FITTING FINALE: Members of the Hun School baseball team celebrate a homer in a game earlier this spring. The Raiders had a lot to celebrate last weekend as they won the state Prep A title, giving a retirement gift to legendary head coach Bill McQuade in his 46th and final season at the helm of the program. After losing earlier in the week in the opening round of the double-elimination tournament, the Raiders went up to Blair and posted four straight wins to earn the title. Hun defeated Peddie 3-1 and 4-1 in the finals on Sunday to end the spring with a 16-7 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

As the state Prep A baseball tournament got underway last week, a major story line centered on whether the top-seeded Hun School team could deliver a retirement gift to legendary head coach Bill McQuade in his 46th and final season at the helm of the program.

In the opening round of the double-elimination tournament last Wednesday, Hun stumbled to a 2-1 defeat and headed into Friday’s action knowing that one more loss would end its quest to help McQuade go out in a blaze of glory.

Facing Lawrenceville and its senior pitching ace, Rice-bound Nick Silber, Hun found itself trailing heading into the bottom of the seventh and final inning.

The bleak scenario had the loquacious McQuade considering his closing remarks.

“We went down 2-0 in the seventh and it was like whoa baby, all of us were already planning what we were going to say to the kids after the game was over,” recalled McQuade, a longtime math teacher and former head of Hun’s Upper School who announced this spring that he would be retiring at the end of the 2015-16 school year.

Instead the Hun kids came through, scoring three runs to pull out a dramatic 3-2 win, with junior Matt Moore getting a key RBI hit in the rally.

Playing Blair in the semifinal round later that day, the Raiders scored three runs in the top of the first on the way to to a 4-1 win to earn a spot in the finals on Sunday against Peddie.

In McQuade’s view, the seventh inning rally against Lawrenceville changed the tone of the weekend for the Raiders.

“Without a doubt, because immediately after that game was played, Tommy Monfiletto, one of our assistants was saying ‘don’t let us get to Sunday’ and that became our battle cry,” said McQuade.

“We kept it going and the thing of it was getting three runs in the second game against Blair was very similar to when we played them in our first game up there (a 5-2 win in eight innings on April 5). We jumped out to a three run lead and we sat back on it, we didn’t add on and we had to go extra innings to get the win there. It was along those lines.

Hun had trouble getting back to Blair on Sunday as one of its vans broke down on Interstate 80 some 20 minutes away from the field. Once the Raiders arrived, they jumped on Peddie, winning 3-1 and 4-1 to earn the title.

Coming into the finals, McQuade sensed that his team was going to get it done.

“We had a really great practice the day before; we had a good workout,” said McQuade.

“The kids come in Sunday and had a good batting practice 30-45 minutes before we went up there so the spirits were terrific. It came down to our pitching and defense because we knew that the games would be close.”

Hun executed terrifically on the mound and in the field all day on Sunday.

“Our pitching was outstanding,” said McQuade, who got a fine mound effort from senior Robby Huselid in the opener with James Werosta going five innings in the decisive game and E.J. Locascio coming on in relief.

“Our defense throughout the four-game stretch was the best it has been all year long. It was really what propelled us. We could not have done it without the guidance from our pitching coach Stevie Garrison; he called pitches that I would have never have called.”

In the title decider, another key hit from Moore proved to be pivotal.

“In our final game we are nursing a 2-1 lead and Matty Moore comes up with a shot to right center field for a two-run double,” recalled McQuade, whose team ended the spring with a 16-7 record.

“That gave us the cushion then so we could exhale. We had a little bit of leeway to work with. It was just incredible.”

Winning the title in his finale left McQuade with an incredible feeling.

“I was overwhelmed; it was special and I know they were trying extra hard for me,” said McQuade, who was doused with a water bucket shower in the celebration.

“I knew it was on their minds. I appreciated it when I saw past parents there, that made me feel really good. This year just caps off a great career.”

Seeing his team battle back from the brink of elimination made the championship even sweeter.

“We were on the ropes, if someone had landed a knockout punch, that would have been it,” said McQuade.

“We bounced back and got up off the mat. I think Tommy’s inspirational words ‘don’t let us get to Sunday’ was a key. That was our slogan.”

Acting on those words, the Raiders honed in on delivering the proper sendoff for their beloved coach.

“When we got to that last game, they settled down and they just focused on what they needed to do,” said McQuade.

“They didn’t let the bigger picture get in the way. The kids literally fought inning by inning. You have to do that. It is amazing, in doing that, they realize in the future that is what they have to do in whatever it is they get into. You have to focus on the task at hand, you can’t change anything that has already happened. They did that, they pulled for each other. Those guys were great.”

And in pulling out the title, the Hun players produced a fitting finale to an amazing career.