Savastio humbly heads Eagles into playoffs

By RYAN BRIGHT

With a Ches-Mont League record of 2-6, and divisional juggernaut Downingtown West standing across the diamond, a push for the District 1 playoffs seemed almost impossible for Bishop Shanahan. But as intimidating Whippets’ fireballer Caroline Raymond tossed her warm-up pitches, Eagles’ coach Ron Savastio said something that calmed his team and the set the tone for the rest of the season.
“Do you see God on that mound?” Savastio asked his team. “She’s the best there is in this league, but she’s not God so don’t worry.”
Reacting to Savastio’s settling words, the first three Shanahan batters got hits off Raymond, giving his team the confidence it needed to take home the eventual victory over the top team in the league.
“Once we got the first three hits off Raymond, the team knew they weren’t going to lose,” Savastio said. “That win was the turning point in our season because the players knew they could beat the best the Ches-Mont could offer.”
Savastio, 75, took very little credit for his team’s turnaround from an 0-6 start in the Ches-Mont, to a miraculous district playoff berth by beating every team in the division, including the season sweep of the first-place Whippets.
And while his humility is to be commended, there can be no escaping the fact that he has been named Daily Local News All-Area Softball Coach of the Year.
“Early in the season we struggled because we were creating errors,” Savastio said. “But they were physical errors and physical errors happen to everyone; it’s the mental errors I won’t stand for. The girls knew they could win and never got down on themselves.
“We always had good practices and a great group of girls. I was fortunate to have the kind of players who are never satisfied and are all leaders. Coaches don’t win the games, the players do and these players never gave up.”
Savastio, in his second-year as head coach of the Eagles, was an assistant coach for four years with the school and has coached the game of baseball for 45 years dating back to his high school days. The man nicknamed “Pop” who is a regular at almost every sporting event in the area, was also a local pitching and catching scout for the Florida Marlins and the Cincinnati Reds, but relegated the job to spend more time coaching.
“I really enjoyed this season,” he said. “This has to be one of the more satisfying seasons. I loved the kids and I really hate to see the seniors go, but more come around. They always do.”

To contact Ryan Bright, e-mail rbright@dailylocal.com