As for that long-ago special moment . . .
"I got a few starts at DH as a freshman," said the all-lefty Cavallaro. "My first at-bat? I got a single up the middle. I'm trying to remember the opponent . . . Nope. Can't remember that part."
Cavallaro's career came oh-so-close to yielding no base knocks. To not even existing, actually. Through the eighth grade, his sporting passion was divided between baseball and hockey and then, just like that, he dropped the latter.
"It was definitely difficult to choose because I loved both sports a lot," he said. "It actually came down to which sport was easier to practice. In hockey it's hard to find somewhere and it's also a lot of money with the equipment.
"I still play lots of roller hockey - even some ice hockey - with my buddies. I really believe one sport helps you with another. I still follow both sports a lot. I go by the seasons. If the Flyers make it to the playoffs, I'm into them. When it's the Phillies, then I'm into them."
For much of this game, it appeared Central's check mark would be going into the loss column.
Senior righthander Nate Vahedi, thanks mostly to a mid-80s fastball, held Central to one run through four innings. Thanks to two strikeouts, he even wriggled out of bases-loaded, one-out situation in the first.
Cavallaro, hitting in the No. 2 hole, started that fruitless uprising with a slicing single to left-center that was compounded by a two-base error. In the third, he led off with a ground rule double into the rightfield corner, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Tom Benek's groundout.
Masterman had scored three in the second, with Harry Taggart (RBI triple; he also doubled while going 3-for-3) supplying the big hit.
With one away in the fifth, Cavs again was clutch. He ripped a single to center, then enjoyed seeing Gabe Buchanan (ground-ball single to left), Julien Blancon (RBI single to right), Benek (RBI groundout) and Kyle Newcomb (RBI double over the centerfielder's head) successfully perform their assorted tasks.
"We knew we'd be in for a tough one," Cavallaro said. "I give all respect to Vahedi. He's a great pitcher. He must have a robot arm. It seems like he pitches every game for them.
"I tried to do what I always do - get on base whatever way I could. Over the years I've learned to wait for my pitch in the right spot. There will always be another pitch. I always hit second or third here, but I've always been the leadoff guy for my travel squad, Tri-State Arsenal, and I know it's important to really work at the plate."
Cavallaro owes much of his success to his father, who's also named Mike.
"He saw something in me at a young age," he said. "I was playing baseball and hockey from probably age 4. He always pitched to me. We'd be out there even on holidays."
Vahedi wound up surrendering seven hits while striking out nine. Central's Anthony DeVito, a sophomore righty with interesting possibilities, relied heavily on a curve and splitter while yielding six safeties and matching Vahedi's whiff total.
Cavallaro, of 18th Street near Johnston, in South Philly, is headed for the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia with good buddy Michael Borelli, who stars for Prep Charter. He plans to become a physical therapist.
"I've been there a few times through the years," he said, smiling. "Pulled hamstring here. Tendinitis in my elbow there. The idea of helping people. It just attracts me."
So does the idea of starting Central rallies for roughly a decade.
