Plum makes Marple Newtown pay for errors
GREENE TWP. >> The big number scrawled on the lineup card Monday afternoon was no secret to anyone at Greene Township Park: No. 19, Plum leadoff man and first baseman Alex Kirilloff.
But by the end of seven innings in the PIAA Class AAAA semifinals, one number loomed larger — three, the number of errors committed by Marple Newtown.
Magnified by the crispness of Plum’s defensive execution, those mistakes doomed the Tigers in a 6-2 loss that sends the Mustangs and their first-round MLB draft pick to Thursday’s state title game at Penn State.
Two of Marple’s miscues came in the third inning, aiding Plum (25-1) in posting a five-spot against starter Cameron Mathes. The junior, who departed after four innings, allowed all six runs, with only one earned.
The Mustangs, with their balanced hitting and nearly flawless fielding, showed why they’re in this position, and it goes far beyond the projected
outfielder selected No. 15 overall by the Minnesota Twins last Thursday. Kirilloff powered the offense with two hits, two runs and an RBI, making the extra outs given to them by the Tigers hurt. But he wasn’t the only one doing the damage.
“It definitely takes our whole team to win, not just one person,” Kirilloff said. “So to have the support all the way through the lineup like we have, it’s big and it’s one of the reasons we’re at this point.”
Where Plum made its plays, Marple (20-8) failed to in the decisive bottom of the third.
No. 9 hitter Tommy Zummo reached with one out as Corey Woodcock booted a ball, scoring on Kirilloff’s left-center, gap-splitting double that one-hopped the 385 sign, the product of a sweet left-handed swing that has made scouts swoon all season. Taylor Vivino followed with an RBI single that chased home Kirilloff.
Scott Hahn then poured gas on the fire when he kicked a grounder with catcher Alex Terrell running to first. Ethan Winesburgh punished him with a double down the left-field line, then Michael Anderson supplied a two-run single with two outs, though Luke Cantwell slid to cut the ball off in left and threw a rocket to second to nail Anderson trying to stretch out a double.
Michael Anderson with a 2-run single (Cantwell throws him out at second). After 3, Plum leads 6-1 pic.twitter.com/L7aC6nJLFg
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 13, 2016
Even when he wasn’t hitting, the threat of Kirilloff waiting as the lineup turns over, as in the third, was palpable.
“As good of a hitter as (Kirilloff) is, you know you can’t waste outs on any other player,” Mathes said. “So you’ve got to go right at them. Unfortunately the one kid got on for him, and it turned into a pretty big inning for them.”
Alex Kirilloff an RBI double. One-hops the 385 sign. Plum up 2-1 @SethTweets @TwinkieTown pic.twitter.com/XhLtdRnYKU
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 13, 2016
Those extra outs brought an early end to Mathes’ day, the first time in five starts dating to the District One quarterfinal slugfest with Pennridge 17 days ago that a Marple pitcher failed to finish what he started. Mathes and Ricky Collings had supplied two complete games each in that stretch.
Outside of the disastrous bottom of the third, Marple had the upper hand on the District Seven runner-up. But the Tigers failed to capitalize on their chances at bat, Plum adeptly minimizing dangerous rallies. Marple left six on base, four in scoring position, marking the final scoreboard spread. And much of that was due to Plum’s fielders refusing to issue free outs.
“We believe that we have the best infield in the state,” said Plum third baseman Jason Maltese, who picked a pair of grounders for nifty outs in the seventh inning. “And I think today it showed, and we made a bunch of nice defensive plays. … We just love playing defense. It’s something we pride ourselves on.”
Sixteen of Plum’s 21 outs were recorded on the infield, including 11 groundball outs and the final out, a pop fly into the glove of Kirilloff in foul territory. Plum double plays ended threats in the second and third innings, shortstop Zummo making a sensational diving stab of a liner for the other out in the second.
Alden Mathes clubbed an RBI single in the fifth to score pinch-runner Reilly Fillman, with Mathes and Mike Rutecki moving into scoring position on an overthrow from the outfield. But Zummo cleanly handled a three-hopper from Bobby Steven to end the threat.
Alden Mathes with an RBI single scoring Reilly Fillman. 6-2 pic.twitter.com/GP9UASdcvY
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 13, 2016
“Those are huge momentum turns in the games,” Maltese said. “Even the line-drive double play, the kid hit the ball hard, but we had a guy there and we turned the double play. Those kinds of things shift the game. They make the game go our way, and when those types of things are happening, you know it’s a good day.”
The defense was particularly valuable given how starter Zac Nolan labored out of the gates. He surrendered a run in the first, when Collings singled and Scott Hahn doubled him home. Nolan needed 37 pitches to escape two innings, and only so tidily thanks to the efficiency of his defense.
“He mixed up his pitches pretty well,” Alden Mathes said. “He could control his curveball. He wasn’t anything special. We hit the ball hard, just right at his fielders.”
The Tigers finally chased Nolan in the sixth, Winesburgh inheriting two runners on. A 5-2 fielder’s choice erased Collings at the plate, then Winesburgh caught Nick Molinaro looking for the final out.
Alden Mathes legged out an infield hit in the seventh, his third of the day and half of Marple’s output, all of which came from the top four spots in the order. But Winesburgh completed the save, bringing a conclusion to the Tigers’ historic season.
While it’s the end of the line for six seniors, the bulk of the team is back next year, with the bonus of this taste of postseason baseball. It’s one that will surely shift the expectations ever higher.
“It’s been awesome,” Cameron Mathes said. “We know we’re just as good as any other team now. Next year, we’ve just got to work that much harder to get better, come back and end up winning it.”
