By John FitzSimons ’18

Chaminade’s JV Baseball Team captured the NSCHSAA Championship on Thursday, May 26 after a thrilling game against St. Anthony’s, capping off a terrific playoff run by the Flyers.  After a rocky start to the season, which saw the Flyers lose four games after squandering a lead in the seventh inning or later, the team ended the regular season on an exciting hot streak, winning ten of its last eleven games heading into the league playoffs.

In their quarterfinal matchup, the Flyers slugged their way to a 10-2 victory against the Titans of Holy Trinity.  Leadoff hitter Nick Jaskolski ’18 provided an instant spark for the offense with a triple to begin the bottom of the first.  While the Flyers were able to display their dominant abilities in the quarterfinals, the semifinal game was very close.  St. John the Baptist put up quite a fight and came up short by only one run.  The final score of the semifinal game was 2-1.

The championship game was even more dramatic.  The game began with Chaminade’s Nick Jaskolski ’18 starting off the first inning with a single.  Nick Faber ’18 managed to move Jaskolski up to second base, but was tagged by the first baseman.  Jaskolski then stole third base.  Jack Bishop ’18 then sent Jaskolski home with a single, putting the Flyers on the board.  Chaminade’s lead did not last long, as in the bottom of the first inning St. Anthony’s scored two runs.  The game was brought to a tie in the second inning.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, the odds started to stack against the Flyers when St. Anthony’s shocked Chaminade by scoring four runs, making it a 6-2 game.  During the short intermission between the bottom of the fourth and the top of the fifth, Mr. Kemp gave the team a pep talk.  He said to the Flyers, “you have two choices: put your heads between your legs and go home or fight.”

The Flyers were certainly not going to give up.  Jaskolski said, “Me and the boys were hungry for a title this year.  We needed to finish what we had started.”  Jaskolski lived up to his desire when he hit a single to start out the top of the fifth, setting in motion a rally that led to a 7-6 lead in Chaminade’s favor.  Despite being unable to score for the rest of the game, Chaminade protected its lead, and Nick Biscardi ’18 ended this climactic game by catching a pop fly.

The Flyers poured out of the dugout and all piled on top of the current pitcher Nick Jaskolski.  Scott McKinnon said, “It was foot on the gas, and we did not look back until we were holding up that plaque over our heads at St. Anthony’s.”  The Flyers continued the celebration in left field where Mr. Dawber, Mr. Kemp ’04, Mr. Landolphi, and Mr. Lynch ’82 congratulated the young Flyers on a great game.  Go Flyers!