Cantwell slugs Delco back to Citizens Bank Park, Carpenter Cup semis

PHILADELPHIA >> As Luke Cantwell stepped into the batter’s box Friday afternoon, he radiated the ease that has washed over the Delaware County Carpenter Cup squad the last two games.

He wasn’t worried about the two runs that the Inter-Ac/Independents pushed across in the first two innings. He wasn’t feeling any of the pressure that can accompany games where something as notable as a trip to Citizens Bank Park is on the line.

Instead, on a 2-0 pitch from Friends’ Central’s Chris Anas, the Marple Newtown left fielder just unloaded.

Cantwell’s solo homer was one of three hits and three runs for the sophomore, part of another domineering offensive showing by Delco in an 11-2 win at the Showcase Field in FDR Park.

The victory secures Delco’s third straight trip to Citizens Bank Park for next Tuesday’s semifinals, a program first in the 31 installments of the Classic. Delco awaits Suburban One American/Continental, which edged Lehigh Valley, 6-4. First pitch Tuesday is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The offensive output, capped by 11 unanswered tallies, complements Tuesday’s 15-1 win over the Philadelphia Public League. That was the biggest win in Delco (previously, Central/Del Val) history and its only win of 10 or more runs. Three days later, they supplement the history books with a nine-run margin.

Cantwell also garnered a little individual history. He’s only the 11th player in Delco Carpenter Cup history to hit a home run and the first since 2011, when Strath Haven All-Delco Sean Mohollen and Upper Darby’s Matt Peters went yard in the same game (Peters’ was an inside-the-parker).

The Delco bats have been mighty impressive. They collected 15 hits Friday, five for extra bases. Every spot in the lineup save for the five-hole contributed a safety. Including Tuesday’s opener, Delco has scored in 13 of 17 times at-bat.

Nick Cerelli clubs a 2-run triple. Delco up 8-2 @FordsBaseball pic.twitter.com/ST5gGx9PKl

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) June 17, 2016

The atmosphere in the dugout, Cantwell said, helps foster that power, and the forceful, unencumbered swings that result provided evidence of how effective the mentality can be.

“We’re all just having a good time on the bench,” Cantwell said. “We’re all playing a loose brand of baseball. Going up to bat, you’re just thinking have fun, maybe I’ll get a hit. And it usually goes well because we’re getting a bunch of hits each game, so we’re playing pretty loose.”

The hits weren’t confined to either of the lineup platoons. The first unit posted a four-run second inning that put Delco up for good, aided by a two-out error on a grounder off the bat of nine-hitter Aaron Deutsch of Harriton that opened the floodgates. That ball scored Cantwell, who led off with a single.

More Marple hitters made the mistake hurt. Alden Mathes legged out an infield single, and Ricky Collings doubled off the 370 sign in left-center to plate two. An RBI single by Liam Bendo, one of three base knocks for the Garnet Valley junior, sealed the rally, all unearned runs.

The second unit contributed plenty, as well. Dominic Bertone entered the game in the fifth by stroking an RBI double that scored Cantwell. Haverford’s Nick Cerelli split the gap with a triple in the seventh that plated two, later scoring on Brandon DiChiacchio’s RBI single.

DiChicacchio’s Springfield teammate Brett Sheeran did the damage in the eight, blooping a single with the bases loaded that chased home two.

The offense helped ease some early hiccups with the pitching staff. Springfield’s Jared Morris, who threw three spotless innings Tuesday, gave up runs in each of his frames Friday. Penn Charter outfielder Mike Siani tagged him for an RBI triple in the first, then Haverford School’s Tommy Toal worked an RBI single in the second, staking the Inter-Acs to a 2-0 lead after an inning and a half.

That last base knock had a little extra in it for Toal, a Springfield native, who earned some bragging rights over his close friend Morris.

“I’ve been playing against and with Jared all throughout little league and high school,” Toal said. “… It was a good at-bat. It’s fun playing against these guys, especially with the hometown things. It’s not fun losing, especially when they beat me my freshman year and my junior year, but it’s a good time.”

Friday’s stability on the mound was provided by Haverford lefty Cole Humes, who breezed through three scoreless innings. He allowed two singles and two walks but struck out four to prevent any damage.

“I just wanted to go out there and do my job, throw strikes, let the defense work,” Humes said. “These are the best fielders in the area. You just throw strikes, and they’ll make the plays.”

Delco’s staff took care of business from there, striking out 12 against three walks, none after the fourth inning. Conestoga’s Angus Mayock used 30 pitches to get five outs, Jonah Frankel of Harriton worked around two singles to record four outs and Strath Haven’s Will Carey navigated two ninth-inning singles to post the final zero.

All four of the Inter-Ac’s second-unit hits came via Episcopal Academy players: Two by A.J. Lotsis, one each by Jack O’Reilly and Isaiah Payton, the latter of whom paired with Toal to supply three hits out of the nine-hole. But that wasn’t enough to outslug Delco, especially with the Inter-Acs dipping into their alternates with a short-handed side.

Instead, Delco gets a third straight chance to take home its first Carpenter Cup Classic title, reward for a number of multiyear stalwarts who returned for another go.

For someone like Humes, though, the first trip has that special novelty.

“I’ve been dreaming of getting there since I was a little kid, dreaming of playing at Citizens Bank Park,” Humes said. “It’s just great.”