Rams hold off Blue Streaks to advance to championship game

Ephrata - The word teamwork is defined as “work done by several associates each doing a part, but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole.”

Perhaps a photograph of the 2011 Spring–Ford baseball team should be submitted as the perfect example of teamwork.

It was fitting that Spring-Ford, which will play in the PIAA State championship game, has reached the summit of Pennsylvania baseball by winning a knock-down, drag-out battle with highly touted Manheim Township as Mike Oczypok struck out Blue Streaks clean-up hitter Dan Vucovich to preserve a 6-5 win.

The Rams, who have now won 12 consecutive games, will now play for their first PIAA State baseball championship in the school’s rich history at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in State College on Friday at 6 pm against Conestoga High School.

After an atypical start by the ace right-hander, in which he gave up a solo home run to his pitching counterpart Adam Yunginger in the first inning and allowing three more runs on five hits in the next two frames, Oczypok settled in, retiring the Blue Streaks in order in back-to back innings, allowing the Rams to maintain a 5-4 edge heading into the sixth inning.

The Rams sent nine men to the plate in the second inning, producing three runs in “Rams fashion,”s as they recording only one hit in the frame, a lead off single by James Hoff (3-for-3, sacrifice), but by working five walks and getting a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sean Larkin, they were able to snare a 3-1 lead.

“That inning was huge for us” said an almost voiceless Larkin. “We were able to get the lead early and Oz did a great job again for us on the mound. I went crazy there at the end, I lost my voice, this is so amazing to be playing for a state title in our senior year, with guys I have played with since I was seven, we could not have wanted to go out in a better way.”

After Township rallied in the second to tie the game, the Rams regained the lead by posting two more runs in the top of the third on a lead off double by Hoff and RBI singles by Oczypok and Ryan Conway.

All season the Rams have had a game plan, solid pitching, play good defense and produce runs in whatever way was needed. In Monday’s semifinal it was the lethal combination of the three that were Manheim Township’s undoing on the turf of War Memorial Stadium.

“We did what we needed to do,” said Gorrell. “We all want to get the big hit, but you also have to take what they are giving you. We know how to play in big games and we will get back to work tomorrow to get ready for what we have to do.”

In what would prove to be a fatal mistake, Manhiem Township’s Jon Rieker led off the fifth by drilling a double to the wall, but got thrown out by Josh Cratsenberg as Rieker tried to stretch into a triple to end a threat before it got started.

Even though they tried to squander a lead off double by Dan Vocovich in the sixth, Township was able to tie the game at five, following an RBI single by J.D. Dornes, this on the heels of Blue Streaks manager Bill Sassaman opting not to bunt Vucovich over to third and witnessing Oczypok striking out Yoder and Moshos.

“I was kind of shocked that they didn’t bunt,” said Oczypok. “Trailing by one with a man at second with no outs, it was strange, but then I heard they only bunted like ten times all year.”

The seventh inning was a microcosm of the Rams season as Ricky Gorrell, who was hitless in his previous three trips to the plate, stepped into the batters box with the scored knotted at five and Sean Larkin, Richie Michaud and Josh Mellon all loosening in the Rams bullpen.

Gorrell delivered, as he has all season, with a double laced into the gap and following a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Hoff and a base hit by Oczypok, it was Gorrell that raced home with eventual game winning run.”  

It would have probably taken wild dogs to pry the ball from Oczypok’s very capable right hand as he stepped to the rubber with Spring-Ford needing just three outs to punch their ticket to Penn State.

With one out, Rieker reached bas on an error and Cam Gallagher drew a walk to put two on for Yunginger, who had homered to start the game. Oczypok got Yunginger to rip a ball back through the middle that Tom Grablewski stretched out every to keep in the infield, tossing the ball to Gorrell, moving the Rams to within one out of destiny.

“I looked over and saw what looked like our entire bench up there warming up,” said Oczypok “I love competing, I love the control and trying to beat a team like this, I definitely wanted to finish it myself.”

Finish it he did, fanning the Blue Streaks clean up hitter Vocovich (2-for-4, run scored) on four pitches to propel the Rams to the promised land.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

R

H

E

Spring-Ford

0

3

2

0

0

0

1

6

8

1

Manheim Township

1

2

1

0

0

1

0

5

8

0

Manheim Township

AB

R

H

RBI

Spring-Ford

AB

R

H

RBI

Rieker 2b

4

0

1

0

Medley   lf

3

0

1

1

Gallagher c

4

0

0

0

Grablewski  2b

3

0

0

1

Yunginger p

4

2

2

1

Gorrell  ss

4

1

1

0

Vocovich 1b

4

1

2

0

Huff  c

3

0

3

0

Yoder cf

3

1

1

0

Oczypok  p

3

0

2

2

Moshos rf

2

0

1

1

Clarke  3b

3

0

0

0

Dornes 3b

3

1

1

1

Conway  dh

3

1

1

1

Martin dh

3

0

0

0

Larkin 1b

2

0

0

1

Manacher ss

3

0

1

0

Cratsenberg  rf

2

0

0

0

Simmons cr

0

2

0

0

Shronk cr

0

2

0

0

Totals

30

5

8

5

Totals

26

6

8

6

IP

R

ER

H

SO

BB

Yunginger    (L )

7

6

6

8

6

5

Oczypok (W 14-0)

7

5

5

8

6

2

2B-Hoff, Medley, Rieker, Vocovich, Gorrell 3B-none   HR-Yunginger        LOB- S-Ford-7   Tonwship- 4 

time of the game 1:58       game temp 82 degrees