Zachary captures crown

• By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: May 10, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:20 a.m.

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SHREVEPORT — On the original typed lineup card that Zachary coach Jesse Cassard filled out before Friday’s Class 4A state baseball championship game, he listed Zack Von Rosenberg as the shortstop. But by the time that lineup card made it to home plate to give to the umpires, Von Rosenberg’s position had been scratched out and changed to pitcher.

Good choice.

All Von Rosenberg did was retire the first 17 batters he faced in leading Zachary to a 7-0 win over Archbishop Shaw at Fair Grounds Field.

He was two outs away from a no-hitter, but Scott Fabre’s double down the left field line “spoiled” that.

 But not really. “I wasn’t even thinking about that,” Von Rosenberg said of the no-hitter. “I just wanted to win it for the seniors.”

It’s the second straight title for the Broncos and the second time Von Rosenberg has been the winning pitcher in the championship game.

And he’s not done yet. The right-hander, who improved to 12-1, is a junior.

Actually, there wasn’t much suspense as to who would start, even though Von Rosenberg threw three innings in the semifinal. “The plan was for him to pitch this game all along,” Cassard said. “He only threw about 40 pitches (Thursday). He came ready to play. He was unbelievable.”

No argument from the other dugout. “He was lights-out,” Shaw coach Doug Faust said. “We were hoping we could get to him in the third or fourth inning, but he just overpowered us.”

“I felt great the entire game,” Von Rosenberg said. “It was all adrenaline for me out there. We just refused to lose.”

Speaking of the Zachary lineup card, writing “Jacob Fisher” in the No. 3 spot wasn’t a bad idea, either.

The Broncos catcher, who was injured in the first inning of the semifinal game when he was cleated in the head on a slide at second but missed only a few pitches, was the one supplying the hurt in this game with four hits (three for extra bases).

“We wanted to go out with a bang,” said Fisher, a senior. “It’s just amazing to win back-to-back (titles).”