Avon Grove stays hot, downs Downingtown East

UWCHLAN >> The Avon Grove baseball team is off to a quick start to the 2023 season. The winning ways continued Monday at Downingtown East as the Red Devils downed the Cougars, 6-2, in a Ches-Mont National Division matchup.

The Red Devils (7-1 Ches-Mont, 8-1 overall) got a superb six inning starting pitching effort from sophomore Grady O’Rourke, and Trevor Dosenbach ripped a game-winning three-run homer that broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the sixth inning to propel the Red Devils to the win.

Avon Grove had left runners on base in the second, third and fourth innings against Cougars’ (4-4, 5-5) starter Sam Bates, but erupted in the fifth inning for two runs before Dosenbach unloaded his three-run jolt that easily cleared the right center field fence.

“I hit a high fastball that was out over the plate,” Dosenbach said. “And I was not worried when we left some guys on base in the early innings because I have a ton of confidence in this lineup, up and down the lineup. These guys are all out here for a reason and I knew we would come through today. We have been putting up a lot of runs, so things were okay.”

With Avon Grove stranding five runners in the first four innings, Downingtown East took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Bates lofted a sacrifice fly to score Kyle Mandirola, who doubled to lead off the second inning.

The Devils took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning when Dosenbach ripped an RBI triple to tie the game. Two batters later, Dosenbach’s brother, Trent, ripped an RBI double and Avon Grove had a 2-1 lead that looked pretty good with O’Rourke dealing the way he was.

O’Rourke went six innings and allowed just six hits while not walking a batter and giving up just two runs.

The Cougars did tie the game 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning when an infield error led to a Cougars’ run following a single from Jamy Jenkins and a double by Conor Kelly. Bates later left the game for the Cougars in the fifth in favor of Michael Devenney.

Devenney started off the top of the sixth inning by walking Joe O’Connor. After striking out Aiden Casey, Brayden Gregg flied deep to right field for the second out.

But Owen Yoder walked to put two runners on and two out. Up stepped Trevor Dosenbach who took a 1-1 pitch high over the right center field fence for a three-run homer and a 5-2 Red Devils lead.

O’ Rourke set the Cougars down in the bottom of the sixth inning and then gave way to Jake Holdren, who retired the Cougars in order in the bottom of the seventh inning for a very big Ches-Mont National Division road win.

“I definitely feel my off-speed stuff was my best pitches today,” O’Rourke said. “And I have been having a little trouble with my off-speed lately but today it was good. I don’t think my fastball was real good but they were hitting under it. And I knew the guys would come through for me at the plate.

“They have been doing it all season and Trevor hit that ball out off of a real good pitcher and that was what we needed. I have a ton of confidence in these guys and they are all top notch baseball players that have been hitting and putting up runs all season.”

Avon Grove 6, Downingtown East 2
Avon Grove                                      000 023 1 — 6
Downingtown East                         010 010 0 — 2
2B — Mandirola, Kelly, Yoder, Trent Dosenbach, Strawhecker. 3B — Trevor Dosenbach. HR — Trevor Dosenbach.
WP — O’Rourke. LP – Devenney.