SPRINGFIELD — Zane Malarkey’s three-run bomb in the first inning Wednesday was a sign that Strath Haven wasn’t messing around. They were all about taking care of business.
Needing a win to clinch at least a share of the Central League title for the second consecutive year, the Panthers also wanted payback for one of their worst performances of the season.
Malarkey cooked at the dish, going 4-for-5 with five RBIs, as Strath Haven trounced Springfield, 13-2. The Panthers can win the championship outright next Monday at Penncrest.
“It’s great that we have at least a share of the title, but nobody on this team wants to share it,” Malarkey said. “You want that thing to just have your name on it and nobody else’s. We’ve got a huge game with our ace on the mound (Luke D’Ancona) on Monday at Penncrest. It’s going to be an awesome game and that’s where we want to lock it up.”
On Wednesday, Strath Haven (15-3, 12-3) avenged last month ‘s 8-7 home loss to Springfield (7-10, 6-9). At the time it was the Panthers’ first “L” of the season.
“We were saying at practice that we owe them one. They came over to our place and they beat us,” said Malarkey, the Panthers’ senior shortstop. “We made a bunch of mistakes in that game. We had a couple of the things we did wrong in that game written down on our report in the dugout and we stuck to the game plan today. It obviously worked out pretty well. It definitely feels good to get them back, especially at their field, too.”
Junior pitcher Rob Mattai overcame an illness that forced him to be sent home from practice Tuesday. Coach Brian Fili was unsure whether Mattai could take the mound, but the left hander pitched five solid frames, allowing one run on four hits while striking out two
“I had to battle through it,” Mattai said. “I’m happy that my coaches have confidence in me and I have all the confidence in my defense behind me. Just to be able to pound the zone, throw strikes and trust my defense behind me.”
Mattai threw primarily fastballs, mixing his speeds as best as possible to keep the Cougars guessing. He worked around four walks and slithered out of jams, the Cougars leaving seven runners stranded on base during Mattai’s five innings of work.
“Rob’s a competitor. He was really, really sick last night and he was still kind of sick today,” Malarkey said. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but he still came out here and gave us five innings of one-run ball. We trust our defense enough that, if he can go in there and just throw strikes, we’re going to be alright, especially if we can get the bats going.”
The Panthers attacked in the first inning after Springfield starter Jake Adams retired the first two batters. Ben Milligan doubled and Jake McDonough was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for Malarkey out of the five spot in the lineup. He crushed a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left field to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead. Haven added three runs in the third on a sacrifice fly by Milligan and RBI singles by Malarkey and Will Thompson.
Malarkey smoked a run-scoring double in the fifth and a single during the Panthers’ six-run seventh to put the game out of reach.
Thompson, Milligan and Matt Kane each collected two base knocks. McDonough reached base four times, Eli Price ripped a two-run double, and Luke D’Ancona had a sac fly and a single.
Nick Corse and Sean Williams each drove in a run with a single for Springfield. Williams went 2-for-2 with two walks.
The Panthers offense is starting to click as the regular season winds down. The defending District 1 Class 5A champions and state title runners-up expect another deep playoff run.
“We try to stay away from talking about last year and focus on making a new identity for ourselves,” Malarkey said. “But it’s kind of similar to what happened last year. We were pretty bad with our hitting during the regular season and just kind of got it going at the right time. I think everybody’s got a lot of confidence up there at the plate. The bats are swinging a little better as the weather gets warmer and everyone is confident in their role.”
