Doudican leads Neumann in Game 1 of Catholic League finals

IT WASN'T so much that Pat Doudican was fooled by the pitch; it was more that his eyes were bigger than his bat.

So, after he violently swung and whiffed at a high fastball in the third inning, Doudican stepped back in the box and twice clunked himself on the head, perhaps drilling the message home with force.

"It looked good at first," he smiled. "Then, by the time I was swinging, I was like, 'Pssssh, what am I doing here?' I knew I had to have more discipline than that and I wasn't going to let that pitch ruin the rest of my at-bat."

With the bases chock-full of Saints, the Ss. Neumann-Goretti junior southpaw slapped the ensuing pitch deep to rightfield and over the head of the Roman Catholic defender, who stuttered for a beat before reaching full retreat. Two of N-G's four runs in the inning scored on the play.

"Just didn't try to do too much with it, because us lefties, sometimes we try to hit bombs," Doudican said, laughing. "Just tried to put a good barrel on it and found a good spot."

There was much to smile about Wednesday for the Saints, who clobbered the Cahillites, 11-1, in five innings, in Game 1 of the Catholic League championship series at Widener University. The series finale will be Friday at 3:45 p.m. at Widener.

Doudican, a 6-foot, 170-pound starting pitcher, was stellar on the mound, but almost reached all-time status at the plate, tying a city playoff record with six RBI on 3-for-4 hitting.

Doudican the hitter was pleased with his performance, but the pitcher in him - with help from chiding teammates - still found an area to critique.

"Well, since I'm a pitcher, I have to stay true to that," he said. "That's what I do, but if I can get it done with the bat, why not?

"I made one mistake, pitchingwise, but that happens. That's the game. You give up hits and you give up a run occasionally. I mean, I was getting my from my teammates for giving up the shutout and not getting all three shutouts, but hey, what are you gonna do?"

The top-seeded Saints from the PCL Blue Division matriculated to the final behind consecutive shutouts by senior Charlie Jerla and sophomore Ethan Pritchett in the loser's bracket.

After the Saints' four-spot in the third, Jonathan Stoffere led Roman's retaliation with what was eventually called a leadoff double to right-center. Sophomore Brian Verratti tracked the ball into the gap and made a diving, snow-cone catch, but when he displayed his spoils to the umpire, the ball spilled out.

Later in the inning, Doudican balked Stoffere to third, where he was driven home by senior Mike Opiela's line-drive single.

No sweat. Doudican was back at it in the fourth with a single that bounced off the bag at first and then off the bare hand of Roman first baseman Joe Mangano.

Two runs scored as the carom sent the ball into shallow right. A third trotted home as the play continued after a Cahillite throwing error, one of four miscues on the day for Roman.

With four RBI already bagged, Doudican came up in the fifth and flared a one-handed, lunging single into right that plated two more.

"Just put the ball in play and good things happen," he said. "That's been our motto all year: Put the ball in play and put pressure on the defense."

Juniors Bay To and Justin Curtin each had two hits as did Verratti. Roman finished with four hits. Kyle Rogalski started and took the loss.

On the mound, Doudican, who lives at 10th and Ritner streets, struck out eight, gave up four hits and walked three.

A sought-after prospect who said a representative from Virginia Tech's baseball team came to watch Wednesday, Doudican throws a fastball (two-seam, four-seam), changeup and slider.

Marshall, Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina are also said to have interest in Doudican, who grew up playing golf in Belmar, N.J., before the family relocated so he could attend N-G.

"Plan on playing golf in college on the road," he smiled. "Hopefully, if I make it to the ultimate goal, I'll be playing golf in spring training."

Long before that, the Saints have a chance to capture Catholic League glory just as Doudican experienced as a freshman.

"I remember how awesome it was that day, not even as a part of the team, just dressing varsity," he said. "To win it this year, this is the perfect group of guys to do it, especially if everyone chips in. That's what our team has been about all season."