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The calendar declared Monday April Fools’ Day, but the baseball players from Prep Charter High School, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., devoted the afternoon to being serious.
The West Passyunk-based Huskies overcame a four-run deficit to upset the two-time defending Public League champion Frankford Pioneers 6-5 at Citizens Adjusters Park, Seventh Street and Packer Avenue. In registering their first win, the local athletes proved they will be pesky foes for fellow Division A squads and potential pests for state opponents.
“Every game is going to be a fight,” coach Shawn Magee said. “We have to play our best to win, and that’s what we did. These guys don’t give up.”
The second-year leader and Lafayette Hill resident had witnessed a slugfest during March 22’s season-opening 17-16 road loss to Central and wanted his club — last year’s Division-B titlist and Class AA Public League finalist — to maintain its offensive enthusiasm and curtail its defensive jitters.
With harsh winds, intermittent showers and an accomplished adversary to battle, he called on senior hurler Frank Suppa yet would ultimately find himself lauding the pitcher’s brother, sophomore third baseman Joe Suppa, for securing the win. The right-hander struggled with his command in the first two innings, issuing three of his eventual five walks, but the visitors could not benefit and fell behind 1-0 in the home half of the second when senior outfielder Michael Lyons, of the 1500 block of Pollock Street, plated senior utility man Juwan Jordan with a double.
The former figure committed an error in the next frame, however, a miscue that teamed with a hit batsman, two walks and three wild pitches to put the Huskies behind 3-1. Looking to be aggressive with two away in the bottom of the third, Joe Suppa ended up caught in a force play that would come to haunt him only minutes later.
“That was in my head when I took the field,” the resident of the 1100 block of Shunk Street said.
With Lyons on the mound, two errors from the underclassman allowed another Frankford score, and two more Husky mistakes gifted a fifth-inning run, though the hot corner helmsman gained redemption with two assists.
“I became a little worried about having the ball come to me, but I knew I had to recover and give our bats a chance to come back,” Joe Suppa said.
The Frankford defenders felt no pressure and routinely handled their hosts’ grounders and fly balls. The Huskies conversed before each set of at-bats, with their sixth-inning meeting containing the most passionate pleas for patience. Their attempts started futilely, however, as senior first baseman Steven Miraglia took a called third strike, and junior right fielder Rob Freer sent a ball to the shortstop. When the fielder misplayed the projectile, though, Freer, who last year earned Second-Team Division B honors, raced all the way to third to bring his bench to life.
The inhabitant of the 1200 block of Morris Street welcomed the older Suppa and Lyons on base courtesy of their being hit by pitches and accepted boisterous praise when he scored on a two-run single by junior catcher Christian Coppola. After senior center fielder Kyon Anderson fanned, sophomore second baseman Keegan McKoskey singled to reduce the deficit to 5-4.
Senior second baseman Peter Piccoli continued the hit parade by sending a tough pitch into right field, knotting the tally and inciting an even more robust round of cheers. Joe Suppa learned a bit about poetic justice next, as his grounder escaped the second baseman and gave his colleagues an improbable lead. Hungry for more, the Huskies had to settle for the slimmest of cushions when Miraglia ended the 10-batter session by again taking a third strike.
Having suffered only one league loss on their way to last year’s title, won against the Girard Academic Music Program, 2136 W. Ritner St., at Richie Ashburn Field, 20th Street and Pattison Avenue, the Pioneers looked ready to recapture the momentum in the seventh by generating a one-out, first-and-third situation. Having further corrected his timidity with two more plays in the previous inning, Suppa showed his glove hand’s evolving prowess by snaring a line drive and stepping on his bag to complete a double play.
“It’s weird how the ball finds a guy,” Freer said.
“In the beginning, we were trying to get ahead,” Piccoli, a resident of 15th Street and Oregon Avenue who last year received a First-Team commendation and who figured to take to the mound for yesterday’s road tilt against GAMP, added. “After [falling behind], we were able to fight back and win as a team. This team has a lot of heart.”
With four innings of two-run, three-hit ball, Lyons earned the victory.
“We made a statement,” he said. “We are here to play, and we are here to win.”
“Keep an eye out for us,” Freer added. “We’re the best team in the city.”
Review Intern John Murrow contributed to this story.
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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