St. John Paul II starting righty Joe Oriola picked up his first win of the season as the Lions opened with a 14-1 victory over Sturgis West Tuesday afternoon at McKeon Park in Hyannis.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports.
HYANNIS – The St. John Paul II Lions started the defense of their 2014 Division 4 State title Tuesday with a 19-hit, 14-1 barrage over visiting Sturgis West at John McKeon Park.
Although the mound was like wet potter’s clay and the Hyannis Harbor winds made it feel below freezing, Lions hard-throwing righty Joe Oriola picked up the win in his first start of the 2015 campaign, scattering four hits over four innings of work. Oriola struck out three and allowed just one run in the fourth inning. The game was shortened by coaches’ agreement in the top of the sixth.
Lions junior right Jonny Warden came in from rightfield in relief of Oriola and looked equally as impressive. Sturgis West starting hurler Wes Todorott got tabbed with the loss.
But the pitching was not the story in this frigid, rain-dampened season-opener for the Lions.
St. John Paul II leadoff hitter and third baseman Bobby Higgins and shortstop Matt Santos both went 4-4 on the day and both scored three runs as part of a 19-hit slugfest for the hosts. The entire starting lineup notched a hit for the defending champs.
“We are young, but we will get better as we go,” said sixth-year head coach Mark Santos.
Shortstop Ben Parkin picked up a pair of basehits for the visiting Sturgis West Navigators. Freshman leadoff man and rightfielder Jonathan Avis, centerfielder Max O’Hare and starting catcher Nick Pepe both had hits as well. Pepe also pitched in relief.
Oriola gave up back-to-back hits to start off the top of the first inning but then settled to retire the side and stranded both Avis and Parkin. St. John Paul II plated four runs in the bottom of the first inning on three straight basehits from Higgins, Blake Waters and Santos and then a two-RBI double by Eric Delrosso. Oriola and Warden both went 2-4 with one run scored and Waters
St. John Paul II shortstop Matt Santos went 4-4 in the Lions opening game Tuesday afternoon at McKeon Park.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
went 2-3 with two runs scored. Delrosso went 2-2.
Still, the Lions graduated some pretty heavy talent from last year’s championship squad, many of whom have gone on to play college ball including Ben Crago (Mass. Maritime), Connor Kennedy (Mass. Maritime), Ben Gibson (Quinnipiac), Mike Young (Stonehill) and Austin Houlihan who went on to play football at Stonehill.
The Lions next face Cape Cod Academy at McKeon Park on Thursday (April 9) and then the tough Wareham High Vikings on Saturday (April 11) at 10:30 am.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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