Czachor twirls gem out of the bullpen to lift Devon Prep to state championship

STATE COLLEGE >> In Tuesday’s state semifinal, Devon Prep pitcher Andrew Czachor pitched four impressive innings of relief just to get the Tide to the state championship.

So, as Devon Prep coach Mark Aquilante strode to the mound in Friday’s final, with just one out and his team already in a 2-0 hole, there wasn’t much question who would get the call.

Twenty outs later, Czachor’s arm may have been tired, but the medal around his neck made it feel much better.

Czachor pitched 6 and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief, and Devon Prep did enough at the plate to squeak out a thrilling 3-2 win over Serra Catholic in the PIAA Class 2A championship game Friday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

“My arm was a little sore in the bicep but it was a good kind of sore,” said Czachor, who got out of the first-inning jam in relief of starter Tommy Kent and went on to strike out 10 while allowing just three hits. “I worked it out on the bus ride up and I really relied on my legs. I felt strong out there. And to win a state title in my senior year is all you can ask for from high school. It is a great feeling.”

Aquilante decided quickly that Kent didn’t have it on the mound, giving him the quick hook with his team down 2-0, two men on base and just one out in the first inning. 

In stepped Czachor, who played the role of hero once again.

After Serra Catholic (23-4) scored two runs in the top of the first, Devon Prep (12-13) came right back. Aaron Noble roped a long triple to center and scored on a Czachor sacrifice fly, and it was a 2-1 game.

“We wanted to answer right away and get the momentum back,” Noble said. “And that got us right back into it. I know playing in the PCL really helps us because we see so much great pitching in that league. This is the way to end a high school career.”

Devon Prep tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second off Eagles starter Alec Glumac. A two-base throwing error put Jack Eshleman on second and the Tide then cooly executed two nice sacrifice bunts to tie the game.

With Czachor setting the potent Eagles attack down, it appeared that the next run the Tide scored could be the winner. 

Czachor got things going in the bottom of the third when he drew a walk and went to second on a passed ball. Jackson Jonik then roped an RBI double to the right field wall, scoring Czachor, and Devon Prep took a 3-2 lead.

After sailing through the middle innings, allowing just two hits, Czachor had his one-run lead heading into the top of the seventh against the Eagles.

“Andrew was terrific,” Aquilante said. “No moment is too big for him. When he was a freshman and sophomore it was a little different but he was fantastic like he was the other day.”

But state championships don’t come easy, and after Czachor got the first two Serra Catholic batters out in the seventh, No. 9 hitter Jayden Mertz laced a double to right center. Devon Prep then intentionally walked the dangerous Mark Black, who had 15 home runs on the season.

Up came Glumac, and with the tying run on second, Glumac hit a 2-2 pitch back to the pitcher for an easy third out and the Devon Prep dugout stormed the field and mobbed Czachor.

“We lost our first game to Cardinal O Hara, 14-1,” Aquilante said. “And believe me nobody thought we would be here. But the kids put in all the hard work to get it done. I don’t think I have ever had a team improve so much during the course of the season. They really deserve this.”

 

SERRA CATHOLIC ab r h bi             

Black c 2 1 0 0

Glumac c 4 0 1 0

Brennan ss 3 1 1 0

Eremic rf 3 0 1 1

DeMoss dh 2 0 1 0

Briscegla 3b 0 0 0 0

Puzzangara lf 2 0 0 0

Kite cf 3 0 0 0

Miklos 1b 2 0 0 0

Stitch ph 1 0 0 0

Mertz 2b 3 0 1 0

Exler p 0 0 0 0

Totals 25 2 5 1

DEVON PREP ab r h bi

Nubke 2b 3 1 1 0

Czachor ss 1 1 0 1

Jonik 1b 2 0 1 1

Coleman dh 3 0 0 0

Kent p 0 0 0 0

Oreilly 2b 0 0 0 0

Eshleman. cf 1 1 0 0

Walsh rf 2 0 0 0

Romano 3b 2 0 1 1

Walton lf 2 0 1 1

Grycewicz c 2 0 1 0

Andrien pr 0 0 0 0

Totals 18 3 5 3

Serra Catholic 200 000 0 – 2
Devon Prep 111 000 x – 3

2B-Jonik. 3B- Nuble.

Serra Catholic IP R H BB SO

Glumac, L 2 3 3 2 0

Exler 4 0 2 1 0

Devon Prep

Kent .1 2 2 2 0

Czachor, W 6.2 0 3 1 10