Pope John Paul II Falls Just Short in Semifinal

Johnny Sheridan pitched well for the Eagles.

Pope John Paul II has faced tough pitching all year and managed to come out on top most of the time.

Tuesday’s game against Coral Springs Christian can’t be counted among them.

After struggling early, the Crusaders’ Eric Hepple settled in, and with seventh-inning help from Touki Toussaint, Coral Springs Christian edged Pope John Paul II 4-3 in the Class 3A regional semifinals Tuesday

It was the Crusaders’ second regional victory in school history, both coming this season. They play at Florida Christian at 7 p.m. Friday in the regional final.

Hepple went six innings, retiring 12 of the last 14 batters he faced. He struck out seven and gave up seven hits.

“He’s one of the biggest competitors I’ve ever coached,” said Crusaders manager Matt Cleveland. “He battled. He gives us six strong innings, seven strong innings every time. He pitches to contact. I felt confident that he would get us into the sixth or seventh inning.”

The Eagles scored three runs in the top of the second inning but Hepple and Cleveland didn’t panic.

“We’ve been talking all year about staying in the moment,” said Cleveland. “Hep came in and he goes, ‘I’ve got this.’ And I said, ‘Alright, I need you to dominate the next two or three innings.’
And when he tells me that, I feel confident. I mean, we still have to do work, but he settled in.”

Hepple allowed consecutive singles by Zander Retamar and Matt Luzzi in the third but did not give up a hit the rest of the way.

“I’ve always been competitive in everything,” said Hepple, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior. “My brother taught me that. He always says be a bulldog no matter what. You always try and finish the job.”

Eric Hepple struggled early but hit his stride and helped the Crusaders move into the regional finals.

Hepple wanted to go back out for the seventh but he was at 100 pitches, according to Cleveland, and wasn’t going out despite some protests from the right-hander.

“I don’t send guys out when they’re over 100,” said Cleveland. “Thankfully, we have Toussaint and he’s one of the best pitchers around. I told him (Hepple) to trust your teammates. I want a guy that doesn’t want to come out, but we’re going to put it in his (Toussaint’s) hands.”

Toussaint saved the game, striking out two and allowing a two-out walk in the seventh, needing 16 pitches to clinch the win.

Hepple and Toussaint sparked the offense as well. Toussaint had an RBI single and Hepple drive in two runs with a two-out base hit in the bottom of the third.

“We were happy to come out and get the lead,” said Pope John Paul II manager Pete Graffeo. “Eric Hepple is a very good pitcher and that’s an excellent baseball team. I knew they were coming back and I told the team that this is going to be a battle.”

The Eagles (17-12) got an RBI single by Josh Parker in the second and added two unearned runs on a throwing error.

“If somebody would have told me in September that you guys are going to be in the last inning down a run to play for the regional finals, I would have signed up for it,” said Graffeo. “I knew what I had here. These kids play hard. Not to take it for granted, but we know we’ll be back the next couple of years. I think people know we have a good baseball program after years of being down. I’m proud of these kids.”

For the Crusaders, this is another step in the climb to reach their final destination.

“We set goals at the beginning of the year,” said Cleveland. “We’re moving towards them. That’s what it about. We’re happy to make history, but our goal wasn’t to win two regional games. Each game we look at as a championship game. Friday’s going to be another one.”

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