It was everything Sean Hard imagined it would be.
There were no nerves for the 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher heading into the final start of his high school career. The even-keeled ace for St. Joseph (Mont.) knew what was going to happen once he took the mound at Veterans Park in Hamilton.
He was not going to let this opportunity slip away.
In what was the biggest game of Hard’s prep career, the Boston College commit showed why he’s among the best players in the state once again.
Hard was brilliant on the mound, tossing 6 ⅓ innings and striking out 12 as St. Joseph won its first state championship in 17 years with a 4-1 win over St. Augustine on Wednesday.
It is the fourth Non-Public A championship for the Green Knights.
The win caps off a remarkable season for St. Joseph (27-2), which entered the contest No. 3 in the NJ.com top 20. St. Joseph won its division of the Big North Conference, the Bergen County Tournament championship, the North Jersey, Non-Public A sectional, and the biggest of all, a state title.
“There couldn’t be a better way, honestly,” said Hard about finishing his high school career with a state championship. “This is what we dreamed about.”
Hard was in the middle of each triumph, whether on the mound or in the lineup. He didn’t falter on Wednesday, and the last pitch of his prep career, his 112th of the night, he struck out Josiah Ragsdale. He gave way to senior Jimmy Romano, who got the final two outs of the contest.
Coach Mark Cieslak’s plan was to take Hard out after the sixth inning after Hard threw his 100th pitch of the night, which also resulted in a strikeout.
Cieslak let his ace go back on the mound to try and finish the game.
“I knew I was working with 10 pitches, so I was going to go out and use them,” Hard said. “It’s the last start of my high school career, and I wanted to go out on a good note. He trusted me and him having that trust in me is what really helps us a lot.”
Added Cieslak: I wasn’t big enough to pull him off the mound, to be honest with you. He wasn’t coming off. I think he earned those last 10 pitches.”
Hard ends his senior season by allowing just two earned runs and striking out 87 batters in 50 innings pitched. He also hit .419 with six home runs, 32 RBIs and 26 runs scored at the plate. A remarkable final season.
Once the final out was made, he was also among the leaders in the celebration. The Green Knights dogpiled on the mound and ran around the outfield warning track with friends and family. Cieslak did his trademark cartwheel as well.
A lost season last year because of the coronavirus pandemic robbed St. Joseph the opportunity of getting a chance to celebrate a state title in 2020.
“I’m really excited. These guys waited a long time. A lot of adversity with COVID and not playing last year,” Cieslak said. “I’m so happy that they could really finish it through. It’s a really good group of kids. They earned it, they deserve it and I’m really happy for them all.”
St. Joseph (Mont) head coach Mark Cieslak holds the trophy as players celebrate with their student section after winning the NJSIAA Non-Public A baseball championship between No. 2 St. Joseph (Mont) and No. 14 St. Augustine at DeMeo Field at Veterans Park in Hamilton, NJ on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media
Angel Colon gave the Green Knights a 1-0 lead in the third inning when he walked with the bases loaded. The big hit came the following inning, courtesy of Ellis Garcia.
Cieslak told Garcia to lay a sacrifice bunt down to move Jeremy Acosta over to third base. The count ran to 3-1, and Cieslak turned off the bunt sign, thinking Garcia would get a fastball from St. Augustine starting pitcher Jackson Vanesko.
Garcia got one, and he didn’t miss it, cranking a two-run home run to left field, extending the lead to 3-0.
“I knew I had the green light, and I was hunting fastball,” Garcia said. “As soon as I hit it, I looked at coach and I knew it was gone.”
Garcia hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, restoring St. Joseph’s three-run advantage after Hard allowed an RBI single in the top half of the inning.
St. Augustine (23-7) struggled to catch up to Hard’s fastball, which topped out at 95 miles per hour. Hard threw more breaking pitches the second time through the lineup, keeping the Hermits’ lineup off balance.
Vanesko drove in the lone run for St. Augustine on the night. It wasn’t meant to be for the Hermits against Hard.
“We wanted it so much more. We knew we had the guys to do it,” Garcia said. “You have the alumni, the whole school behind us, they had our back the whole way, and we just wanted it that bad. We had the group of guys to do it.”
This was St. Joseph’s chance to stake its claim as the top team in the state. A roster littered with seniors had one final game to lift a state championship. Through all the adversity over the past year, the Green Knights came together.
It was fitting Hard was the one who got the call to give the school its first state title in 2004.
“There’s no other way to describe it. Probably one of the highlights of my life, obviously,” Hard said.
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You can reach Luis Torres at ltorres@njadvancemedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter @ByLuisTorres.
The Link LonkJune 17, 2021 at 08:41AM
https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2021/06/in-final-high-school-start-sean-hard-pitches-st-joseph-mont-to-np-a-championship.html
In final high school start, Sean Hard pitches St. Joseph (Mont.) to NP-A title - nj.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=hard&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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