Season is on the Line Tonight for Red Sox After Loss to Bulldogs

The Scoop

The NorChester bats that had gone into a late-season slumber have broken out of hibernation in a big way as the playoffs have gotten underway this week. After struggling last weekend to put together a multi-run inning, the Bulldogs unleashed the hounds on Sunday at Rams Stadium, as they pounded defending state champion Spring City into a mercy rule shortened submission, 17-6.

In a battle of the Chester County league’s best two heavyweight contenders, the Bulldogs scored in each of their first six at bats with the knock out punch coming in the fifth inning as David Vining and Robbie Patete both drove in two runs with a double each. That gave the Dogs a 12-3 lead following the Red Sox posting three runs to get back into the game.

Red Sox Player of the Game

Third baseman Cody Clarke was on fire in the field as well as at the plate as Clarke snared two line shots at the hot corner to prevent at least three NorChester runs. In the meantime, he recorded three of the Spring City hits. Clarke scored a run and drove in another with a two-out single in the third inning, scoring Pat Medley. 

Box Score

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

R

H

E

NorChester

1

3

3

1

4

5

0

X

X

17

16

1

Spring City

0

1

2

0

0

2

1

X

X

6

9

1

Other Key Performers

Medley scored a run in the third inning and drove in Mark Rothman in the sixth as part of a two-run, two-hit inning for the Red Sox. Shortstop Ricky Gorrell and Tom Grablewski played solid defense up the middle as Grablewski, who also pitched two innings in relief, completed an unassisted double play as he leaped for a ball hit in the middle, stepped on the bag and tossed it to Sean Larkin at first base.

Inside the Lines

"It’s the playoffs," said NorChester's Robbie Patete, who had been battling a leg injury. "This is what we play for. We just had to get the bats going and have flipped the switch, it’s as simple as that. The adrenaline of the game situation gets you going and we have been here before. The double headers we were playing earlier in the year are helping us now. We know that they [Spring City] are a great team and we had to come in here and play our best to have a chance to beat them."

Say What?

"Bottom line is we need to be playing Tuesday," said Red Sox manager Jamie Scheck. "We knew coming into today that we have limited pitching available and I thought Kenny [Pierson], who hasn’t pitched in years for us, gave us everything he had. At this level we can’t give them extra runners for the hits, scoring six runs on [Tim] Ponto would usually be enough but today it just wasn’t." 

Next on the Schedule

The Red Sox will be playing with their backs to the wall as they face Phoenixville on Monday at 4 p.m. in an elimination game at Rams Stadium. An invite to the Region Three tournament and the extension of their season is at stake.

Extra Innings

In their run to the first appearance in the Mid-Atlantic National Regional and Pennsylvania State Championship in team history last season, the Red Sox won the title by battling through the losers' bracket in three consecutive tournaments.

In the 2010 post season, Spring City was 12-1 in elimination games and even took the lead into the bottom of the ninth against the Delaware state champion in the one game that they lost, so this team has been there before and knows what to do.