Jose Urena is Monsignor McClancy’s everyday third baseman, but with the Crusaders playing their fourth game in four days, coach Nick Melito knew he had to be creative to find Thursday afternoon’s starter.
Urena showed flashes during McClancy’s early-season trip to South Carolina, but he’s struggled out of the bullpen in a few appearances.
However, Melito had a hunch Urena was ready for a critical CHSAA Class AA Brooklyn/Queens division title and gave him the ball.
“Four games in four days and he has a very live arm,” Melito said. “I pitched him in South Carolina for a few innings and liked what I saw. Today was the day.”
Urena, a junior, dully delivered, scattering five hits in a complete-game shutout for the surging Crusaders, who beat St. Francis Prep, 6-0, at Cunningham Park.
“He throws hard, he’s got movement,” Melito said. “The upside of him is tremendous. He does it all. He’s a great player. He had composure and threw strikes. He was ready today and nothing bothered him.”
Urena said he couldn’t wait to step on the mound Thursday. The Crusaders couldn’t buy a win early in the season and started out 1-6. Now McClancy has won four of its last five and could finish third in a wild Brooklyn/Queens division.
“I felt great,” Urena said. “I was waiting for this game. We want to [finish] in third place.”
Urena struck out three and had no walks, owning the inside corner of the plate. He also managed to do something other teams aces haven’t been able to figure out all year. Not only did he keep St. Francis Prep’s Chris Cannon hitless. He also struck out the Navy-bound catcher three times.
“I think we mixed it up pretty well,” Melito said. “That kid is a great player and if sits on a pitch he can really be dangerous, but I think we had him a little bit. When he was thinking fastball, we were throwing breaking balls. When he was thinking breaking ball, we were throwing a fastball and his fastball has a little giddy-up to it.”
McClancy (8-7) jumped in front in the second as Jonathan Busardo drove in Mike D’Agostino with a two-out single up the middle. The Crusaders scored two more runs in the third as Rob Mongiori, who tried to call time but the home plate umpire didn’t recognize it, ripped a two-run triple to right.
“I called time, but thank God he didn’t call it because I might not have gotten that hit,” Mongiori said. “We needed the runs. I gapped it and two runs scored.”
St. Francis Prep (9-6) rallied in the third as Steven Pelan reached on a one-out error and Tom McKenna followed with single to right and it appeared the Terriers had runners at the corners with No. 3-hitter Jason Perrone coming up.
However, it was ruled Pelan missed second base and Perrone grounded back to Urena to end the potential rally.
“I thought we were coming back but that took the wind out of our sails,” St. Francis Prep coach Bro. Robert Kent said. “We didn’t make the plays, but McClancy did and their guy threw a good game.”
McClancy tacked on three insurance runs in the top of the seventh as Urena drove in Dan Restrepo, who tripled to right, and Anthony Merchan scored on one of four St. Francis Prep errors.
“We have something going and we’re getting some breaks,” Melito said. “At one time we were 1-6 and now we’re 8-7. That’s a big jump.”