6A Baseball: WC Henderson advances to district 1 title game with comeback win over Pennsbury
WEST CHESTER >> Tuesday afternoon in the semifinal round of the District 1 6A tournament the host West Chester Henderson Warriors found themselves in an unfamiliar position. The top seeded Warriors were down three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning against a pitcher who looked very strong.
Well, the Warriors came all the way back and Eddie Smink ended things in the bottom of the seventh inning with an RBI single with the bases loaded for a 4-3 win to send the Warriors to Thursday’s District 1 6A championship game against Owen J.Roberts at Villanova Ballpark in Plymouth Township at 4 p.m.
West Chester Henderson (22-1) chipped away at Pennsbury starter Justin Mitrovich, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and one in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3 before the Warriors, fueled by a leadoff single by Kevin Wheeler, did their magic in the seventh inning.
“I was just trying to get the ball in play in that situation,” Wheeler said. “We were down, which we have not been too many times this season, but we did not panic because we know we can pitch and play defense so all we had to do was get a couple of hits. This is really great feeling to be going to the district tile game. It was one of our goals from before the season.”
Pennsbury (19-4) touched Warriors starter Jackson Snyder in the top of the fourth inning with the game tied 0-0. Ryan Zuckerman took a Snyder fastball the opposite way for a high and long home run over the right field fence for a 1-0 Falcons lead.
Mitrovich then walked and after Joe Tiroly doubled, the Falcons had men on second and third with no one out. Reese Hirsh ripped an RBI double to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Falcons. Jackson Freeman walked, then Evan Travigine grounded to shortstop where Smink fielded the ball and cut down a Pennsbury runner at the plate for the first Falcons out.
James Schaefer then walked with the bases loaded to force in a run and the Falcons had a 3-0 lead. Snyder got the next two Pennsbury batters out to limit the damage.
The Warriors came right back as Dean O’Neill led off the Henderson fourth with a single and went to second on a pitch to Smink that was in the dirt. Smink ripped an RBI single to left field to make it a 3-1 game. Dylan Grim followed with a single to center field and Brett McCartney bunted the runners over, putting Warriors on second and third with one out.
Ethan Ginagiulio hit a grounder to short and when Grim got caught between second and third, Smink took off for home and slid across the plate for the second Warriors run and it was a 3-2 Pennsbury lead.
The Warriors tied things up in the bottom of the fifth inning when O’Neill ripped an RBI single to score Wheeler, who had three hits for the game, and the Warriors had a 3-3 tie. Eric Lintelman came in to pitch in relief of Snyder to start the top of the sixth inning.
“This team really competes,” West Chester Henderson coach Luke McNichol said. “They play all 21 outs and until they make 21 outs they compete and think they have a chance to win the game. And I went to Lintleman because Snyder was done for the day. He really gutted it out for us but he was through. He gave us everything he had.”
Lintelman retired all six batters he faced, including two strikeouts. The Falcons grounded out three straight times to Smink at shortstop in the top of the seventh inning, setting up the Warriors heroics.
Wheeler led off with a single against Pennsbury reliever Kayden Faulcoun. Then Lintelman beat out a bunt down the third base line to put men on first and second with no one out. O’Neill was then intentionally put on to load the bases and Smink sent the Warriors to the championship game with a sharp single to right field and the Warriors had a thrilling 4-3 comeback win.
“I have come in these situations all season,” Lintelman said. “My fastball was really good today and I only threw fastball and my curve. To get to the district title game is a great feeling but our job is not done yet. We have more to do.”
WC Henderson 4, Pennsbury 3
Pennsbury 000 300 0-3
WC Henderson 000 210 1-4
2B-Tiroly, Hirsh. HR-Zuckerman.
WP-Lintelman. LP-Faulcoun.
Well, the Warriors came all the way back and Eddie Smink ended things in the bottom of the seventh inning with an RBI single with the bases loaded for a 4-3 win to send the Warriors to Thursday’s District 1 6A championship game against Owen J.Roberts at Villanova Ballpark in Plymouth Township at 4 p.m.
West Chester Henderson (22-1) chipped away at Pennsbury starter Justin Mitrovich, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and one in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3 before the Warriors, fueled by a leadoff single by Kevin Wheeler, did their magic in the seventh inning.
“I was just trying to get the ball in play in that situation,” Wheeler said. “We were down, which we have not been too many times this season, but we did not panic because we know we can pitch and play defense so all we had to do was get a couple of hits. This is really great feeling to be going to the district tile game. It was one of our goals from before the season.”
Pennsbury (19-4) touched Warriors starter Jackson Snyder in the top of the fourth inning with the game tied 0-0. Ryan Zuckerman took a Snyder fastball the opposite way for a high and long home run over the right field fence for a 1-0 Falcons lead.
Mitrovich then walked and after Joe Tiroly doubled, the Falcons had men on second and third with no one out. Reese Hirsh ripped an RBI double to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Falcons. Jackson Freeman walked, then Evan Travigine grounded to shortstop where Smink fielded the ball and cut down a Pennsbury runner at the plate for the first Falcons out.
James Schaefer then walked with the bases loaded to force in a run and the Falcons had a 3-0 lead. Snyder got the next two Pennsbury batters out to limit the damage.
The Warriors came right back as Dean O’Neill led off the Henderson fourth with a single and went to second on a pitch to Smink that was in the dirt. Smink ripped an RBI single to left field to make it a 3-1 game. Dylan Grim followed with a single to center field and Brett McCartney bunted the runners over, putting Warriors on second and third with one out.
Ethan Ginagiulio hit a grounder to short and when Grim got caught between second and third, Smink took off for home and slid across the plate for the second Warriors run and it was a 3-2 Pennsbury lead.
The Warriors tied things up in the bottom of the fifth inning when O’Neill ripped an RBI single to score Wheeler, who had three hits for the game, and the Warriors had a 3-3 tie. Eric Lintelman came in to pitch in relief of Snyder to start the top of the sixth inning.
“This team really competes,” West Chester Henderson coach Luke McNichol said. “They play all 21 outs and until they make 21 outs they compete and think they have a chance to win the game. And I went to Lintleman because Snyder was done for the day. He really gutted it out for us but he was through. He gave us everything he had.”
Lintelman retired all six batters he faced, including two strikeouts. The Falcons grounded out three straight times to Smink at shortstop in the top of the seventh inning, setting up the Warriors heroics.
Wheeler led off with a single against Pennsbury reliever Kayden Faulcoun. Then Lintelman beat out a bunt down the third base line to put men on first and second with no one out. O’Neill was then intentionally put on to load the bases and Smink sent the Warriors to the championship game with a sharp single to right field and the Warriors had a thrilling 4-3 comeback win.
“I have come in these situations all season,” Lintelman said. “My fastball was really good today and I only threw fastball and my curve. To get to the district title game is a great feeling but our job is not done yet. We have more to do.”
WC Henderson 4, Pennsbury 3
Pennsbury 000 300 0-3
WC Henderson 000 210 1-4
2B-Tiroly, Hirsh. HR-Zuckerman.
WP-Lintelman. LP-Faulcoun.
