Springfield comes up one run short against Devon Prep in District 1-AA final
THORNBURY — Springfield normally considers itself an underdog most days when it takes the field. And for the most part it’s warranted, as the Spartans are the only PIAA Class AA team in theSuburban One League American Conference.
It would be hard to call Springfield the underdog in Tuesday’s District 1-AA championship game against Devon Prep as the Spartans were the defending champions despite the Tide entering the game as the top seed and probably the more highly touted team of the two.
“I guess you can say we looked at ourselves as the underdog,’ Springfield senior Chris Binet said. “Devon Prep, we heard about their season and all that, they were hyped up but we knew it was anybody’s game.’
Springfield opted to throw senior Julian Salzer and for good reason. Salzer has seemingly taken the ball for every big game the Spartans have played over the last three seasons including a near perfect performance in the semifinal game last Friday.
The senior righty obviously could not replicate his performance from Friday but he almost did enough. It wasn’t Salzer’s sharpest of games but for a guy who has pitched in huge spots before he showed the requisite battle needed to rise to the occasion. Springfield dropped the game 4-3.
“The kid’s a gamer,’ Springfield coach Dennis Primavera said. “He’s our number one. He’s been a horse all year. He’s got twice as many innings as any of our pitchers and he’s done a good job every time he’s been out there. There’s no way I’m playing this game and losing it with my number one sitting on the bench and ready.’
Devon Prep slowly and steady built up a lead as it scored a run in the second and third inning before putting up a two-spot in the fourth. Although it took the Spartan offense some time to get its offense going there was no way a savvy team like Springfield was going to fold from a 4-0 lead.
It was the top of the fifth inning when Springfield hit Devon Prep with its best shot. Second baseman Jackson Pauwels led off the inning with a single with the next hitter Corey Cottone reaching after being hit by a pitch. The next batter DeAndre Johnson then moved Pauwels and Cottone up as he sacrificed bunted them over. Binet scored Pauwels and Cottone as he blasted a double. Binet finished the game 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Unfortunately for the Spartans the fifth inning marked the first and only frame in which they scored and outside of a Binet single in the seventh would mark the last baserunners for Springfield as well.
“Devon Prep, you’ve got to give it to them,’ Binet said. “They hit a few pitches that Salzer threw, a few doubles into the gaps. They won the game. We didn’t lose it. They won it.’
