Irish Beat Laughlin, 13-10, Advance in Playoffs

When Bishop Laughlin sent ten men to the plate in the top of the first inning and hung a four-spot on Sacred Heart’s starter, Greg Hernandez, it seemed to be the beginning of a long afternoon.  It was, in fact, a long afternoon, with game time clocking in at an American Leauge-esque, three hours and ten minutes.  When it was all said and done, the Irish triumphed, 13-10.
 
Just as in the last five games, the Irish found a way to win.  Keyed by a Hernandez triple, the Irish stormed back in the bottom of the first to tie the game at four.  Senior Hernandez, who has developed into an ace for the Irish this year, struggled with command throughout the game and was done after four innings.  Yet after the first inning, he only allowed one more unearned run during his outing.  On this day, Hernandez would do his damage at the plate.  With the game tied at four in the bottom of the third, Hernandez launched an opposite field homerun through the trees and over the fence at spacious Welty Field, touching them all to give the Irish a 5-4 lead. 
 
Junior Elijah Paulino relieved Hernandez in the fifth and also struggled with command, spotting Laughlin a run to make it 6-5.  The Irish strung together three hits and two walks to lead off the bottom of the fifth, increasing their lead to 10-5.  Laughlin would not give in, scoring two off Paulino in the top of the sixth.  The Irish once again answered in the bottom of the frame, with Hernandez driving a triple to straight away right field.  Three more walks and an error gave the Irish a 13-7 lead. 
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Laughlin rallied once more, but Kevin Diaz, got the call with the bases loaded and one out.  Two strikeouts and a walk later, Diaz closed Lauhglin out, picking up the save.
 
Other key contributors to the Irish effort included Senior Liam Coffey (2-4) and Junior Elijah Paulino (2-3).
 
The win earns the Irish a berth in the A Division Championship Tournament, where they await their next opponent, Nazareth (Brooklyn) or LaSalle (Manhattan), depending on today’s Saint John’s Prep/Monsignor Scanlan tilt.