by Tucker Terranova
Lang racks up his fifth K of the day and is now through six one hit innings.
Top 6 | Chaminade 1, St. Dominic 3 pic.twitter.com/OBDPIbd5Tt
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 18, 2025
In what turned into an instant classic, it took until the seventh inning for the game’s defining moment to unfold.
Two outs away from beginning its championship quest in the loser’s bracket for a second straight season, Chaminade exploded for a stunning seven-run seventh inning, rudely greeting the Bayhawk bullpen. The rally was punctuated by a bases-clearing triple off the bat of Nolan Fernandez, giving the Flyers a lead they wouldn’t surrender.
“When I got to the plate, I understood the situation and the magnitude of it,” Fernandez told Axcess Baseball after the game. “With two strikes, I was looking fastball, got it, and was able to drive it the other way.”
Nolan Fernandez discusses his game-winning hit which catapulted the Flyers to the winners bracket. pic.twitter.com/ERyAsEPoHv
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 18, 2025
Kentucky-commit Michael Gardner followed with an RBI triple ripped to the right-center gap, then came around to score on a single from Colin Cashin to extend the lead and effectively ice the game.
The Flyers entered the seventh inning with just one hit to their name. But they stayed composed and energized, something Fernandez credited as a key to the comeback.
“The energy was huge for us today,” he said. “We were able to capitalize off the walks, and the energy was there after that.”
Indeed, the Flyers took full advantage of Bayhawk miscues, drawing four walks and being hit by a pitch with all but one of those free passes coming around to score.
From the get-go, it was clear this one would come down to which team played the cleaner brand of baseball as is often the case in the ultra-competitive NSCHSAA.
WE ARE TIED.
Anderson is hit by the pitch and it’s a brand new ballgame here at FSC! pic.twitter.com/jqOCML0J00
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 18, 2025
Chaminade struck first in the third inning by grinding out two seven-pitch walks. A balk moved both runners into scoring position, and Bucknell-commit Collin Anderson cashed in, lifting a sacrifice fly to the right-center gap to plate Matthew Manopella.
That would be the only run allowed by St. Dominic starter Luke Lang, who was sensational. The senior right-hander, headed to Iona this fall, kept Chaminade hitless until the fifth and exited in the seventh after throwing 6.1 innings of one-hit, one-run ball with six strikeouts over 100 pitches.
St. Dominic quickly responded in the bottom of the third, stringing together five hits and two runs — all from underclassmen who made up most of the lineup.
Ninth-grader Dylan Weinstein tied the game with a double to left-center, then scored on Dom Muccia’s flare that dropped just beyond the reach of Anderson in left. The Bayhawks added another in the fifth when Connor Ackerman laced an RBI single to extend their lead to 3-1.
But Chaminade’s own young talent helped keep them within striking distance. Sophomore right-hander Nicholas Sweeney delivered four solid innings, allowing just two runs on 60 pitches. Junior relievers Sean O’Connell, who earned the win, and Jack Pfeifer shut the door with two scoreless frames to seal the 8-3 victory.
Winners of seven of their past nine, the Flyers advance to face the winner of St. Anthony’s and Kellenberg tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Bayhawks will play an elimination game Tuesday with their season on the line.
“We’re through the roof right now,” Fernandez said. “Everything is going right, so we’re just going to look to continue this run.”
