Garnet Valley leads Plymouth Whitemarsh, District 1-6A 2nd round game to resume Thursday

WHITEMARSH >> It will take more than 24 hours to determine which team advances to the District 1-6A quarterfinals to face No. 7 Hatboro-Horsham Friday afternoon.

The game between No. 2 Plymouth Whitemarsh and No. 18 Garnet Valley was stopped due to multiple lightning delays Wednesday and will be continued Thursday at 4 p.m. at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School.

The Jaguars lead 4-3 in the top of the fifth inning with runners on first and third, one out and Logan Nelson at the plate.

Garnet Valley did all of its scoring in the top of the second inning. Ryan Wootten led off with a double to right centerfield and Nelson had a nearly identical hit, scoring Wootten to tie the game at 1. Collin Simmons was hit by a pitch and Matt Zappala sacrifice bunted Wootten and Simmons to second and third. CJ Wood put the Jags ahead with an RBI single and stole second before Matt Marowski made it 4-1 with a two-run base hit.

PW starting pitcher Joe Rauscher settled in after Marowski’s hit. He retired the next two batters to end the second, went 1-2-3 in the third and, after a hit batter, recorded three straight outs to end the fourth. The lightning day paused the game during a mound visit when Rauscher faced a first-and-third, one-out situation in the fifth. He struck out six batters to one walk while allowing six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Jack Dembek started for Garnet Valley and went 2.2 innings. He struck out one batter to two walks and allowed two runs on four hits.

Joe Jaconski greeted Dembek with a solo home run in the top of the first inning. The North Carolina commit hit an 0-2 pitch over the fence in left center field to put PW ahead, 1-0.

The Colonials cut their deficit to two in the bottom of the third. With runners on first and second and two outs, Jack Hildebrand hit a single down the left field line, scoring Lucas Gilbert and making it a 4-2 game.

Jaconski earned another jog around the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning. Another solo shot, he pulled this one to right field to get PW within one, 4-3.

Marowski took the mound in relief for Garnet Valley. In 1 1/3 innings, he struck out one batter and allowed one hit – Jaconski’s second homer.