NBARecap
Lakers star LeBron James reaches another postseason scoring milestone
LeBron James reaches 1,500 career playoff points with the Lakers!
Yahoo Sports1 min read
SportsRecap
Shorthanded St. John Paul II baseball drubbed in playoff series opener
TL;DR
St. John Paul II baseball team lost 13-0 to Chaminade-Madonna in the playoff opener. The Eagles were short-handed due to a conflict with the senior prom.
Key points
- St. John Paul II lost 13-0 in playoff opener
- Chaminade-Madonna's Spencer Krasner pitched six shutout innings
- The game was affected by a conflict with the senior prom
- St. John Paul II can still win the series with two wins on May 2
Mentioned in this story
Spencer Krasner
St. John Paul II AcademyChaminade-Madonna
BOCA RATON — High school baseball and the senior prom clashed on Friday, May 1, at St. John Paul II Academy.
The prom won.
The Eagles lost.
Left-hander Spencer Krasner, a Florida State commit, pitched six shutout innings and struck out 11 to lead Chaminade-Madonna to a 13-0 victory over short-handed St. John Paul II in the opener of a Region 4-2A semifinal series.
The second-seeded Eagles (24-4) still can win the best-of-three series by beating the third-seeded Lions (18-11) twice on Saturday, May 2.
After the final out of Game 1, Chaminade players streamed toward the mound, several shouting, "Have fun at the prom!" It was the final jab in a back-and-forth display of hard feelings, all stemming from a dispute between the two schools over the starting time of the game.
Under FHSAA rules, schools must agree on the times for regional games. St. John Paul wanted to start at noon to give its five seniors time to make it to the prom — a 5 p.m. boarding on a cruise ship out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Chaminade balked, saying it did not want to take players out of school that early.
Eagles coach Pete Graffeo said the Lions also rejected proposals for 1 p.m. Friday or 4 p.m. Thursday. Chaminade then offered to play the game at noon Friday — if the Eagles agreed to play at the Lions' field in Hollywood.
The FHSAA stepped in and gave St. John Paul the choice of playing at 2:30 or 4 p.m. Friday. The Eagles picked the earlier time, which still meant their five seniors had to choose between the prom and the game.
"It's a tough spot for the kids to even be put in," Graffeo said. "It shouldn't have happened."
The seniors decided to attend the prom, but Graffeo employed a bit of gamesmanship on his lineup card. He listed ace right-hander Jack Wilhoit and shortstop Tommy Ciaccio, two seniors who were in uniform, as starters.
When Graffeo and Jerry Albert, Chaminade's baseball coach and athletic director, met at home plate before the game, they exchanged handshakes with the three umpires but not with each other. Graffeo discussed substitution rules with the umpires, then told them before the first pitch that left fielder Tyler Johnson would be replacing Wilhoit on the mound.
Graffeo said he wanted Albert to think that Wilhoit was starting so the Lions coach would go with his own ace.
Q&A
What was the score of the St. John Paul II baseball playoff opener?
St. John Paul II lost 13-0 to Chaminade-Madonna in the playoff opener.
Who pitched for Chaminade-Madonna in the playoff game?
Left-hander Spencer Krasner, a Florida State commit, pitched for Chaminade-Madonna.
Why was St. John Paul II short-handed during the game?
St. John Paul II was short-handed due to a conflict with the senior prom.
What are the next steps for St. John Paul II in the playoff series?
St. John Paul II can still win the series by beating Chaminade-Madonna twice on Saturday, May 2.