DISTRICT 1-4A BASEBALL: Springfield Montco starts fast, holds off Pope John Paul II
UPPER PROVIDENCE >> A lot can change in a year.
Springfield Montco found itself in the same spot it was 364 days ago — earning the fourth seed in the District 1-4A playoffs and visiting No. 1 Pope John Paul II in the semifinals.
In 2023, the Spartans lost by the 10-run mercy rule in five innings and managed just one hit. Tuesday afternoon, they were the side on the verge of a five-inning victory. Springfield scored seven runs in the top of the fourth inning to build a 12-run lead.
The Golden Panthers, however, responded with a nine-run bottom of the fourth. The defending district champions added another run in the fifth, but that’s as close as they’d get.
Springfield’s Nolan Kidwell earned a seven-out save to send the Spartans to the district championship game for the first time since 2021 with a 12-10 win over Pope John Paul II.
Springfield will face No. 2 Holy Ghost Prep in the district championship game Friday afternoon.
Kidwell threw 2 1/3 no-hit innings. He entered the game with one out in the bottom of the fifth and walked his first batter to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. He followed with seven straight strikeouts – four looking and three swinging – to close out the game.
“Earlier in the year I didn’t have my slider,” the lefty said. “Today, I had my slider. I kept them off-balance. I could pound the zone with my fastball early and just kept them guessing.
“I just wanted to throw strikes and pound the zone, let my fielders make the plays.”
The Spartans (10-7) started scoring in the top of the first inning. After Matt Caruso worked a two-out walk and Kidwell was hit by a pitch, Brett Smith ripped a two-run triple down the right field line.
The lead doubled in the second inning when Chris Cahill grounded out to score a run and Caruso hit an RBI single. Jonny Mathews hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0 in the third.
“Just going against their No. 1 (pitcher Aidan Sgarra), the same guy as last year,” Smith, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, said. “We saw him last year, we were seeing the ball, we were taking pitches we needed to take. Getting two in the first, two in the second and going up 5-0 after three really helped.”
Springfield broke the game open in the fourth. They had eight hits in the inning and the first nine batters of the frame either singled or walked. Kidwell, Smith, Mike Capoferri, Nathan Levy and Cahill each knocked in a run while Jack McKittrick had a two-run single. The half-inning ended with a 12-0 Spartans lead.
“We got their starter out of the game early,” Smith said. “That was the goal. You just keep hitting and keep hitting. It’s going to result in good things.”
Smith, who finished a home run away from hitting for the cycle, took a no-hitter into the bottom of the fourth on the mound. He surrendered seven hits in the frame and a couple errors behind him added to the damage. The Golden Panthers scored two runs on wild pitches and one on an error before TJ Boccella, Luca Dimaio, Carson Glose, AJ Diaddezio, Luke Terlesky amd Jimmy Kenning recorded RBIs. The nine-run burst made it a 12-9 game.
“(The 12-run deficit) is hard to overcome,” PJP coach Charles Deluzio said. “I don’t care what kind of offense you’ve got, what kind of offense you think you have. I tried to get some other guys in to pinch hit and they did the job. It’s tough to come back from 12-0, you know how it is. I don’t care what kind of team you have. Now, it was possible – 12-9, 12-10 – we were right there, but it was just tough to overcome.”
Chase Frantz hit an RBI double in the fifth to get PJP within two, 12-10. He was the last batter before Kidwell entered the game.
Pope John Paul II’s Carson Glose pitches against Springfield Montco in a District 1-4A semifinal game Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)
Glose pitched the final three innings for the Golden Panthers and kept them within striking distance. He struck out three batters to two walks and allowed no runs on one hit.
“(Glose) is a freshman, 15-years-old,” Deluzio said. “This kid doesn’t know how good he’s going to be, how good he’s been for us all year. I’m telling you, this kid is going to be a Power 5 conference player somewhere on the college level. The bat, the size, the arm. He’s going to dominate.”
PJP’s season ends with the loss.
“It was a nice season – 15-6,” Deluzio said. “The program has turned around, but we were leaking oil at the end of the year and unfortunately it caught up to us.”
Springfield Montco’s Owen Hastings, pictured taking a lead off of second base, went 3-for-4 against Pope John Paul II in a District 1-4A semifinal game Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)
Springfield Montco 12, Pope John Paul II 10
Springfield Montco 221 700 0 – 12
Pope John Paul II 000 910 0 – 10
WP: Brett Smith 3.1 IP 5 K 3 BB 7 H 9 R
LP: Aidan Sgarra 2 IP 1 K 2 BB 3 H 4 R
2B: S: Brett Smith. PJP: Chase Frantz.
3B: S: Brett Smith.
