Rams advance to state semifinal [expanded with additional photos, box]

ASTON - It was bound to happen eventually.

In what has been a nearly perfect postseason run for the Rams, there had to be a few bumps in the road, or in the case of the playing surface in Thursday’s PIAA state quarterfinal class at Neumann University, divots, holes and mounds in and around the infield.

With their backs to the wall and three outs standing between a Monday afternoon match up with Manheim Central in the semifinal and the curtain dropping on an amazing run, the Rams responded by posting three runs in their final at bat to walk off with a 6-5 win over Council Rock South.

Despite battling through six errors—many of which could reasonably be blamed on bad field conditions and three baserunning blunders, the Rams were able to overcome the obstacles they placed in their own path.

The anguish that was felt by the Spring-Ford faithful in the six seconds or so that it took Spring-Ford ‘s Josh Cratsenberg’s lazy fly ball to travel into the glove of right fielder Jeff Miller’s, allowing Mike Oczypok to race home with the clincher for the Rams, turned quickly to jubilation as Oczypok touched the plate keeping the dream of a state title alive and kicking. 

“We need to do other things to close out the game,” said Council Rock South manager Greg Young. “Spring-Ford did a nice job taking care of business. “They showed why they are the top team in District One, we knew they were not going to quit or back down. Five runs were not going to be enough, ten wouldn’t enough, because they are going to keep battling.”

The Hawks (17-6) got on the board first as Ryan Downs and Dan Callahan reached base on infield singles and were driven in on a fielder choice by Bret Destefano and a laser off the bat of Kane Price who was thrown out trying to grab an extra base.

South starter Ryan Downs (4.3 IP, 3R, 2ER, 4 BB, 2K) kept the vaunted Spring-Ford offense, which has averaged 15 runs a game through districts and states, off the board until designated hitter Ryan Conway led off the fourth inning with a solo home run, his fifth round tripper in the last three games.

“Everybody has been talking about 10 run games, 15-1 and stuff like that,” said Rams manager Bruce Brobst. “Those aren’t state playoff games. This was a state playoff game, and our guys showed today that they don’t need to score ten runs to win a game. They can win a tight one as well.”

Sean Larkin was solid on the mound despite the sweltering temperature on the field as he struck out three and issued only one walk, while allowing one earned run and six hits, retiring South in order in three of the five innings he worked.

“We all believe in each other,” said Larkin. “I don’t think we surprised our selves coming away with a win, even when we were down to three outs, We expect to win and have confidence in each other that some one I going to pick it up. Be  This is where we expected to be, when we started the season our goal was the state final.”

 Following two runs scored by the Hawks to take a 5-3 lead in the top of the seventh, and the Spring-ford season hanging precariously in the balance, it was senior Tom Grablewski made the biggest single play of the season.

Playing drawn in, Grablewski snared a one hopper off the bat of Ryan Downs and rifled to James Hoff, who put the tag on Zach Fitzgerald, then fired the ball to Ricky Gorrell covering the bag at second, completing a 4-2-6 double play, that put an end to Golden Hawks threat.

Gorrell (2-for-4, 2 runs scored) got things going in the seventh as he belted the ball to West Virginia bound short stop Bill Flemming, who saw Gorrell busting it down the line and rushed his throw cracking open the door for the Rams.

“That double play was a huge for us,” said Gorrell. “We just couldn’t catch a break earlier. Any time you come back and win like that it’s exciting, We strung some hits together and got a couple of guys on base, then we just did what we had to do. We feel we have seven innings and something good is going to happen eventually.” 

Following base hits by Hoff and Oczypok, the Rams had the bases juiced with no one out setting the table for Cody Clarke’s RRBI base on balls and back-to-back sacrifice flies by Ryan Conway and Cratsenberg to advance Spring-Ford into Monday’s semi final.

“This hurts right now,” said a very emotional Bill Flemming. “I don’t know how long it will take to get over this, but I will look back on the season as the best of my life, I love these guys and have life long friends. I just hurried the throw a little because I saw how hard he was running, that one I put on me.”

 “Our game plan was to put the ball in play, added Brobst. “It wasn’t about getting a hit there, give our guys credit, they came back a couple of times, we have guys that can hit but that was juts solid fundamental baseball in the bottom of the seventh.”

“My arm felt great today,” added Larkin. “I started drinking yesterday to get ready for the heat. We came into dug out in the seventh and wanted to make sure we kept our heads. It was nothing new, we have been there before last summer in legion we battled through the loser’s bracket in three straight tournaments, We know what has to be done in that situation and have the confidence in each other that we can get it done.” 

It marked the fifth time in the post season alone that a Council Rock South game had been decided by the last at bat, as the Hawks posted two runs in the top of seventh to take a 5-3 lead into the home half on the frame.

“We are a scrappy, hardnosed bunch of kids,” added Young. “And it is fun an easy to coach a group like this, they expect to win, they work their tails off in practice doing the right things and play the right way, to lose like this hurts, right now I am heartbroken for them. It is a 21 out game and Billy (Flemming) is the best player I have ever coached, we wouldn’t be here with out his effort all year.”

Spring-Ford (24-4) will travel to Ephrata on Monday, where they will face District Three two seed Manheim Central, a 5-0 winner over Nazereth, in the PIAA class AAA state semi final at 6:00 pm at War Memorial Stadium. The Blue Streaks are led by catcher Cameron Gallagher, who was the #65 overall selection of the Kansas City Royals in the Major League Baseball amateur draft earlier this week. 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

R

H

E

C.R.South 

0

2

0

0

0

1

2

5

10

2

Spring-Ford

0

0

0

1

2

0

3

6

8

6

C.R. South

AB

R

H

RBI

Spring-Ford

AB

R

H

RBI

Flemming ss

3

1

1

0

Medley   lf

4

0

2

0

Fitzgerald 2b

3

0

1

1

Grablewski  2b

3

0

0

0

Thomas  3b

4

1

2

1

Gorrell  ss

4

2

2

0

Downs p 1b

4

1

2

0

Hoff  c

2

0

1

0

Callahan c

4

1

1

0

Oczypok  p

3

2

2

1

Miller rf

2

0

0

1

Clarke  3b

2

0

0

1

Destafano dh

3

0

0

1

Conway  dh

2 

1

1

3

Price  lf  cf

3

0

1

1

Cratsenberg rf

2

0

0

1

Donnelly cf p

3

1

2

0

Vining cf

2

0

0

1

Simmons cr

0

0

0

0

Sheldon cr

0

1

0

0

Totals

29

5

10

5

Totals

24

6

8

6

IP

R

ER

H

SO

BB

Downs

4.3

5

5

6

3

2

Donnelly (L)

2.6

3

2

2

1

2

Larkin

5

2

1

6

3

1

Oczypok (W 13-0)

2

3

1

4

1

0

2B-none 3B-Oczypok   HR- Conway (7)       LOB- CR South-8     Spring-Ford-10  

time of the game 2:06       game temp 98 degrees

____

Earlier game story

The Spring-Ford Rams rallied from two runs down in the bottom of the seventh inning to eke out a 6-5 win over Council Rock South and advance to the semifinal game of the PIAA class AAAA baseball playoffs.

With no outs in the home seventh, Cody Clarke worked a walk with the bases loaded to score Ricky Gorrell, drawing the Rams within one. Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Ryan Conway (1-for-2, run, 3RBI) and Josh Cratsenberg gave the Rams the comeback win.

Spring-Ford will face Manheim Central (18-7) at a location to be determined in Monday's semifinal game. The Blue Streaks are led by catcher Cameron Gallagher, who was the #65 overall selection of the Kansas City Royals in the Major League Baseball amateur draft earlier this week. 

We'll have a complete game recap and box score on Friday.