BASEBALL: Plymouth Whitemarsh holds off Spring-Ford, advances to District 1-6A semifinals
WHITEMARSH — With Plymouth Whitemarsh holding just a one-run lead, Cooper Jones retired the first two Spring-Ford batters in the top of the seventh inning.
Finding that third out to secure the Colonials’ return to the District 1-6A baseball semifinals, however, proved a bit elusive for the senior right-hander as a hit by pitch followed by Ryan Cecconi’s single to left field put the tying and go-ahead runs on base for the Rams.
“I knew this was the team we played last year, knocked us out of the semifinals last year at their place now we’re here, so I was really excited,” Jones said. “I was just like I just want to do this, I’m going to throw my pitch and I know my fielders got me. And that’s exactly what happened.”
Jones got the next batter to hit a pop in the field, which dropped into the glove of second baseman Max Eagland and fifth-seeded PW held off visiting No. 13 Spring-Ford for a 5-4 quarterfinal victory Friday afternoon.
“We’re all great friends, the chemistry’s great – that contributes to all these guys, they all want to win just as much as the other,” Jones said. “And It’s just huge. We want to keep playing together and that’s what we’re going to do. We want a banner on that wall, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Christian Strunk, 6, slides into second base as Spring-Ford second baseman Tyler collons, 12, dives at the bag attempting to complete a double play during their District 1-6A quarterfinal on Friday, May 24, 2024. Strunk was safe on the play. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
Jones threw 3 2/3 innings in relief of starter Chase Fisher to pick up the win while Johnny Giordano two-out RBI single in the third broke a 2-2 tie. Plymouth Whitemarsh took advantage of Spring-Ford dropping two foul balls in the fourth to score twice in the frame for a 5-2 lead.
“Two balls that we catch probably 100 percent of the time and between maybe the wind or the high sky I don’t know, they just kind of hit off the heel of the guys’ gloves,” Rams coach Rick Harrison said. “And they were foul but at the end of the day they should’ve been outs and that extends the inning and it also extends the pitch count on the pitcher.”
The Rams pulled to within 5-4 in the top of the fifth on Jake Witmer’s two-out RBI triple and a Cecconi RBI single. Courtesy runner TJ Schultz stole second but was left there after PW left fielder Gavin Moore snagged a ball hit by Logan Bebore before it could drop into center.
Plymouth Whitemarsh pitcher Cooper Jones, 9, throws a pitch against Spring-Ford during their District 1-6A quarterfinal on Friday, May 24, 2024. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
In the sixth, Brett Wescott collected a one-out single but a fly out to center and a strikeout sent the game to the seventh with PW still up a run. The Rams put two on with two outs in the final frame on Witmer getting hit by pitch and Cecconi’s fourth hit of the contest but the rally bid ended with a pop out in the infield.
“We had some opportunities obviously in the middle of the game, we didn’t execute,” Harrison said. “We hit some balls really hard, I mean we really did and just the way baseball works sometimes, we hit probably five or six balls really, really well that were right at people and they didn’t fall.
“That being said, we had some opportunities and everyone knows what we’re going to do – we’re going to bunt, we going to try to run and do things and keep pressure on the other team and we didn’t do a great job of executing in the middle of the game and that’s a one-run game there for you.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Ryan Moore, 17, slides into home plate to score a run on Christian Strunk’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning against Spring-Ford during their District 1-6A quarterfinal on Friday, May 24, 2024. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
Fisher finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, Giordano had two RBIs while Gabe Caucci scored twice after drawing walks in the first and fourth as PW (17-5) avenged last season’s 5-1 semifinal loss to the Rams to clinch a PIAA berth and reach District 1’s final four for the third time since 2019.
The Colonials host No. 8 Downingtown East – which knocked off top-seeded Quakertown 6-3 – 4 p.m. Tuesday. Winner faces either No. 6 Downingtown West or No. 7 Central Bucks East in the final 4 p.m. Thursday at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.
“We’ve done it this year with a drastically different team than we had last year,” Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Chris Manero said. “Lot of first-year varsity starters and I think that makes it even more special because they know that this one’s theirs and it was a gritty game and they played tough.”
Cecconi went 4-for-4 with three RBIs for Spring-Ford, which has a playback matchup with No. 3 Neshaminy – which fell 3-2 to CB East – 4 p.m. Tuesday. Winner earns a PIAA berth, the losing side has its season end.
Spring-Ford’s Brennan McVey, 1, heads toward home plate to score a run in the top of the first inning against Plymouth Whitemarsh during their District 1-6A quarterfinal on Friday, May 24, 2024. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
“Three games in five days and having to pull a starting pitcher in the first or second inning in two of those games, really, it taxes your staff,” Harrison said. “So hopefully we can get some length out of our starter on Tuesday and we’ll go from there.”
Jones took over for Fisher with two on and one out in the top of the fourth and proceeded to keep PW up 3-2 with a fly out to center and a groundout to the shortstop.
“That’s what I’m used to this year,” Jones said. “That’s what I’ve been doing so I’m prepared for those moments and I just went out and did what I do best.”
Jones gave up two runs – both earned – on four hits, no walks and two hit batters while striking out one. Fisher allowed two runs, both earned, on three hits in 3 1/3 innings He walked two and struck out two.
Plymouth Whitemarsh pitcher Chase Fisher, 34, jumps up to catch a popped-up bunt attempt for an out against Spring-Ford during their District 1-6A quarterfinal on Friday, May 24, 2024. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
Jackson Wowak took the loss for Spring-Ford pitching 4 2/3 innings in relief. He gave up three runs – two earned – on three hits, walked two, hit one batter and struck out three.
Spring-Ford grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on Cecconi’s two-out RBI single. An error on the play allowed Cecconi to reach third but Fisher struck out the next batter.
The Colonials, however, pulled level in the bottom of the frame. Caucci, who led off with a walk, scored on a passed ball after Moore drew a walk. A Fisher single then a Christian Strunk walk loaded the bases for Giordano, who walked to bring home Moore to make it 2-2.
“I think was most important was after going down 2-0, we stayed patient,” Manero said. “We didn’t get up and get jumpy and feel like we had to do everything at once. I think that patience enabled us to get guys on base and come back and tie the game.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh second baseman Max Eagland, 14, catches a pop up in the infield for the final out of the Colonials’ 5-4 win over Spring-Ford in the District 1-6A quarterfinals on Friday, May 24, 2024. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
Wowak came in with the bases still loaded and got a line out to second then a groundout to short to end the first with things still tied.
The Rams’ Ryan Fields started the second reaching on an error then went to third after an errant pickoff attempt. But Fields got caught in a rundown after the next batter hit a ball back to Fisher and Fields was out trying to get back to third.
The Colonials took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third as Moore led off getting to second after an error on his fly ball to center. Moore went to third on a groundout then scored two batters later on Giordano’s RBI single.
Spring-Ford began the fourth with a Cecconi single then a Babore walk. Fisher jumped up to catch a popped-up bunt with Jones then coming in and getting two outs to maintain PW’s one-run edge.
Spring-Ford’s Jake Witmer, 27, slides headfirst toward third base, reaching safely for an RBI single in the top of the fifth inning against Plymouth Whitemarsh during their District 1-6A quarterfinal on Friday, May 24, 2024. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
“My curve was working but they started piecing it up a little bit,” Jones said. “So I knew my change was going to have to be big and I was going to have to locate my fastball.”
PW extended the margin to 5-2 in its half of the fourth. With one out, Caucci walked. A Chase Olszyk foul ball to right was not caught and Olszyk ended up reaching base on a hit by pitch. Moore had a pop up near home plate the Rams could not haul in and Moore went on to single up the middle, loading the bases.
Fisher connected on a single to center to score Caucci with Olszyk’s courtesy runner Ryan coming in on Strunk’s RBI sacrifice fly to right.
With one in the top of the sixth, David Ruckman was hit by a pitch then scored on Witmer’s triple to right center two batters later. A Cecconi single to left plated Witmer to have the Rams within 5-4.
Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Cooper Jones, 9, second from left, celebrates with teammates after the Colonials’ 5-4 victory over Spring-Ford in the District 1-6A quarterfinals on Friday, May 24, 2024. (Mike Cabrey/MediaNews Group)
Plymouth Whitemarsh 5, Spring-Ford 4
Spring-Ford 200 020 0 – 4 7 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh 201 200 x – 5 5 3
WP: Cooper Jones 3.2 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 0 BB 1 SO 2 HB.
LP: Jackson Wowak 4.2 IP 3 H 3 R 2 ER 2 BB 3 SO 1 HB.
3B: SF-Jake Witmer.
Spring-Ford: Ryan Cecconi 4-4, 3 RBI.
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Gabe Caucci 2 BB, 2 R; Chase Fisher 2-4, RBI; Johnny Giordano 2 RBI.
