Log In


Reset Password
LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

Not an ending they hoped for

Heading into the postseason, Catasauqua's baseball team showed plenty of signs that they could surprise some teams with an extended stay in the playoff format.

The Roughies staged a late-season rally that earned them an invitation to the postseason for the first time in three seasons since they went to the state playoff bracket, and they also gained an invite to the league playoffs.

But, apparently, it wasn't meant to be.

The Roughies weren't themselves in a 14-4 loss to Southern Lehigh in the semifinals of the Colonial league playoffs, and then they fell to Pine Grove, 10-2, in the opening round of the District 11 Class 2A playoffs.

With the latter defeat, Catty ended its overall season with a 12-10 overall record.

In their defeat to Pine Grove, the Roughies were handcuffed to five hits, and also committed seven errors in the field.

"They (Pine Grove) had a little lefty that gave us trouble and took us right out of our game," said Roughies head coach Steve Bradley. "We really didn't know much about them, and when we watched them warm up, we believe we were the better team.

"But we really shot ourselves in the foot. We misplaced probably four fly balls and we committed seven errors in the field. It might have been a matter of us being a little tight or maybe a little too loose. I really can't put my finger on it.

"Anyway you look at it, we just weren't in the game mentally and the flood gates opened up on us."

Zach Stopay started the game for the Roughies and he was relieved by Jeff Trexler in the fourth when Pine Grove exploded for a five-running inning that opened the game. Jed Blankenhorn, who went the distance with five strikeouts over just 90 pitches, helped his own cause on the mound with sacrifice fly RBI

Pine Grove (13-9) moved on to meet top-seeded Salisbury, who need a four-run, seventh-inning rally, to down the Cardinals for the district title.

"They are a good team, especially to give Salisbury a run like they did," noted Bradley. "Even though they beat us, we should have been the better team. But we didn't expect those types of things to happen to us. It did, and we have to move on and learn from it."

Randal Pacchioli knocked in both runs for the Roughies, and Bradley expects more from him in the future.

"He (Pacchioli) has been one of the hardest working guys we had this season," said Bradley. "He really made some big strides and he is such a sincere kid. (Pacchioli) was supposed to be at second base, but he became our catcher in a pinch at the start of the season.

"He was one of our top hitters, and everything really paid off for him this year."

Despite the rough finish, Bradley can relish plenty of positives this spring.

"It was nice for us to get back to the playoffs, and our kids worked hard," he said. "We were also able to come away with the (North, Colonial League) division, and that was a plus. We have a core coming back and they'll be hungry for next season."