Malvern Prep defeats Perkiomen School for another PAISAA championship

RED HILL >> Any number of players on either team could have turned out to be the hero of Saturday
night’s Pennsylvania Independent Schools baseball championship game. But it was Malvern Prep’s Cam
Conley who came up with the final clutch play with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning when he
lined a hit over the left fielder’s head to bring home a runner from second and give the Friars a 5-4 win
over Perkiomen School at Upper Perkiomen High School.

Chris Newell had sent the game into extra innings for Malvern (32-7) with a leadoff home run in the
seventh and Friar right-hander Josh Paulina earned the win with 13 strikeouts in five shutout innings.
Zach Smith was the hard luck loser for the Panthers (18-6) after throwing six strong innings in relief.

The Friars put runners on first and second with none out in the ninth. Then Panther third baseman Jayden Kemp charged in and fielded a bunt and fired to shortstop David Smith at third for an out.

Conley lined an 0-2 pitch to deep left to give the Friars their third straight state title and fifth in the last six years.

“I was trying to get on, get the next guy up, not listen to anybody about shortening up,” said Conley. “I
just simplified it down to baseball. It was a big win, much needed for the seniors.”

The Panthers, who were trying for their first championship since 2000, scored one in the first on a two-out bunt hit and steal by David Smith and a single by Owen Taylor. Then the Friars loaded the bases with
none out in their half and T.J Khela came on in relief and got two popouts and a fly to left to protect the
lead.

Perk School scored two in the second on a single by Khela, a double by Tony Holden and a two-run
single by Zach Smith, but Malvern Prep tied it in the third on an RBI single by Conley and two walks
with the bases filled.

Then the Panthers scratched out a run in the fourth and led until the long and high blast over the fence in right by Newell.

“I tried to get a bunt down at first, just to get on base,” said Newell. “Then they brought the fielders in
and I just tried to hit it hard. I got a pitch to hit and lifted it out of the park. It’s crazy. It still hasn’t sunk in. It was the last thing I was trying to do.”

“We were that close,” said Panther coach Ken Baker. “One pitch. We let their stud take one out of the park. This park, there’s not too many people who are going to do that.”

Paulina walked the first batter he faced leading off the fifth, but did not allow another runner until Chris
Pow singled with one away in the ninth. He struck out the side in both the seventh and eighth and ran his
string to seven in a row on the leadoff man in the ninth.

“I haven’t seen anything like that,” said Newell. “He’s always been our clutch guy, our strikeout guy.”

Malvern Prep had advanced to the final with a 5-1 win over Haverford School behind two solo homers by
Newell and a complete game with eight strikeouts by Tristan Corcoran.

Perk School had defeated Penn Charter 10-0 in six innings with Carlos Torres throwing a two-hitter with
11 strikeouts.

“We played extremely well,” said Baker. “David Smith pitched another shutout (on Friday) and we made
the plays defensively. We came back out today and did the same thing. I feel we played the best baseball
of the season the last three games.

“They worked hard. They were in the weight room at 6 a.m. I’m very pleased with what we did. This is
the kind of baseball I expected from them.”

Torres hurls Perk School past Penn Charter

RED HILL >> Perkiomen School advanced to the Pennsylvania Independent Schools baseball championship game with a 10-0 win in six innings over Penn Charter Saturday afternoon at Upper Perkiomen High School.

The Panthers played for the title Saturday night against Malvern Prep – winner four of the last five years – trying for their first state title since 2000.

Carlos Torres, who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Hill School earlier this season, threw a complete game shutout for Perk School in the semifinal, giving up two hits and seven walks while striking out 11 batters. Torres’ shutout comes a day after David Smith tossed a shutout in an 8-0 win over Friends’ Central in the quarterfinals.

The first two batters of the game for the Quakers singled, but Torres caught a popped up bunt and fanned the next two batters. He walked the bases loaded in the third, then struck out a batter to retire the side. Meanwhile, the Panthers scored four in the first on a walk to Chris Pow, a double by David Smith, a run-scoring grounder to short by Owen Taylor, a wild pitch, a double steal and a single by Manny Ariza.

Perk School added four in the third and one in the fourth and ended it early by the 10-run rule when Pow and Taylor singled in the sixth and Edrick Padilla hit a line drive off the left fielder’s glove with two out to plate the game-ending run. Taylor led Perk School with two hits and two RBI. Pow came around to score three times on a hit and two walks.