Consider the Rams' ship fully righted.
After a week that saw the team suffer uninspiring losses to Methacton and Owen J. Roberts, Spring-Ford posted back to back shutout wins earlier this week and took the field at home against Boyertown on Wednesday evening with the regular season title and top seed in the PAC-10 on the line.
It took a two-run comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning, capped by Ryan Conway's RBI single through a drawn-in infield, to give the Rams an emotional 5-4 win and set the stage for a playoff date with either Pope John Paul II or Methacton.
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Perhaps feeling the pressure, the Rams uncharacteristically committed five errors in the first three innings, spotting the Bears to 4-0 lead. Boyertown took full advantage of the Rams generosity in the second inning when third basemen Matt Purnell ripped a 2-2 fastball over the left field wall, plating Alex Jazlovietcki, who had reached on an error, and Dan O’Connell.
“I was both excited and nervous tonight,” said Rams second basemen Tom Grablewski, who came back to make three sensational plays, ranging far to his right after booting two routine grounders in the first two frames. “We knew what was at stake and I think we came out too jacked up. I don’t remember having nerves like that since I was in Little League.”
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Senior Sean Larkin refused to let his defense's nerves get to him on the mound. He went six innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five. None of the four Boyertown runs he allowed were earned.
“We were all up for the game tonight,” said Larkin. “The good news is that we played the worst game in the field that I have seen in a long time and we still won the game. I knew we would settle in and I just had to keep throwing strikes. I always have confidence in the guys behind me to make plays.”
In the second inning, Larkin helped his own cause as he roped a double down the line to score Cody Clarke, who had been hit by a pitch, to get the Rams on the board.
Spring-Ford (15-3 league, 16-4 overall) got two runs back in the third inning as they loaded the bases with no one out on four consecutive singles off starter Steve Price by Grablewski, Ricky Gorrell, James Hoff and Oczypok.
Oczypok’s single back through the middle plated Grablewski. Gorrell scored on a balk to bring the Rams within one.
“I was so disappointed in myself,” said Gorrell, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored. “A five year old can make that throw. I am so glad that our sloppy play didn’t cost Sean a great game, he pitched his [expletive] butt off and never let it get to him.”
After the allowing four unearned runs, Larkin and the Spring-Ford defense settled in and assumed control of the game, allowing the Bears just two base runners after the second inning.
“It just shows what kind of team we have,” said senior catcher James Hoff. “Sean had such a great curveball again tonight. He can throw it in any situation, and we were able to get guys out on pitches that weren’t strikes.”
“These guys stepped it up when they needed to,” said manager Bruce Brobst. “I think Sean did a great job keeping his head into the game when we were kicking the ball everywhere.”
Pat Medley pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning in relief of Larkin, striking out one, allowing no hits or runs, to keep the Rams within striking distance.
Trailing by one with just three outs left to get something started, the Rams seized an opportunity in the home seventh as Hoff worked a walk against sophomore ace Aaron Bogucki, on in relief of Price.
Mike Oczypok attempted a sacrifice bunt to move Hoff into scoring position, but Oczypok's speed down the first base line forced the Bears third baseman Matt Purnell to throw it wide of the base. Both runners advanced on the error and the Rams had runners at second and third with no one out.
Hoff was waved home on the second Boyertown balk of the night and following a short fly out by Cody Clarke, designated hitter Ryan Conway stepped into the batter’s box at Rams Stadium, with all of the work that Spring-Ford did all season on the line.
Conway drilled a 1-1 fastball back through the drawn in infield, scoring Tyler Shronk, who had entered as a pinch runner for Oczypok, to complete the comeback and give the Rams the regular season title and number one seed in Monday’s semifinal round of the PAC-10 final four. Monday's games will be held in Boyertown, and the final will be hosted by Spring-Ford on the 18th.
“It was weird to see the guy balk,” said Clarke. “The first time I don’t think anyone saw it really, but the last time there the catcher threw up his arms and everybody caught it. Whatever it takes to get the run in. That was unbelievable.”
“We got the job done,” added Larkin. “Now we have to focus on practicing and getting ready to play our best. I was very comfortable with my breaking pitch tonight. I really worked a lot on tightening it up. Last year I think they saw it as was coming out of my hand. I have been able to keep guys off balance with it this year. I made a couple of bad pitches all night, but he (Purnell) really got all of that fastball.”
Spring-Ford will play either Methacton (11-7) or Pope John Paull II (10-7), who plays at Phoenixville thursday at 4 pm, on Monday at Boyertown
Boyertown will play Owen J. Roberts in the other semi final with the winniers meeting at Rams Stadium on the 18th.
