When the Rams set sail on their journey through the perilous waters known as the Pioneer Athletic Conference baseball schedule, they had one destination locked in on their navigational system: an appearance in the championship game to be held in their home port, Rams Stadium.
With an ominous sky looming above Bears Stadium in Boyertown, and no stars visible to guide them, the Rams looked to senior Sean Larkin to assume the role that he has filled so many times over his outstanding career as the captain of Spring-Ford's baseball crew.
Larkin took command early, allowing only three Warriors to reach base in the first five innings of the contest as Spring-Ford downed Methacton, 4-3.
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Larkin, who improved to 5-1 on the season, also fanned five of six Methacton batters in a stretch of ten consecutive batters he retired.
Spring-Ford (16-3, 17-4) launched the offensive assault as the game got under way as Pat Medley (3-for-4, run scored), who has been the catylist in the Rams offensive arsenal all season long, led off the evening by rapping a base hit and scoring the fist run of the game, as he scampered home following a sacrifice fly by Ricky Gorrell.
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Spring-Ford posted two more tallies as Tom Grablewski, who had singled, came around to score on Cody Clarke’ s two-out, two-strike double into the gap in left center. When the throw to the plate got away from catcher Clayton Harwick, Mike Oczypok, who had also singled, raced home to give the Rams a 3-0 edge.
Warriors lead off hitter Nick Fazio stepped into a pitch to get on base to start a Methacton rally in the sixth.
With one out, Joey Casselberry, who had assumed the pitching duties for Warriors starter Andrew Hart, lined a single down the line, giving the Warriors runners at the corners.
Following an RBI groundout by Hart, which prompted a trip to the mound by Rams manager Bruce Brobst, singles by Roger Collins and Harwick put the Rams lead in danger.
Shortstop Dave Toomey was able to get his bat head around on a 2-2 Larkin fastball, roping it into left field for a RBI single that cut the lead to one. The Methacton threat was thwarted when Pat Medley fired the ball to cut off man Ricky Gorrell, who in turn gunned down Harwick as he tried to advance to third, with Cody Clarke applying the tag.
Brobst unleashed his big gun to finish off the Warriors in the seventh in the person of Mike Oczypok, who will most likely take the hill for the Rams in the championship game.
Oczypok (7-0, 0.35 ERA), who has been virtually unhitable all season, retired Methacton in order, striking out Ahlberg in the process to record his first save of the season.
It would have been a case of what might have been, had Oczypok not been able to close the game out as the Rams left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth inning, in which they did not score.
In a rematch of last year's final, Spring-Ford will battle Owen J. Roberts on Wednesday night for the PAC-10 championship at 7:00pm in Rams Stadium.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Methacton (11-7)
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
3
6
3
Spring-Ford (15-3)
3
0
0
1
0
0
X
4
9
0
Methacton
AB
R
H
RBI
Spring-Ford
AB
R
H
RBI
Fazio rf
3
1
0
0
Medley lf
4
1
3
0
Dale dh
3
0
0
0
Grablewski 2b
3
1
1
0
Casselberry 1b
3
1
1
0
Gorrell ss
2
0
0
1
Hart p
3
0
0
1
Huff c
3
0
1
0
Collins 3b
3
0
2
1
Oczypok 1b
3
1
1
0
Harwick c
3
0
1
0
Clarke 3b
1
1
1
1
Toomey ss
3
0
1
1
Conway dh
3
0
0
0
Seibert 2b
3
0
1
0
Larkin p
3
0
2
1
Ahlberg cf
3
0
0
0
Cratsenberg rf
3
0
0
0
#11 Handley cr
0
1
0
0
Vining cf
0
0
0
0
IP
R
ER
H
SO
BB
Hart (L )
4.6
4
2
7
2
2
Casselberry
1.0
0
0
2
1
0
Dunbar
.3
0
0
0
0
1
Larkin (W 5-1)
6.0
3
3
7
7
0
Oczypok (S 1)
1.0
0
0
0
1
0
2B-Clarke, 3B-none HR- none LOB- Methacton-4 Spring-Ford-9
time of the game 2:05
