Malvern Prep bats erase early deficit in win over Penn Charter
MALVERN >> When you have a talented lineup like Malvern Prep does, you tend to believe that no deficit is to insurmountable to come back from.
Friday afternoon, the Friars spotted Inter-Academic League rival Penn Charter a 5-1 lead before roaring back with six runs in the third inning en route to a 12-7 victory.
Malvern (3-0 Inter-Ac, 17-1 overall) stayed in first place in league play as they banged out 12 hits against four Penn Charter (0-3, 7-5) pitchers.
“We always feel we can come back, and when we were down 5-1, there was no panic on the bench,” right fielder Chance DiFebbo said. “We historically have been a team that can come back. Last weekend in New Jersey (at the Bishop Eustace tournament), we were down 1-0 in the seventh inning and came back to score two runs and win the game, so we were not down about being behind today.”
James Gabor started things off for the Quakers with a towering two-run home run to right field off Friars starter James Wade in the first inning. Penn Charter then scored three runs on three hits in the top of the third to take what looked like a comfortable 5-1 lead with Matt Gorman on the mound.
Not so. Vince Sposato led off the bottom of the third with a walk. Singles by Di Febbo and Sean Flynn loaded the bases. Cam Williams doubled in a pair to cut the deficit to 5-3.
After an intentional walk to Shane Muntz, Jake Mullen roped a sharp RBI single to center and Will Burgess hit an RBI grounder to short. The carnage ended when Matt Dalley roped a hit to left for an RBI as Malvern batted around to take a 7-5 lead. The inning could have been worse for the Quakers, but third baseman Dom Toss made a great grab on a Sposato liner to end the inning.
“We knew Penn Charter was a good hitting team,” Malvern coach E.J. Moyer said. “And our pitchers ERA has been under .200 the whole year so this was not a typical league game. We knew they were a good team with some mashers but we felt we were the better all around team.”
Malvern poured on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on two hits, with another RBI single by Mullen being the big blow.
Malvern had a 9-5 lead, then turned to sophomore right-hander Billy Corcoran to put down the Quakers.
Corcoran was effective as he went three innings and allowed Penn Charter just one hit while walking one and he shut shown the potent lineup. Corcoran came in after Malvern reliever Jimmy Kingsbury allowed two runs in the top of the fifth.
Corcoran had a live fastball and a nasty curve, and looked very comfortable in his relief role.
“In that situation, you just want to throw strikes,” Corcoran said. “And with an offense like ours, we knew we could come back. So, I just wanted to throw strikes ands let my defense do the job.”
Malvern now has a nonleague doubleheader today with games against Bonner-Prendergrast and Marple Newtown before heading back into Inter-Ac play Tuesday at Episcopla Academy.
Malvern Prep 12, Penn Charter 7
PC ab r h bi MALVERN ab r h bi
S. Siani rf 4 1 1 0 DiFebbo rf 3 3 2 0
Gabol lf 4 2 2 2 Flynn 1b 5 2 2 0
M. Siani cf 2 1 1 0 Williams dh 5 1 2 3
Bergman c 4 2 2 1 Muntz c 1 0 0 0
Lorentz dh 4 0 0 0 McGlinn cr 0 3 0 0
Cohen 1b 3 1 0 0 Mullen 3b 3 1 2 1
Pell 2b 3 0 2 2 Burgess 2b 3 0 0 2
Toso 3b 3 0 1 1 Wolfe cr 0 0 0 0
Driscoll ss 3 0 1 1 Daller ss 4 0 1 1
Li cf 4 1 2 1
Sposato lf 2 1 1 0
Devraux ph 0 0 0 0
Totals 30 7 9 6 Totals 30 12 12 8
Penn Charter 203 020 0 — 7
Malvern Prep 016 230 x — 12
2B – Williams., M. Siani. 3B – S. Siani. HR – Gabor.
IP H R BB SO
Penn Charter
Gorman, L 2.1 5 7 3 0
Timberlake 1.2 3 2 1 2
M. Siani 1.1 3 3 3 1
Primerato .2 1 0 0 1
Malvern Prep
Wade 2 4 2 0 0
Kingsbury, W 2 4 5 2 2
Corcoran 3 1 0 1 1
