St. Anthony achieved a great win, progress in the semi -finals – The562.org

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The reporting on St. Anthony Athletics 562 is sponsored by Jane & Bi Mais, class from 1949.

Start strongly and end stronger.

That was the recipe for St. Anthony Baseball this week in the baseball playoffs of the CIF Southern Section 5, and it helped the Saints to return to the semi -finals for the first time since 2019.

St. Anthony took over an early lead and leaned on Friday in Hillcrest on her bullpen on the way to a 7-2 quarter-final victory.

The second Baseman and Krug Nick Galluccio was significantly involved in the execution of the St. Anthony Plan. The junior led a single and came by to achieve the first run of the game before scored the last three innings to win.

“He was a catalyst and he is not blown away at the moment,” said St. Anthony coach Kris Jondle about Galluccio.

“Coach, let me be the leadoff grille for the playoffs and I just have to appear,” said Galluccio. “I love this game and I was bleeding for it. This is my first year here as a transfer (from Mater Dei) and I will die for these boys. We are all together and there is never a boring moment (in the shelter) and we just keep it. We always stay together and fight as a team.”

The top Saints Pitcher Jaylen Butler and Benny Lane were not available after the marathon victory of the second round on Tuesday, and Jondle turned to Junior Austin Cassidy (2 IP, R, H), Senior AJ Ortiz (2 IP, 2 H, 2 K) and Galluccio (3 IP, R, 3 H, 2 K).

“They looked good and that was huge because after the 12-in game on Tuesday we had against it and all boys came in and thrown strikes,” said Jondle. “We told them:” Let us beat them with the bat. “We didn't want to start rallies for them.”

The third Baseman of the St. Anthony Aidann Ruiz and the first Baseman Anthony Valdez killed a Hillcrest rally in the fourth inning. Ruiz walked with a slow helicopter and climbed into Valdez, which made a nice choice for the out.

“Basically, they just have to come behind the ball, trust their arm, trust their first Baseman and trust their team,” said Ruiz. “If you trust that you can play the game, make the game.”

Ruiz also started the four-run rally in the seventh in to add insurance runs to a lead of two runs. The second day met a 2-run double-to-left field that Benny Lane and Pinch-Runner Matthew James scored.

Lane scored twice, as did Butler's place in the line -up, after he had distributed Galluccio with a double in the top of the first inn. Senior John Arnold also had an RBI knock in the first inn. The shortstop reached the base in eight of its last nine trips on the plate.

“We play as a team, nobody is nobody, everyone is together, we are a great group of boys,” said Ruiz. “I'm proud. It's my first year here, but it feels like I've been here for eight (years).”

St. Anthony organizes Northwood in the Clark Field in the semi -finals on Tuesday.