Bonner routs O’Hara to create logjam atop Catholic Red

To watch Josh VanHorn play shortstop is to say to oneself, "Now, there's a fit for life."

So much for supposedly safe assumptions.

When VanHorn, a senior at Monsignor Bonner High, says his height is 5-10 or 5-10 1/2 and his weight is 140 or 145, you can tell by his tone, and demeanor, he'd like to be listed by the larger dimensions.

In his former life, as the Friars' 2-year starter at catcher, he could have used maybe another 4 inches and, oh, let's say another 50 pounds.

"It's pretty brutal back there. You get beat up, man," VanHorn said. "A lot of things happen. Foul balls. Other things . . . "

Yesterday, as Bonner visited Cardinal O'Hara for a Catholic Red game, what happened was quite the surprise. Though these Delaware County schools are archrivals and could find a way to disagree, strongly, over the color of grass and/or dirt, there was very little juice and even less competition.

Bonner frolicked, 12-1, in five innings, and there is now a five-way tie for first, at 3-2, involving the combatants, La Salle, Archbishop Ryan and St. Joseph's Prep.

VanHorn wasn't exactly challenged nonstop in the field; he had no problem handling two liners and one ground ball. At the plate, he made hard contact in three of his four at-bats, going 2-for-4 with a pair of two-run doubles for four RBI.

Taxing of the body? Nonexistent.

Last year, though he never took refuge on the sideline, VanHorn was pretty sure he broke a bone in each hand.

"I messed up my throwing hand making a tag at the plate," he said. "Then I messed up the other one getting crossed up on a pitch. I asked for a curveball and [then-senior] Ryan Haley threw a fastball.

"If you're not expecting a fastball, it can really mess you up. Especially one from Ryan. He throws hard."

VanHorn said he played shortstop as an eighth-grader at Our Lady of Charity, in Brookhaven, and then served mostly at second base below the varsity level as a Bonner frosh. He eased into the catcher's role at the suggestion of his dad, Dave, then a Friar assistant and now helping Neumann University, and got word of this latest switch as last season ended.

"Coach [Joe] DeBarberie said we'd be needing a shortstop," VanHorn said. "I didn't really see this coming. It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing.

"But right then, I started working on all the shortstop skills. Your arm angle is different. Your feet have to be quicker. My father was always out there with me, giving me a bunch of reps. I also kept sharp at catcher, though, in case they changed their mind."

Overall, was VanHorn disappointed about having to switch?

"Whatever they need for the team, that's fine," he said, cheerily. "As long as I'm on the field, I'm happy. Every single position's important."

VanHorn's first two-run double capped a three-run first. It was not quite a rope to the hinterlands. In fact, it was a fly ball to center that Andrew Onimus lost in the sun, which loomed directly behind home plate.

"I didn't see it," VanHorn said. "We're taught to run out every ball, and that we'd better make it to second whether the ball is caught, or not."

He followed with two hard ground balls to third (one resulted in an error, as the fielder stumbled while setting to throw) and brought home the 11th and 12th runs with a shot over the rightfielder's head.

"After seeing the guys at third eat up my grounders," VanHorn said, "I was happy to go the other way and find a gap."

Rick Reigner, the leadoff man, went 1-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. Paul Shepherd lined a two-run double, Alex Liberatore went 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI, and Matt Ruggieri highlighted the six-run third with a three-run triple. Mike Haley, Ryan's brother, followed with an RBI single.

Anthony DiGalbo, a senior righthander, limited the Lions to three hits, all singles. Dan O'Hara started O'Hara's second with a single on an infield chopper and came around as a single by losing pitcher Jeff O'Reilly was compounded by a skip-through-him outfield miscue. (Interestingly, a kid named Jim Bonner pinch-hit for Bonner.)

VanHorn, who envisions becoming a special education teacher, is pretty sure he's headed for Gwynedd-Mercy. The other school he checked out hard: Neumann.

Wait, as previously mentioned, his dad is an assistant there. Doesn't that count for something?

"I just like Gwynedd-Mercy better," Josh said, smiling. "My dad and I are going to be rivals."