Sophomore Joe Lolio, a pinch-runner and recent JV call-up, set off a celebration when he scored from first base on a throwing error.
Mike Piscopo, making a bare-handed play on Joe Kinee's bunt toward third base, misfired on his throw across the diamond. The ball bounced past first baseman Chris Melillo and rolled all the way to the fence.
"It was a bunt-and-run play," Zolk said. "I was looking to get [Lolio] to third base. I waved him home when I saw the ball get away from [Melillo]."
Gorman was lifted after starting the eighth inning with a five-pitch walk. The St. Joseph's recruit fired 144 pitches before giving way to junior righthander John LaMotta, the hero in Friday's 14-inning triumph over Monsignor Bonner.
"I'm not a fan of letting kids go over 100 pitches," Zolk said. "We kept asking Joey how he was feeling after each inning. He kept saying, 'I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine.' "
In seven innings, Gorman yielded nine hits and four runs (one earned), struck out seven, walked three, and hit two batters.
"In a game like this, you want to stay out there," the lefthander said. "I told the coaches, 'I'll do what's best for the team. But you'll have to come out and take the ball from me. I'm not going to give it up.' "
La Salle, which totaled 10 hits, fell short of winning its first league crown since 2005. While going the distance, Long, a righthander and Lehigh recruit, gave up six hits.
"He was tough," N-G senior centerfielder Jimmy Kerrigan said. "He was spotting his outside fastball pretty good."
The Explorers (19-3) went in front, 4-2, in the top of the sixth. Ryan Otis' fisted single to center, past a drawn-in infield, plated Dom Cuoci, and Melillo (2 for 4, two RBIs) knocked home pinch-runner Jim Herron with a sacrifice liner.
The Saints (18-3) forged a tie in the bottom half, thanks to Joe Glennon's sacrifice fly and Anthony Adams' RBI single.
In the third inning, after Marty Venafro doubled off the left-field fence, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Ockimey made it 2-1 by ripping an 0-1 pitch over the right-field fence.
Of Gorman's effort, Ockimey said, "He's one of those guys who's going to give you everything he's got each time out. He's a real bulldog."
La Salle 00110200 - 4103
Neumann-Goretti 00200201 - 564
WP: John LaMotta. LP: Kevin Long. 2B: LS-Long, Tyler Kozeniewski; NG-Marty Venafro, Joe Kinee. HR: NG-Josh Ockimey.
Contact Rick O'Brien at 610-313-8019, robrien@phillynews.com, or @ozoneinq on Twitter. Read his blog, "The O'Zone," at www.philly.com/ozone
