that for me. I usually get the job done.”
He allowed the Terriers to complete the sweep with a 7-5 victory in the second game of the CHSAA Class AA baseball best-of-three series at Stepinac Saturday.
SFP earned a spot in the league’s championship tournament that begins May 28 against No. 2 Archbishop Molloy. The Terriers (13-5) had won their first playoff game 6-3 earlier in the afternoon Saturday. Game 1 had been suspended Friday because of rain in the bottom of the fifth with SFP holding a 4-3 lead behind ace Dylan Lawrence.
The defending city champion Ravens didn’t go down without a fight in Game 2. After St. Francis Prep scored four times in the third to take a 4-0 lead against starter Adam DeLaCruz, St. Ray’s (12-8) tied it at 4-4 with a four-run fourth inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Damien Hernandez.
But St. Francis Prep answered right back. Walsh, who had two hits on the day, drove in A.J. Figeroa on an RBI double to left center with two outs, and pinch runner Joemar Wilson later scored on a bunt to make it 6-4. It was a big momentum shift in the contest.
“If they got Walsh and we left guys on base, [St. Ray’s] would have been sky high,” SFP Coach Brother Robert Kent said. “That was a big change.”
The Terriers added an insurance run on a sac fly by Figeroa and the Ravens got a run back off Persad in the sixth to make it 7-5 before Coy avoided further trouble.
The Terriers think their bats are coming alive at the right time. The team has relied heavily on its pitching, but got two big hits throughout the series. Jordan Santiago was 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored in Game 1 and Alex Villano delivered a two-run triple.
“Everyone’s bat is waking up,” Walsh said. “It’s waking up at the right time. It’s something to look forward to.”
The Terriers believe if their hitting continues, they can push on because of how good their pitching is. Lawrence, who threw a no-hitter against Molloy, and John Michelli have both earned run averages under 1.00.
“This is the best time to get hot,” Kent said. “The players got to do it.”
