Ramblers roll: Cathedral Prep advances to another District 10 baseball final
Cathedral Prep doesn’t feel pressure. It applies it.
That motto, the Ramblers hope, will guide them throughout these District 10 baseball playoffs and beyond.
Thursday’s Class 4A postseason debut went smoothly for top-seeded Cathedral Prep (18-3), which shut down pesky No. 4 General McLane (11-10) in a 6-2 victory at Mercyhurst University. Senior Carson Phillips threw four shutout frames before three innings of relief from Dan Oblich, and Prep’s bats produced as needed to seal a return trip to the district final.
Playoff hub: District 10 playoffs: View baseball, softball results, box scores, schedules for May 20-25
“We don’t feel pressure. We apply it,” sophomore outfielder Davin Friedman said. “At practice, we talk about that all the time, and it’s what we do.”
Power pitching
Prep held McLane to just three hits while striking out four. That allowed time for the Rambler offense to get hot; its three-run fifth inning and two-run sixth building a comfortable lead.
“I felt good,” Phillips said of his pitching performance. “My defense was great behind me and everything just went really well.”
More: Cathedral Prep completes season sweep of Conneaut, advances to D-10 softball 4A title game
Andrew Costello had three hits and an RBI for Prep while KJ Williams, Jacob Koshan and Nick Jackson each drove in a run. Friedman drove in two.
“We just stuck to our approach,” Friedman said. “We need to square up baseballs and keep fighting. We do whatever it takes.”
Title defense awaits
Prep will play No. 3 Meadville (16-6) on Monday for the D-10 Class 4A title. The Ramblers have won eight consecutive district championships and 23 overall, and last season were eliminated in the PIAA quarterfinals.
Friday marked Prep’s third victory over McLane this season.
“We know that (opponents) are going to come out with high energy and compete,” Prep coach Josh Constable said. “Pressure is a privilege. We got to this spot and it’s a privilege. We want to apply it and never feel pressure.”
Contact Jeff Uveino at juveino@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @realjuveino.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Cathedral Prep baseball stops General McLane in District 10 semifinal
