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Fast start, with good defense, leads St. John Paul II baseball to win over Monomoy

Courtney Jacobs, Cape Cod Times
·4 min read

HARWICH — It's not about how you start, but how you finish.

Well, that’s not always the case.

Sometimes it's about how you start and how you finish.

The St. John Paul II baseball team defeated Monomoy 7-2 at Whitehouse Field on Thursday.

The Lions had a hot start and never looked back.

"It’s a lot harder to play from behind, and being able to get those good leads is important in our success,” JPII head coach Mike Young said.

That has been the Sharks' kryptonite on the flip side.

“The games that we’ve lost have been due to having been bad first innings,” Monomoy head coach Steve Porter said. “I think if we can nip that in the bud, we can stop that snowball from getting worse and we’ll be OK moving forward.”

The Start

The Lions wasted no time as they took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. They gave up one run in the bottom of the first, but made up for that with two more runs in the top of the second inning.

They held the Sharks scoreless in the bottom of the second inning, and just like that, the Lions had a 6-1 lead after two innings.

St. John Paul II's Hunter Alten sends a first inning pitch from the mound to a Monomoy batter.
St. John Paul II's Hunter Alten sends a first inning pitch from the mound to a Monomoy batter.

The Lions starting pitcher senior Hunter Alten was a reason for that lead as he gave up one run (unearned) for that early lead.

“As a pitcher, run support is huge because it gives you confidence on the bump,” Alten said. “We’re able to feel secure, but also keep our foot on the gas, keep going and put more (runs) up.”

Alten pitched five innings, scattered five hits, gave up one earned run, one walk, and struck out five.

St. John Paul II coach Michael Young, left, fist bumps with player Colin Buckley who made it to third base in first inning action.
St. John Paul II coach Michael Young, left, fist bumps with player Colin Buckley who made it to third base in first inning action.

The Finish

The Lions had a 6-2 lead after five innings, but needed somebody to close the deal.

Insert Colin Buckley.

The junior pitcher came in to relieve Alten for the last two innings.

Buckley sealed the door shut as he threw a hitless two innings, gave up no runs, and struck out two.

“I know that I can trust the guys behind me and I don’t have to do it all by myself,” Buckley said. “Baseball is a team game.”

St. John Paul II's Logan Our, right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring in the first inning.
St. John Paul II's Logan Our, right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring in the first inning.

Lions Big Win

This win means more for the Lions than other games.

The Lions beat the Sharks on their home field for the first time in three years.

“Being able to come here and win a game against a tough League opponent, it builds confidence and security as we go through the rest of the season, that we can beat all these teams we face,” Alten said. “Our talent is good, our effort is good, everything is good.”

The Lions are now 2-2 on the season, with both losses being by one run to Barnstable and Fairhaven.

Buckley said the win does a lot for the team’s confidence.

“It simplifies things. I think all our guys know now all it takes to win is simple at-bats, and putting the guy behind you in a better position,” Buckley said.

Young said resilience, toughness and understanding that failure is a part of the game is what will make the Lions successful the rest of the season.

“It's just about going out on gameday and executing,” Young said. “Just being the better team on that given day and making sure we bring it in practice to be able to put ourselves in the best position.”

Monomoy coach Steve Porter, second from left, comes to the mound to talk with pitcher Chace Robbins after the Lions scored in first inning action.
Monomoy coach Steve Porter, second from left, comes to the mound to talk with pitcher Chace Robbins after the Lions scored in first inning action.

Sharks Still Swimming

The Sharks have dropped their last two games after a 3-1 start to the season.

Porter said that they have faced some tougher competition over the last few games. He said despite the slide, he likes the team’s camaraderie because they have each other’s backs.

He said the early start games (10 a.m. and 11 a.m.) have been tough for them, but he is not worried.

“It's going to take a lot of mental toughness,” Porter said. “The big thing for us is making sure we bring the energy and bring the focus from the first pitch. They’ve been through the ups and downs. They know how to battle back from this.”

Contact Courtney Jacobs at cjacobs@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @CJ_Journalist.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: St. John Paul II baseball beats league opponent Monomoy on the road