Abington keeps playoff hopes alive with win over Council Rock South
ABINGTON >> For the about the last two weeks Abington has been playing playoff baseball. Leaving no margin for error the Ghosts had to take care of Council Rock South Monday afternoon to keep its District 1 playoff hopes alive.
Although Rock South entered the game with the Suburban One League National Conference’s worst record, Abington could not afford to take the win for granted, not only because the Ghosts need the win to stay in District 1 contention but also to avoid a hangover loss.
Abington was coming off its biggest win of the season, a 4-3 win over the conference’s best team Council Rock North last Thursday.
“We know we’re never really out of it, we’ve got to keep winning,” Abington junior pitcher Paul Poppert said. “We’re tight but we’re focused so we’re loose enough to play but we’re in the zone.”
Abington kept its playoff push rolling behind some small ball offense and a solid pitching performance, per usual, out of Poppert as the Ghosts earned a 4-1 victory.
Poppert didn’t have his best stuff early in the game, as Rock South load the bases in the second inning. However, the Golden Hawks were unable to score any runs out of the threat. South did break through in the third inning, as shortstop Matt Smith scored on an RBI ground out from left fielder Nick Gallo.
The run by Smith would be the only run of the game for the Hawks as Poppert settled in after the third inning and shut the Rock South lineup down aided by a couple of double play balls in the fourth and fifth.
“Once you know you don’t have your best stuff you’ve got to learn to pitch to contact and rely on your fielders a little more,” the righty said. “I think I did a pretty decent job of that with the double plays and everything.”
In the bottom of the third, Poppert helped himself out as he crushed an RBI double down the left field line that scored Zach Nikander, who was courtesy running for catcher Justin Yerkes, who reached on an error.
“I like to help myself out at the plate,” Poppert said. “Once you have the lead you can settle in a little more, you’re not as tight on the mound and you can pitch to contact a little more.”
Poppert’s double gave the Ghosts a 3-1 lead and that was all he needed to close out on the mound. The Ghosts tacked on one more run the way they do best — small ball. Third baseman Matt Close reached on an infield hit that was compounded by a throwing error that moved him to second base.
The next hitter second baseman Aiden Coyle, who had a stellar game in the field, sacrificed bunted him over to third. A perfectly executed suicide squeeze by cleanup hitter Chris Clewell scored Close.
“We lost our best hitter, Jack Larini, he was leading our team, close to .400 hitting,” said Abington coach Dave Torresani of his team’s small ball. “So the other kids realize we have to step up together and be better at the little parts of the game. We talk about get them on, get them over, get them in.”
The Ghosts have one more conference game against Harry S Truman Tuesday afternoon to hopefully get themselves in the playoffs. Abington won the first meeting with Truman 6-3 back on April 20.
“We’re getting contributions from a lot of kids and the nice thing about this team is right now we’re all together,” Torresani said. “Some of the kids that came out of the lineup, they’re sitting here cheering all game long for their teammates. That says a lot about this team. Whatever happens tomorrow happens but they’ve been great (and)they’ve pulled in a direction together and I can’t ask for anything more than that.”
