Chaminade-Madonna baseball celebrates district title with another walk-off thriller
As Yogi Berra famously said: 'It's déjà vu all over again.'
If Chaminade-Madonna shortstop John Bishop is unfamiliar with the phrase attributed to the baseball legend, the senior will surely understand it now.
On Thursday night, Bishop delivered yet another walk-off hit in extra innings, chopping an RBI single into right field that lifted the Lions to a 1-0 win over NSU University School in the District 14-2A championship game at NSU.
No stranger to long games, the Lions' claimed the district crown by winning two extra-inning affairs. Thursday's thriller, however, lasted a mere 2-hours, 15-minutes.
Compare that to Tuesday when Chaminade outlasted Hialeah Educational Academy, 2-1, in 17 innings. That marathon started at 3:30 p.m. and ended roughly five hours later with a Bishop walk-off double.
The Lions (23-3) were the top seed, and Thursday's contest lived up to the billing against No. 2 seeded U-School (23-4).
Both schools will advance to the best-of-three regionals, with the seedings and matchups scheduled to be released on Friday.
There's a good chance both schools will host in the regional quarterfinals. Cardinal Newman is expected to be the top seed, and Chaminade would appear to be the No. 2 seed. But that's to be determined.
The way the Lions are rolling, they're ready to take on anyone.
'This team was built on picking [players] until you make it,' Chaminade coach Mark McCoy said. 'Now, we're starting to make it. We've now beaten all the top teams in our region. We beat Newman. We beat St. John Paul. We beat these guys. So, I mean, we've got to feel invincible going into the playoffs. We control our own destiny.'
Chaminade's winning rally came with two outs in the eighth. Josh Andel, on a 2-2 pitch, bounced a high grounder into right field, just out of the reach of second baseman Isaac Rosa. Miguel Roa worked the count full and drew a walk, putting runners on first and second for Bishop.
Bishop attacked the first pitch, and chopped the ball into right field. Andel rounded third and slid home with the lone run of the game.
Both teams had their chances prior to extra innings, but neither could push across a run.
U-School started the game with Bradyn Potter doubling on the first pitch of the game off Chaminade right-hander Santi Arismendi, who worked four innings.
The Lions had a shot in the sixth inning when Trace Zalman singled up the middle, but Potter made a perfect throw to the plate, and catcher Griffin Pomper applied the tag on pinch-runner Nolan Loonam, who was out on a bang-bang play.
The Sharks had a golden chance in the fifth inning off reliever Manny Delaosa, who loaded the bases with one out. Gage Agate inherited the jam but retired Pomper and Rocco Rovetto to keep the game scoreless.
Sharks starter Aiden Jacobs impressed in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Manuel relieved in the sixth and kept the Lions off the board.
Chaminade's pitching was sensational in the two-game district, giving up one run in 25 innings.
'We play our game,' McCoy said. 'We don't worry about anybody else. We worry about what we do and we're going to win.'
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