Maiorano has walk-off hit, HR, 6 RBI as West Chester Rustin stuns Downingtown East

WESTTOWN >> West Chester Rustin junior Nick Maiorano knew he was not going to let his teammates down.

Maiorano strode to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded, two out and his Golden Knights down by a run. After fouling off several tough pitches from Downingtown East lefty Grant Umberger, Maiorano stroked a curveball into left field, sending two Rustin players sliding across the plate and the Golden Knights to a thrilling, 11-10, walk off win that knocked the Cougars from the undefeated ranks.

“I just wanted to get to the plate and try to help my team win this game,” Maiorano said. “We battled back all day and we had very good at-bats. I hit a curveball that started a little up and then dipped and I hit it pretty well. This team has really battled. Early in the year we did not have the right intensity but when we realized we were back in the standings we picked up the intensity and we try to bring that to every at-bat. This win against an undefeated team will give us a lot of confidence.”

Downingtown East (8-1) took command of the slugfest in the top of the fourth inning as the Cougars scored three runs to forge a 4-1 lead. The big blow for the Cougars was a Joe Cestare two-run home run to center field.

East knocked Rustin (4-6) starter Matt Fricker from the game and the Golden Knights brought in Joey D’Amico to face the potent Cougar attack. The Cougars greeted the new hurler with a two-run fifth inning when Connor Munnelly took the new Rustin pitcher deep to right field for a two run homer and a 6-1 lead.

“This team never felt we were out of this game,” Rustin coach Brad Harkins said. “Every time they stretched the lead we answered back.”

Rustin’s Pat McDonough led off the fifth with a double that was followed by a Maiorano single. Ben Watson then stroked a long three-run homer off Cougar ace Hutch Gagnon to make it a 6-4 game and the Golden Knights had life.

The teams traded three-spots in the sixth inning and Rustin got a three-run homer from Maiorano to make it a 9-7 East advantage going to the seventh inning. Maiorano had six RBI and four hits on the day as he did his best Giancarlo Stanton impression on the Cougar pitching staff.

Downingtown East scored a single run in the top the seventh inning when Mike Defant lofted a solo homer to make it a 10-7 game, and the Cougars put the ball into Kevin Weigand’s hands to close out the game.

Weigand got into trouble right away as he surrendered a single to Ethan Harkins to start the seventh. Two straight walks followed to load the bases with no out and East coach Pete Susi went to sophomore Grant Umberger to calm the rally.

Umberger walked Jake Geiser to force in a run to make it a 10-8 game, but struck out Spencer Piercy to get the first out. Umberger then hit Sean Hopkins with a pitch to make it a 10-9 game with the bases loaded and one out. Umberger then fanned McDonough, setting the stage for the walk-off heroics of Maiorano and the biggest win of Rustin’s season.

“The kids really had great at-bats today,” Harkins said. “They did not chase pitches. They hit the pitches they liked and good hitters will do that. And Nick is just such a tough kid that likes to compete. He would not let the pitcher beat him today.”

For the Cougars it was a crushing loss.

“No lead is safe on this small field,” Susi said. “Pop ups are home runs but we some of them too.”