So, were you Pyning for the continuation of the city's 2010-11 high school sports year?
Your wish was granted! In rousing fashion!
And the most prominent guy in making that happen was La Salle High junior Colin Pyne, who in maybe a 10-minute span went from solemnly noting history to giddily creating it.
"I still can't believe this!" he gushed. "It took me a couple minutes to realize, 'That did just happen.' Pretty exhilarating. My heart is still beating fast."
And others' were keeping pace.
With one away in the home ninth inning of a first-round game played yesterday in gorgeous weather at South Philly's Richie Ashburn Field, Pyne was standing near the far end of the Catholic League's dugout, telling a teammate that Delaware County (and forerunners) seemed poised to claim one of its few wins in the 26 years of the Carpenter Cup Classic.
Notttt quiiiiite.
Shane Williams (St. Joseph's Prep) singled hard to left. Jimmy Kerrigan (Ss. Neumann-Goretti) looped another single in the same direction. Marty Venafro (N-G) popped out to right and, per CCC rules, which limit pitchers to three full innings, Rob Gore (Marple-Newtown) had to depart and Nick Kruzienski (Chichester) took his place.
The first pitch to Pyne was wild, moving the runners to second and third. In front of the first-base dugout, his teammates kept belting out "Pyne!" at various intervals and volume levels, almost as if imitating the sounds of "ping!" you'd hear if numerous guys were taking batting practice. On pitch No. 3, Pyne laced a shot to left.
Then, and this word is allowed in the Daily News, even in a story about a team with a religious affiliation, because, if nothing else, we're edgy, all hell broke loose.
Kerrigan raced home. Williams likewised. And . . . so . . . did . . . Pyne! Because the ball zipped under the glove of leftfielder Drew Giampietro (Sun Valley). Because it rolled all the way to the fence. Because the frantic relay sequence did not unfold quickly enough.
As Pyne began his regular-fashion slide, he lifted his left arm and raised the index and little fingers. The CL's third-base coach, Rick Norwood (Lansdale Catholic), is a Texas native, but Pyne said he wasn't going for Hook 'em Horns.
"Kind of like the peace sign," he said, laughing. "Don't even know why I did that. I did know I was gonna score, though. Had to celebrate. Just a natural reaction. In the moment."
Pyne's comments on the assorted variables . . .
