By Jim Derry
Cole Catalano wouldn’t have liked the outcome of Tuesday night’s game that pitted St. Thomas Aquinas and Pope John Paul II, but he certainly would have appreciated the hustle and determination from both teams.
On a night the Falcons honored their former coach who died of cancer 20 months ago, a three-run fifth inning and Jaguars pitcher Caden Amie were more than they could handle in a 4-1 loss in the District 9-2A opener for both teams in Hammond.
Amie was dominant, needing 98 pitches to finish off a complete-game three-hitter, in which he struck out seven, walked two and allowed just a first-inning run.
PJP II (15-8, 1-0) had multiple miscues on the bases, with runners being caught stealing and a pickoff, as St. Thomas Aquinas catcher Luke Pegler was outstanding. But the Jaguars were able to score three runs on two walks, two errors and a single from Amie in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead.
“We preach, ‘Let’s be aggressive,’ so you can’t get too aggravated when you miss,” PJP II coach Brian Babin said. “You have to just teach in those moments, and that’s what we did. We still have to be aggressive, but realize what’s going on in the moment. That falls on me. I have to be better with that.
“… We knew if we kept putting pressure on them, a lot of teams panic against us (with Amie on the mound). Look, their kid (Keegan Lyons) threw a heck of a game against us. We just finally got a couple of little pieces on him, and I was grateful when he left the game.”
The pregame ceremonies were special for both those in the stands and on the field. Cole’s brother, Chad Catalano, who has spent a couple of decades himself coaching the game around the metro area, tossed the first pitch.
The school also presented flowers to Cole’s wife, Taylor, and his mother, Kerry.
“Cole was an unbelievable person. What he did for this school and this program – it’s hard to fill those shoes,” St. Thomas Aquinas coach Boomer Nunez said. “It sucks that it happens to the good ones. I live every day to try and live up to the precedent he set here and the way he bult this program.”
Cole Catalano coached the Falcons for four seasons before he left the program in 2022. His best team was in his final season, making it all the way to the Division III state championship game.
He passed away on July 25. 2024, at the incredibly young age of 37.
“It’s an absolute honor to be able to play in the game that’s gave credit to what Cole Catalano did,” Babin said. “The whole family – what they have given to baseball and to STA, to little league, to travel ball. Great family, great people, and Cole was not only an absolutely great coach, but a great human.
STA (11-6, 0-1) jumped out of the gate early. Colton Boudreaux led off with a single up the middle, and Jeremiah Bess followed up two batters later with a one-out RBI single for a 1-0 lead. But Bess was caught in a rundown between second and third on a fielder’s choice, and the inning wrapped up on a strikeout.
From there, Amie (5-1) was dominant, allowing just one more hit – a harmless single in the third by Lyons.
“I missed one or two spots, ground balls get through, and it happens,” said Amie, who has only allowed two earned runs all season except for a rough outing vs. Northshore on Feb. 24. “You keep facing adversity, and eventually you are going to get rolling.
“We had some issues on the basepaths, but we bounced back as a team and did what we were looking to do.”
Amie also was the only player all night to record an extra-basehit – a seventh-inning double that eventually led to an insurance run.
LINESCORE
Pope John Paul II – 000 030 1 – 4 | 7 | 0
St. Thomas Aquinas – 100 000 0 – 1 | 3 | 4
LEADING HITTTERS
PJP II (15-8, 1-0): Caden Amie, 2-3, 2B, RBI (courtesy runner Caleb Russell, 2R); Tatim Miller, 2-2, BB; Trey Dieudonné, 1-3, BB, SB; Kyson Rodriguez, 1-3, BB, R.
STA (11-6, 0-1): Jeremiah Bess, 1-2, BB, RBI; Colton Boudreaux, 1-3, R, 2SB; Keegan Lyons, 1-2.
DECIDING PITCHERS
WP: Caden Amie (5-1), 7 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K.
LP: Keegan Lyons, 4.1 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 7 BB, 4 K.
Time of game: 1:59. Temperature at 1st pitch: 52.