PVI baseball

PVI Stakes Early Claim as Team to Beat in WCAC Baseball

By David Steinbacher
Special to the HERALD
(From the Issue of 3/29/07)

Paul VI Catholic High School of Fairfax, 2006 WCAC baseball runners-ups, has its sights set on claiming the league title this season. With 27 regular season games to contend with before the playoffs come into view, the Panthers are obviously taking the season one game at a time.
"We've got a chance to win 20 or so regular season games, but our main goal is to be playing our best baseball in the month of May," said fifth-year head coach Billy Emerson.
So far this season the Panthers have defeated Wakefield 23-2, St. John’s 7-3, DeMatha 16-3, Centreville 12-5 and St. Mary's Ryken 2-0.
The Panthers recently faced Gonzaga in an attempt to stretch their undefeated streak to five. The Purple Eagles had other ideas. Gonzaga, led by top assistant Andy Bradley (head coach Pete Schourek missed the game due to illness), struck for two early home runs versus PVI.
"Gonzaga was an inspired team today,” said Emerson. “We didn't play our best game, but that is how it is in the WCAC, which is quite possibly the best league in the metro area."
After two innings, the Eagles led 4-0. In the bottom of the second inning, PVI junior right fielder Tim McCormick made one of the biggest defensive plays for the Panthers this season when he nailed a Gonzaga baserunner attempting to score at home plate.
PVI struck for their lone run in the top of the third inning when junior center fielder Peter Verdin (batting first in the lineup) hit a sharp single to right field. Following two consecutive groundouts, Verdin (five steals on the season) stood alone on third base.
Starting pitcher/clean up hitter junior Reed Bromley smacked a line single between third and short to score Verdin.
Neither team scored for the rest of the game and the Panthers made the 20 mile trek back to Fairfax with their first blemish of the season.
Gonzaga senior Matt Sliwiak picked up the win for the Eagles. Nick Frederick and Eric Reihbein homered for Gonzaga.
In the Panthers 12-5 victory at Centreville, PVI generated six runs in the top of the first inning and was in control from that point forward.
Verdin (a transfer from West Potomac High School) led off with a double. Senior left fielder Zach Costello drew a walk. Two batters later, Bromley tagged a home run to give PVI a 3-0 lead.
Five more players batted for Paul VI in the inning. McCormick singled. Junior first baseman Mike Mitchell reached first base via a Wildcat error. Junior third baseman Brett Bowers was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, junior second baseman Matt Murakami's "fielder’s choice" made the score 4-0.
One batter later, freshman utility player Michael McMenamin's single scored both Mitchell and Bowers for the decisive fifth and sixth runs.
In PVI's 16-3 win versus DeMatha, the Panthers struck for four runs in the bottom of the second inning and never looked back.
In the decisive second inning, McCormick reached base via a Stag error. Mitchell singled. Several pitches later, both runners advanced to third and second respectively via a DeMatha wild pitch. Matt Murakami walked which loaded the bases. Bowers came up to bat and started the scoring avalanche with a powerful grand slam home run to left field.
Bowers’ shot did not bounce off the side of the school building (as a couple have in previous seasons), but it did land deep into the outfield bleachers.
“I'm not sure that anyone has ever won via the "mercy rule" versus DeMatha in the past 15 years," said Emerson.
Junior right hander Mike Mitchell logged the impressive win for the Panthers.
In the Panthers 7-3 win on the road versus St. John’s, they had to fight from behind to prevail.
"We got down early (to the Cadets),” said Emerson. “We kept our composure however and we hit the ball well (as the game progressed)."
In fact, St. John’s led 3-0 after one complete inning. PVI struck for five runs in the top of the second inning, highlighted by a three run homer by Bowers. The fourth run of the inning was generated when senior outfielder Scott Walsh (who had been hit by a pitch) scored via a Verdin double. The fifth run was generated when Verdin scored via a Costello single.