COLONIAL HEIGHTS -- Jack English has played sports at St. Christopher’s since the fifth grade, when he joined the school’s youth basketball team. On Monday night, he wrapped up his athletic career as a Saint by leading his team to an 8-3 victory over Trinity Episcopal in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I state championship at Shepherd Stadium.
It was St. Christopher’s first VISAA title in the approximate two-decade history of the league. After frequent near misses — the Saints have played in the title game five times in the past decade — St. Christopher’s finally got the job done.
“This was my last one ever,” English said. “It was great. It was all I can ask for.”
Among a dying breed of three-sport athletes, English is a defensive lineman on the football team, a post player on the basketball squad and the ace of the baseball team’s rotation. He has chosen to play football at Virginia following graduation.
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Thanks to Saturday’s rainout, he had five full days of rest before taking the mound Monday. He struck out seven and didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning, pitching out of jams in the fifth and sixth. His success, English said, came in consistently locating his pitches through the night.
In the seventh, Trinity (15-11) tagged him for three runs, and he was pulled after 6 2/3 innings. Lefty Cody Valenzuela got the final two outs, locking up the title for the Saints.
“He was a workhorse today,” Trinity coach Sam Mickens said of English. “We just didn’t execute today.”
Monday’s field conditions were only marginally better than Saturday’s. Rain fell throughout the game, and the second inning was stopped three times so grounds crew could rake the ground and add dry dirt. The third delay lasted 20 minutes.
Also in the second, St. Christopher’s put five runs on the board. With all the offense and rain delays, the second inning took about an hour to complete.
The Saints got on the board when No. 9 hitter Peter Ferramosca hit a bases-loaded double over the left fielder’s head. All three runners scored.
Porter Reinhart went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs. Charlie Yorgen scored two runs and reached on an error twice.
As a No. 7 seed, Trinity advanced to the state by beating Paul VI and Flint Hill. The Titans threw their ace, Virginia Commonwealth pledge Matt Jamer, but he was pulled in the second inning.
St. Christopher’s and Trinity met twice before Monday, splitting the matchups. In all three games, the Titans scored a combined four runs.
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