Seagreaves, Coatesville pull away to beat West Chester Rustin

WESTTOWN >> The Coatesville baseball team has had an up-and-down spring. But if the momentum the Red Raiders found on Monday afternoon is any indication, things could be turning around.

Coatesville stormed back from a 2-0 deficit by scoring five runs in the top of the fifth inning, the big hit being a monstrous three-run home run by Ryan Weaver, as the Red Raiders went on to an 8-2, Ches-Mont League win over West Chester Rustin.

The Red Raiders (5-6) came back from an early hole and took command of the game against hard luck West Chester Rustin (3-7) starter Matt Fricker, whose defense abandoned him at crucial times in the game.

“This was a total team win for us today,” said Coatesville coach Hal Ziegler. “Derek (Seagreaves) threw the ball for us today. He did not have his best curveball early but he got it later in the game. And Weaver got the big hit for us today. This is the second half of the season and we are 2-0 now in the second half and now we go into play D-West Friday and keep it going. And today we got the bottom of the order going so now we hope to have the whole order hitting the ball.”

The Golden Knights took a 2-0 lead off Seagreaves in the bottom of the third inning. Rustin got things started when Owen Walsh was hit by a pitch and went to second on a nice sacrifice bunt by Owen King. Dylan DeMarco then stroked an RBI single to make it a 1-0 game. Two batters later, Nick Halcovich ripped another RBI single and the Golden Knights had a 2-0 lead after three innings, but that was all Rustin would get off Seagreaves.

Fricker was perfect for Rustin through four innings, throwing just 31 pitches before the fifth. But it was in the fifth inning that the Golden Knights’ defense became unraveled. Connor Barthmeier led off with a single for Coatesville. Then, two straight Red Raider bunts were misplayed by the Rustin infield, and Coatesville scored on a Rustin throwing terror to make it a 2-1 game.

Anthony Boccio was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Brendan Reilly grounded out, but by the Raiders plated their second run of the inning and it was a 2-2 game. After Fricker struck out Caleb Hershey for the second out, Weaver unloaded his bomb deep over the left field fence and the Red Raiders had a 5-2 lead.

“I hit a changeup that was a little low and out over the plate,” Weaver said. “And today was a good come from behind win for us and it is our second in a row, and I think we are getting our confidence now and hopefully it continues.”

Seagreaves did not give Rustin anything to hit as he went into the sixth inning, getting two outs in the sixth before giving way to Connor McWilliams with two men on and two out. Coatesville had an 8-2 lead at that point because the Red Raiders scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning when Weaver crushed another Fricker pitch for a two run single.

“We really have a lot of energy this year, not like last year,” Boccio said. “And we are getting our confidence back and a couple wins in a row will do that for you. We want to make a playoff push right now.”

McWilliams walked the one batter he faced to load the bases and Ziegler went to the bullpen once again, and Nik Thompson came in throwing fire and got Walsh to pop out to end the Rustin threat.

Thompson also pitched a perfect seventh inning to nail down the Coatesville win.

“Nik is not afraid of any situation,” Ziegler said. “He just comes in and throws hard and he got us out of that jam today.”

The loss drops the Golden Knights to 3-7 in the league and coach Brad Harkins talked about the loss, and the five errors his team committed.

“We played great for four innings but baseball is a seven-inning game,” Harkins said. “And those bunts hurt us. They put the pressure on us and one was a fundamental error and the other the kid knocked the ball out of our guy’s glove. But we have to get ready for Unionville on Wednesday.”

Coatesville 8, West Chester Rustin 2

COATESVILLE ab r h bi RUSTIN ab r h bi

Boccio ss 2 1 0 0 DeMarco ss 4 1 1 1

Seagreaves p 0 0 0 0 Hopkins c 4 0 0 0

Mcwilliams p 0 0 0 0 Halcovich 2b 3 0 1 1

Thompson p 0 0 0 0 Fricker p 2 0 0 0

Reilly dh 3 1 0 1 Bianchi p 0 0 0 0

Trego ph 1 0 0 0 Fails lf 3 0 2 0

Hershey lf 4 0 0 0 McDonough 3b 2 0 1 0

Weaver 1b 4 1 2 5 Watson cf 2 0 0 0

Rickenbaugh c 3 0 1 0 Walsh dh 2 1 0 0

Cazille 3b 4 0 0 0 Piercy 1b 0 0 0 0

Barthhemeir rf 4 1 1 0 King rf 2 0 0 0

Tobinus cf 2 0 2 0

Chimino cf 1 2 0 0

Verna 2b 4 2 2 1              

Totals 32 8 8 7 Totals 24 2 5 2

Coatesville 000 053 0 – 8

WC Rustin 002 000 0 – 3

2B-Fails, McDonough.HR-Weaver.

Coatesville IP R H BB SO

Seagreaves, W 5.2 2 5 2 4

McWilliams 0 0 0 0 0

Thompson 1.1 0 0 0 0

West Chester Rustin

Fricker, L 6 8 8 0 4

Bianchi 1 0 0 0 0