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True to their mascot’s nature, the Prep Charter Huskies enjoy tasty meals. On Friday, the West Passyunk school’s diamond dwellers feasted on the Penn Wood Patriots, then concluded Senior Day with a barbecue. The 8-4 nonleague triumph at Sabres Field, Seventh Street and Packer Avenue, gave coach Robert Hale a chance to unload his bench and granted the players a moment to bond ahead of May 16’s playoff game.
“This has been a fun year,” fifth-year leader Hale said as his athletes took fielding practice. “My guys have hit well, played solid defense and trusted one another.”
The trio of activities produced a 10-4 mark heading into the mid-afternoon contest, including a 9-1 record in the Public League’s Division B. Eager to keep their adversaries winless, the Huskies, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., encouraged one another to remain focused and to send the visitors home disgruntled.
Before executing their assault on the opposition, the players lined up for a little levity. As a part of the team’s celebration, Hale honored six outgoing contributors with kind words and plaques. Just in time for Mother’s Day, attending matriarchs received bouquets. Pleasantries aside, the offense set out to make 360-foot journeys the day’s theme.
“I want this to be over after two innings,” Hale said of his desire to remove the starters after two frames.
Senior Anthony Sacerdote received the starting nod on the mound and escaped a two-walk top of the first by yielding no runs. Not accustomed to pitching, he may have been more keen on connecting on a fastball at the plate. His two-run single highlighted his team’s initial swings and gave the bunch a 3-0 push. He confounded the opposition in the next inning, notching a strikeout and inducing two fielder’s choices.
Having sent eight batters to the dish in the first, the Huskies topped that with a nine-man effort in the second. Four hits, two stolen bases, a walk and an error engineered four more runs and allowed Hale to make his journey to the grill to prepare hamburgers and hot dogs.
With assistant coaches Jim Gatto and Paul Rieser at the helm, the Huskies switched personnel for the third inning. Prior to its beginning, Rieser conferred with the Patriots’ staff and decided to play only four innings. Senior catcher Michael Sanderfur ditched his customary squat for an upright position on the mound and pitched a scoreless inning, with two strikeouts.
The able substitutes made their starting brethren proud by tacking on another scratch in the bottom half. As the starters made trips to the food line, their understudies looked to grab a bit of grub, too. The Patriots, however, wanted to keep their stomachs rumbling and plated four runs. A strikeout ended the rally and if not for the food Hale invited them to consume, the visitors may have regretted deciding to end the game so soon.
“It’s a non-league win, but it’s a win nonetheless,” Rieser, who also coaches the girls’ varsity basketball team, which this year won the Public League crown, said. “Now we can enjoy the food even more.”
The Huskies have been able to overcome their relative youth to craft a respectable campaign. Friday’s win gave them five straight triumphs, and they looked to extend their winning streak against Abraham Lincoln High School yesterday in a home clash that ended after press time.
“We have a good bond,” junior slugger Michael Borelli, a 2010 First-Team All-Public selection, said of this year’s success.
The resident of the 2700 block of South Colorado Street has been a three-year force for the Huskies. A pitcher, second baseman and outfielder, he led his team to the Class AA ’09 Final and last year’s semifinals. In the Penn Wood game, he singled and walked in two plate appearances, scoring two runs.
“This is shaping up to be our most successful season,” he said of prolonging the program’s pedigree.
Interested in Philadelphia, Temple and West Chester universities and The University of the Sciences, he has greater enthusiasm for making this year’s postseason and all of next year reflections of his group’s tenacity.
“We’re young but we know how to win and believe in each other,” he said.
The Huskies dropped their season and league opener 1-0 to Edison High School March 28. Five-straight wins followed before they made their first out-of-state trip late last month. The Let’s Play 2 Tournament took them to Manassas and Woodbridge, Va., and resulted in one win and two defeats.
“Virginia was a great experience,” Hale said during the ceremony. “We really learned to work as a team and appreciate the game more.”
Friday’s four runs against represent the most his team has surrendered since a 15-7 loss to Division A’s Girard Academic Music Program, 2136 Ritner St., on April 21. In their four victories prior to Friday, they yielded only four runs.
On a day that began with winds that made it seem as if the competition were set in Chicago, the Huskies blew by their opponents with patience and timely hits, pleasing outfielder Carmen DeCarlo.
“We have a good amount of new guys, so it’s good to see us coming along,” the senior and resident of the 1900 block of Shunk Street said.
DeCarlo, who suffered a back injury in the Edison setback, has not played much and considered quitting. His passion and Hale’s persistence kept him on the team.
“I almost feel 100 percent,” he said after singling twice, stealing a base and scoring a run. “I am happy I stuck with the team, and I should be fully ready for the playoffs.”
The right-handed-heavy lineup will rely on the left-hander and ’10 Second-Team All-Public honoree for hits from the leadoff spot. The Huskies earned the second seed and will face Science Leadership Academy at Sabres Field at 2:45 p.m.
“We will be eager to keep going,” Hale, whose offense let him do more cooking than coaching, said. “These guys are too special not to make a run.”
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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