Seton Hall Prep Falls Just Short

Seton Hall Prep fell in the North Jersey Non-Public A title game to Pope John XXIII Tuesday afternoon 4-3, but the Pirates made sure the Lions didn't depart Yogi Berra Stadium without an extreme fight.

Seton Hall Prep, which finished the season 22-6, was making its 13 final appearance in 17 years, and this current group of Pirates used every ounce of tradition it could call on to pull the game out.

Pirate senior Shane Nolan worked a walk to lead off the seventh inning off Pope John ace right-hander Brendan Mayers. He raced to second when Mayers threw a wild pitch on the first pitch to sophomore shortstop Tim Hoehn. 

Hoehn and Mayers then went through an 11-pitch battle before Mayer struck out Hoehn with a curveball. Mayers, who'll pitch at Rutgers University next year, then struck out the next two batters to deliver Pope John (24-4-1) to Saturday's state title game against St. Augustine Prep at Toms River South High School at 11 a.m.

Unfortunately, the Pirates won't be going to their 12th state final with a chance for their eighth state title since 1971 and seventh since they beat Paul IV of Haddonfield in 1995. Pirates coach Mike Sheppard Jr. made sure to praise the opponents, especially their pitcher.

"He made a great pitch there (to Hoehn)," said Sheppard. "I'm proud of both Shane and Tim and the way they battled there."

Mayers allowed just six hits and one earned run to a lineup featuring five Division I-university bound players – John Norwood (Vanderbilt), Rob Fonseca (Northeastern), Stephen Silvestri (Penn), Matt Cianci (Fordham) and Stephan Halibej (NJIT).

The Pirates wiped out a 2-0 deficit in the fifth by scoring three runs. Junior Ty Blankmeyer's two-run single gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead. But Pope John tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Ryan McNally's leadoff double and a one-out single by Matt Tietz. Tietz doubled in the first to give the Sparta school 1-0 lead and then added an RBI single in the third to give the Lions a 2-0 lead.

Pope John went ahead for good in the sixth. Matt Ackerman (who's also heading to Rutgers) walked against senior Patrick Toohers to lead off the inning before McNally singled. Coach Sheppard then called for his son Mike III from the bullpen to keep the game tied.  

The junior pitcher got behind senior catcher Alex DeBellis, who'll plat the University of Connecticut, then hit a sharp single to left to score Ackerman and give the Lions a 4-3 lead. DeBellis came into the game hitting .534.

The lead was then protected by Mayers, who improved his record to 10-0.  His three strikeouts in the seventh gave him nine for the game and 72 for the season in 60 innings. He has walked just 18.

Before the team left for Sussex County, coach Vinnie Bello praised coach Sheppard.

"That's the king over there," said Bello. "To beat the king, there's nothing better."