Frank gambles, caps Penncrest’s comeback win over Fords
HAVERFORD >> As Liam Frank took his lead off second base in the top of the seventh inning in a tied and error-plagued game Thursday, the Penncrest outfielder figured he could make something happen.
Buoyed by the momentum of a game-tying hit by Max King, who stood 90 feet behind him, Frank waited eagerly for the signs from coach Dan Sardella. And when he got the steal signal, he made sure he forced the issue.
Frank came around to score the winning run on an overthrow of third, a fitting end to a gritty, 6-5 decision over Haverford in Central League play.
Frank’s run was the seventh unearned of the 11 tallies, capping a composed comeback by the Lions (4-3, 3-3) in their last at-bat.
“There was no one holding us on, and we just had to push and make them make the play,” Frank said. “They overthrew third base once already, so might as well take the chance. You never win if you don’t take chances.”
Colin Birzes led off the seventh with a single, his third hit of the day to go with two doubles. The rally appeared to stall before it began when reliever Cole Humes struck out the next two batters, but the Lions kept battling.
Frank fisted a dribbler that Humes dove for but couldn’t get to first base in time, putting runners on the corners. Designated hitter Max King followed by punching an 0-1 delivery over the second baseman to plate pinch-runner Dev Ward and move Frank into scoring position for his mad dash.
“I know it was a big situation and I had to come up clutch for the team,” King said. “… I knew he was going to hit the outside so I had to take it the other way, and that’s what I did.”
Max King ties the game at 5 with a single for @penncrestad pic.twitter.com/BBJqolL1ab
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) April 14, 2016
Capitalizing on mistakes was the crux of both teams’ approaches. The Lions took the lead in the third inning thanks in large part to two Nick Cerelli errors on the same play that handed the Lions eight bases and two runs. Mike Lansberry cleaned up the rest with an RBI single, then blooped another RBI base knock in the fifth to plate Birzes.
But Haverford (4-3, 3-3) rallied and appeared to take control in the bottom of the fourth, again aided by errors. Humes doubled down the left-field line to drive in two, then Dylan Resnick followed with a hot shot up the middle that plated Humes and Luke Marmer to surge the Fords ahead, 5-3.
“I thought that I had to stay back, keep my hands back, and I knew my dad was probably saying it over there in the stands, and then the next pitch, I tried to keep my hands back,” Resnick said. “It was either a changeup or a curveball, and I hit it up the middle.”
Dylan Resnick a 2-run single. 5-3 Fords. pic.twitter.com/DDp17ei77R
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) April 14, 2016
That would be it for Penncrest starter Dillon Armstrong, who walked five and allowed four hits and five runs (two earned). He gave way to Justin Prorock, who settled the game down to earn the win, working the last three frames with just one hit and one walk allowed, including an uneventful retirement of the side in the seventh.
Penncrest’s rally spoiled a solid start by Corey Hunt, who allowed four runs (one earned) and struck out four over five innings.
Ultimately, for two teams in the middle of a crowded Central League pack, Thursday was an end-of-week affair that wasn’t for the faint of heart. For the Fords, the areas to clean up were evident.
“We’re definitely going to go back to the fundamentals,” Resnick said. “I’m sure we’re going to do short hops for the first 15 minutes of infield. I’m sure we’re going to do base-running.”
Penncrest, meanwhile, has grown accustomed to these kinds of outings, so taking care of business late to scrape out a win was nothing new.
“I feel like every game we’re going to win is going to be tight game,” Frank said. “So we just have to keep our heads in it through the good times, through the bad times. We’re a scrappy, fighting team. That’s the way we are.”
Also in the Central League:
Garnet Valley 6, Marple Newtown 0 >> Mike Bechtold was outstanding, scattering six hits and striking out four in a complete-game effort for the Jags. Mason Miller and Dom Bertone supplied two hits and two RBIs apiece.
Ricky Collings and Brian Protesto collected two hits each for Marple.
Strath Haven 2, Lower Merion 1 >> Evan Atsaves got the win with 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball with eight strikeouts, and he scored the game-winning run on Collin Mohollen’s groundout for the Panthers (4-2, 4-1). Luke Mutz added two hits, and Will Carey got the final four outs for the save.
Radnor 11, Ridley 1 >> Will Hoysgaard scattered three singles over six strong innings, striking out eight for Radnor. Matt Schaefer collected two hits, drove in two and scored three runs, and Jack Deshan had two hits and drove in two.
In the Del Val League:
Interboro 11, Academy Park 6 >> Billy Ketler reached base five times with three hits, two triples and three runs scored as the Bucs (5-0, 5-0) stayed unbeaten. Jon Polillo earned the win with five strong innings on the mound.
The Knights (4-3, 3-2) scored all six runs in the fifth, aided by Mike Brodzinski’s two RBIs and a 3-for-4 day from Sal Picone.
Chichester 3, Chester 1 >> Joe Renzi drove home the game-winning run in the sixth inning, Will Mitchell drove in a run and Jason Riberio provided two hits in support of winning pitcher Mike Franzini.
Glen Mills 12, Penn Wood 2 >> Andrew Dvorak and Will Fulkerson drove in two runs apiece, and Dvorak also scored twice to support Issac Lemos, who scattered two hits and one earned run over six innings.
Dan Cooke drove in both of Penn Wood’s runs.
