Fricker twirls a gem as Rustin beats Henderson to boost playoff hopes

WEST CHESTER >> The West Chester Rustin baseball team has been putting on a late season charge to qualify for the upcoming District 1 Class 5A playoffs. Coming into Monday’s battle with West Chester Henderson, Rustin had won three straight and was just short of the top 16 needed to qualify for the playoffs.

The Golden Knights’ chances took a big step forward after Matt Fricker threw a complete game, two-hitter and the Golden Knights executed about as well as a baseball team could, scoring three runs in ways other than extra base hits, as Rustin squeaked out a thrilling, 3-2, Ches-Mont League victory over West Chester Henderson. 

Fricker allowed the Warriors (6-9) just two singles as he walked three batters and struck out two more, and the Golden Knights’ defense made the plays behind their senior hurler.

“I was trying to get ahead of the hitters with my fastball and then pound the zone,” Fricker said. “The first time through the lineup we just throw hard stuff and then the second and third time through we started mixing in offspeed and sliders. And the guys made the plays for me and we executed everything we have been practicing on hard the last two weeks. We have been practicing that rundown play all last week.”

Rustin (7-7) showed its preparation in the top of the third inning against hard luck Henderson hurler Brendan Gray. Owen King led off the inning with a ground ball to third base and King reached first when the Warriors’ first baseman was ruled to be off the bag. Spencer Piercy laid down a sacrifice bunt to move King up. King went to third on a wild pitch and scored when Dylan DeMarco’s bunt single was not fielded and Rustin had a 1-0 lead.

Jacob Fails followed with a single to put two runners on with one out. The Rustin pair moved up on a double steal and once again a bunt single brought a run home. This one was by Nick Halcovich, and the Golden Knights had a 2-0 lead.

“They played small ball very well,” West Chester Henderson coach Luke McNichol said. “But, we allowed them to play that because we did not make the routine play today.”

Henderson had just two hits through four innings as Fricker was barely breaking a sweat on the mound, but the Warriors got a run back in the bottom of the fifth. Owen McCarthy led off the inning and reached first on the lone Golden Knights error of the game.

Courtesy runner Tyler Rickel moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a nice sacrifice by Logan Culp. Cole Stevens then drove a fastball to center field, scoring Rickel, and Henderson was down 2-1 after five innings.

The top of the sixth showed how well the Golden Knights executed all day. Gray got the first two Rustin hitters out but Fricker lifted a soft fly ball that fell in short left to put a man on first with two out. Ryan Wittman followed with a single with courtesy runner Zach Vanscovich going to third. King was at bat when courtesy runner Owen Walsh darted for second base. Gray ran toward Walsh and as he threw to first base, Vanscovich broke for home and easily scored, and Rustin had its two-run lead back at 3-1.

“The kids really executed the game very well today,” Rustin coach Brad Harkins said. “And Matt pitched a great game and he got ahead of the hitters and he dealt with a lot of adversity especially in the seventh inning.”

The seventh inning started with Fricker issuing two straight walks. The Warriors’ lead runner moved up on a passed ball and then McCarthy lofted a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-2 game. But, Fricker got the final two outs, striking out Cole Stevens with a man on first and Rustin had its fourth straight win, while the Warriors had their third straight loss.

“We might be a little snake bit right now,” McNichol said. “But give Matt Fricker credit. He pitched a great game but we had a chance to tie or win the game at the end, and that is all you can ask. Our guys kept fighting and they battled hard all day.”

West Chester Rustin 3, West Chester Henderson 2

RUSTIN ab r h bi HENDERSON ab r h bi

DeMarco ss 4 1 1 1 Gray p 3 0 0 0

Fails lf 4 1 1 0 Caulfield ss 3 0 0 0

Halcovich 3b 4 0 2 1 Gonville ss 0 0 0 0

McDonough 3b 4 0 0 0 Conduit 2b 3 0 1 0

Watson 3b 3 0 1 0 Collinson 1b 0 0 0 0

Fricker p 3 0 1 0 Hicks dh 2 1 1 0

Vanscovich pr 0 1 0 0 Angle lf 2 0 0 0

Wittman c 3 0 1 0 McCarthy c 2 0 0 0

Walsh pr 0 0 0 0 Culp 3b 0 0 0 0

King rf 3 0 1 0 Rickel ph 1 1 0 1

Piercy 1b 2 0 0 0 Stevens cf 2 0 0 1

Esemplare rf2000

Totals 30 3 8 2 Totals 20 2 2 2 

West Chester Rustin 002 001 0 – 3

West Chester Henderson 000 010 1 – 2

2B-Halcovich.

West Chester Rustin IP R H BB SO

Fricker, W 7 2 2 3 2

West Chester Henderson

Gray, L 6.1 3 7 0 5

Spano .2 0 1 0 0