Broderick, Spring-Ford beat Central 3-1 in PIAA 6A first round

ROYERSFORD >> It’s already a full week for Dylan Broderick, Brian Korchok and the seniors of the Spring-Ford baseball team.

First, a state playoff game on Monday, then Spring-Ford graduation Wednesday night.

There won’t be much time to bask in the commencement afterglow though: the week’s gotten fuller now that the Rams have Thursday plans.

Spring-Ford got a three-hit, complete-game effort from senior ace Broderick, flawless defense and the necessary run support to sit down District 12 runner-up Central, 3-1, in a PIAA 6A first round game Monday at Spring-Ford’s Ram Stadium.

Final: Spring-Ford 3, Central 1, PIAA 6A baseball first round

Dylan Broderick finishes his CG as he reaches his limit for the victory. 3 hitter, 7 Ks for the Rams’ No. 1 pic.twitter.com/VZ1150aclv

— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) June 5, 2023

Spring-Ford (22-3) rebounded from its District 1 championship defeat last week to Central Bucks West and earned itself a PIAA quarterfinal meeting with District 7 champion Mount Lebanon, a 4-1 winner over Manheim Township Monday, on Thursday at a site and time to be determined.

“I love it,” said third baseman Korchok, who was 2-for-3 with an RBI. “We had the right energy after the loss to Central Bucks West in the district championship.”

After running through districts as the No. 1 seed, CB West cooled off the Rams for their only shutout loss of the year. The days and practices since have not been sunshine and rainbows.

“It definitely gave us a lot of anger, which led to motivation, to practice harder, to come out here and do our jobs,” said Broderick.

“It definitely hit us in the gut,” Korchok said. “But I think we bounced back enough and I think we’re going ride what we have now through states.”

Broderick worked his third consecutive complete game, getting the final out via strikeout while facing his final batter upon reaching his pitch limit. He finished the job with seven innings worked, three hits, one earned run, seven strikeouts and a walk.

“We’re advancing and that’s all that matters,” Broderick said. “I feel like all my pitches were working as usual. My command and velocity were there. Any time those three things are working I’ll be fine.”

Broderick held the Philadelphia Public League’s Lancers hitless through three innings, until a single from outfielder Tyler Seidman in the fourth.

Central supplied the Rams’ only wobbly moment in the fifth when pitcher Daniel Koppisch led off with a triple and courtesy runner Thomas Torres scored on a wild pitch. Felix Melendez followed with a double but Broderick settled back in for a strikeout-groundout close to the frame.

“Their guy kept us in check,” said Central coach Ken Devenney. “We don’t see that kind of pitching during the year, a guy that can throw two pitches for strikes. Our guys were definitely struggling with his curveball. We tip our cap to him.”

Spring-Ford scored two runs in the second inning, a Korchok RBI single down the third-base line to score Broderick. Korchok later scored on a chopper from Brennan McVey that was misplayed a second base. Central starter Daniel Koppisch averted further damage with a line out-throw out double play to end the second.

Koppisch, a Bloomsburg-bound pitcher, got the start and went four innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

He was chased from the game in the fifth inning after a string of wild pitches that allowed David Ruckman to score after he reached second via lead-off single and stolen base.

Aidan Mcelhatton worked two hitless innings of relief, limiting the Rams to a single run in the fifth on three fly outs.

“When you have a 1:45 full game in high school, you know that there’s good pitching, know that the ball’s being put in play with some good outs,” said Devenney.

Central, which was coming off its own district final loss after losing to Father Judge, 9-7 on May 31, acquitted itself well after reaching the state tournament in 2021.
“I think we hung in there and played some solid baseball but you tip your cap to them and the way they played,” said Devenney.

Central got back on top of the Public League after being bested by Olney Charter last year, signs of advancement for a Lancers team that finished 15-11.

“This is my second year with these guys and we only lost two seniors last year. We had a pretty solid foundation. I saw in them the potential that this could be a team that can win our league, compete in districts, compete in the state,” said Devenney. “You want to be playing your best baseball toward the end of the year. The semifnal game of our league, final game of our league and district game and this game, we were playing our best baseball.”

The mock-road sign in the Spring-Ford dugout that reads ‘Medlar Field, State College, 167.7 Miles’ was most relevant Monday with the Rams three wins away from that destination.

“I’ve been staring at it all year,” Broderick said. “Two more games and we’re there. I’m ready.”

 

PIAA 6A first round

Spring-Ford 3, Central 1

Central	ab	r	h	bi	Spring-Ford	ab	r	h	bi
Bevenour	3	0	0	0	Ruckman	4	1	1	0
Rosman	3	0	0	0	Moyer	2	0	0	0
Seidman	3	0	1	0	Flores	2	0	0	0
Doroshow	3	0	0	0	Broderick	2	1	1	0
Rowland	3	0	0	0	Witmer	3	0	0	0
Koppisch	3	0	1	0	Korchok	3	1	2	1
Mcelhatton	3	0	0	0	Swanger	2	0	0	0
Melendez	2	0	1	0	McVey	2	0	0	0
Crosby	1	0	0	0	Cecconi	2	0	0	0
Torres	0	1	0	0	Leighton	0	0	0	0
					Wescott	0	0	0	0
Totals	24	1	3	1	Totals	22	3	4	1

2B – Melendez. 3B – Koppisch. HBP-Flores. SB-Flores, Ruckman.

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Central
Koppisch (L)	4	4	3	2	2	3
Mcelhatton	2	0	0	0	2	1
Team
Broderick (W)	7	3	1	1	1	7