MARS — When lightning struck, Phil Madonna had to put his bat down.

Undoubtedly, there are plenty of hits left in it.

The Vincentian Academy senior catcher and Mars resident was at the plate with a 3-1 count, the go-ahead run at second base with two outs in the sixth inning of the Royals’ WPIAL Class A playoff game against Union New Castle.

The score was even at 5-5.

“I hit a ball over the fence about 10 feet foul, two pitches earlier,” Madonna said. “I felt like we were going to win the game right there.”

But with the count 3-1, the lightning came, the rain followed and the game did not resume until the following day. Madonna’s at-bat ended in a walk, Vincentian didn’t score and eventually lost, 6-5, in 10 innings to end its season.

And Madonna’s prep career.

“That was definitely a frustrating way to go out,” he admitted.

But he went out with a major honor, being named WPIAL Class A Player of the Year.

“I’m honored to even be considered for that, let alone win it,” Madonna said.

A four-year starting catcher at Vincentian, Madonna hit .483 this season, collecting 29 hits, six doubles, two homers, 22 RBI and 20 runs scored in 19 games. The Royals won 16 of them.

Vincentian’s record was 52-22 in Madonna’s four years with the team. The Royals reached the WPIAL playoffs every year.

“Phil has put up tremendous numbers since he got here,” Vincentian coach Paul Quarantillo said. “Yet he never stops working to improve. During the off-season, he continually builds up his body, does conditioning, lifts weights, does drills to improve his arm.

“Phil is the hardest working young man I’ve ever seen around a high school baseball program.”

Defensively, Madonna did not allow a passed ball all season. Only two opposing runners stole a base on him all year. No more than five even attempted to do so.

“Most teams just gave up trying to run on him,” Quarantillo said.

Madonna has been a catcher since age 9, when his favorite Pittsburgh Pirate was catcher Jason Kendall.

“He always worked hard and that’s what I wanted to do,” Madonna said. “My passion for the game comes from having fun playing the game.”

A cross country runner as a freshman and soccer player his sophomore year, Madonna left those sports to concentrate on baseball the past two years.

His father was a left fielder for Jeannette High School and still loves baseball.

“It’s a special father-son bond we have,” Madonna said. “Baseball is something we can both relate to, no matter what.”

Carrying a 4.24 grade point average, Madonna will continue his academic and baseball career at Siena College, a Division I school in upstate New York.

The Saints were 22-30 last season and coach Tony Rossi has been there 45 years. Only Angie Garrido (46 years at Texas) has been at a school longer among active Division I baseball coaches.

Siena will have one junior and three sophomore catchers on the roster next season, along with Madonna. Dave Hoffman, a sophomore this year, saw the bulk of playing time this spring, hitting .266 with 18 RBI.

“I’m going to keep working and do everything I can to get on the field next year,” said Madonna, who will play summer ball for the Steel City Wildcats in Mount Lebanon.

“As good as Phil is right now, with his work ethic, he hasn’t come close to peaking yet as a ballplayer,” Quarantillo said.

Rossi has had 35 former Siena players sign professional baseball contracts during his coaching career. Madonna hopes to join that list one day.

His size may work against him. Madonna is 5-foot-7, 170 pounds.

“If he was three or four inches taller, he’d be drafted this year, guaranteed,” Quarantillo said.

Madonna isn’t giving up on being drafted out of college in the next few years.

“If you look at the game today, catchers aren’t as big as they used to be,” he said. “Michael McKenry’s not very big and Russell Martin isn’t a huge guy.

“Seeing guys like that give me hope. It’s up to me to turn myself into that type of player.”

One thing is certain.

He’s working on it.