St. John’s Prep battled Catholic Prep for 14 innings to win 2008 CHSAA Varsity “B” Title

Many would say they had a chance to play on their high school baseball championship teams, but few will be able to say that they played a  fourteen innings championship game.

As well as these young amateur athletes would say so, both Coaches, John O’Brien of Cathedral and Justin Gegeni of St. John’s can claim the same of one of the most exciting high school baseball game they had participated in.

Sean Debiase (#12)  of Cathedral Preparatory  hit an inside-the-park home run to tie the game in top of the seventh inning to prevent St. John’s Preparatory from claiming an early ultimate prize in their second meeting and final game of the 2008 Catholic High Schools Athletic Association (CHSAA)Division “B” Varsity Baseball. Championship at St. John’s University on June 1, 2008. Debiase smacked a line-drive to right field and muscled to touch all the bases to force  St. john’s to and un-scored  bottom seventh inning. That was the beginning of what could be the longest high school baseball game ever played.

For the next seven innings, the two teams would battle with good defense and pitching, as they demonstrated their abilities under pressure.

The most amazing part of the outing was Dan O’Brien (#40),  St. John’s starter,  who went eleven innings on the mound. O’Brien seemed to grow stronger, innings after innings, but was knocked down the hill after giving up a triple to Cathedral’s Matt Knott (#20)

The high school baseball marathon continued until the bottom of the fourteenth inning, when Mike Colon (#6) doubled and went to third base on a fielder’s choice.  Colon later scored on a blooper by Noel Vargas (#11) that falls between the second baseman and the right fielder. It was over and St. John’s Prep prevailed as the CHSAA Division “B” Champions.

Story by Cameraman Max Sanchez-Martinez

Please report errors here.  Please provide comments here. Watch the whole game and interviews below.

| 6/3/2008