Rustin's Gosik leads West Chester area stars at Coca Cola Park

 Allentown-With a chance to play on the hallowed grounds of Citizen’s Bank Park hanging in the balance, the Philadelphia Catholic League All Stars out lasted a Chester Squad, which saw an 8-2 lead evaporate in the late innings to claim a 9-8 victory in 11 innings, to advance to the Carpenter Cup semi final against Burlington County.

The Catholic league all stars got on the board first as center fielder Mike McLaughlin (Father Judge) drilled a single between short and third to score the St Joseph prep duo of Kyle Gillen and Ray Toto who had singled and drew a walk off of starter Kenny Wolf (Perkiomen Valley), who got the save in Chester County’s opening round win, to take a 2-0 lead.

Chester County got it going offensively in the top half of the third as Henderson’s Cooper Redding led off dropped a single into left field, and after a pop up and a ground out which advance Redding into scoring position it looked as though an opportunity had been missed until Spring-Ford junior Tom Grablewski stepped into the box.

Grablewski laced a 2-2 fast ball into left center to get things started, West Chester Rustin’s Matt Gosik (1-for-2, run, 2 RBI) doubled, scoring Grablewski and Redding to tie the game then Gosik scored on a wild pitch to give Chester County its first lead.

Rams designated hitter Ryan Conway kept the inning alive by drawing a walk then stole second to set the stage for Great Valley sophomore David Iaccobucci, who blasted a double into the wide open expanses of Coca Cola Park’s (home to the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the Phillies AAA affiliate), driving in Conway with the fourth run.

“That was huge for us to put the pressure on them,” said Golden Knights junior Matt Gosik. “This is an awesome experience, just to play in a park like this is amazing. It would have been great to play in Citizen’s Bank, but we just couldn’t close it out today. I am still very proud of the way we played against some great players.” 

Chester County added to its lead in the fourth as Redding (1-for-2, 2 runs) reached base on an error and advanced to second of the throw and was driven in as Great Valley’s Nick Evangalista (designated hitter) smoked a single to right.

Tom Grablewski (2-for-3, 2runs), playing in the game less than eleven hours after arriving back home from Friday night’s PIAA State Championship game in State College, blistered a ball to the wall in right center for a triple to start the fifth frame and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gosik, posting Chester County to a 6-2 advantage.

The pitching combination of the Vikings Kenny Wolf, Ryan Ficca and Rustin’s Chris Catenacci allowed just two runs, on six hits, while walking two in six innings of work, helping Chester County maintain its’ 8-2 bulge after six complete innings.

“I think our pitchers get us a chance to win,” said head coach John Rozich (Oxford). “This had been so much fun being around kids like this that love baseball. An example of that is the three kids from Spring-Ford who played for the state title last night, Getting home at 3:00 am and popping up here to play is a testament of how much they love the game. They really had an impact as well scoring three or fours and making some keys plays defensively, it just shows why they are so successful on their team.”

Phoenixville’s Collin Ammon, who got the start at second base, was busy in the field, recording six put outs and two assists in five innings, as the Chester County defense was truly stellar executing two double play in keeping the Philadelphia Catholic quad off the board.

As coach Rozich made wholesale changes to the line up in the top of the sixth it was Phantoms catcher Jack Ashburn who got things started by crushing a double into the gap to lead off and scored two pitches later when Perkiomen Valley’s Nate Struss ( 1-for-3, run, RBI) blasted a double off the wall in left center. Struss came home with the eighth run for Chester County as Phoenixville’s Shane Allen reached base on an error, forcing a bad throw by busting it down the line.

“It’ pretty awesome playing in place like this,” said Phantoms junior Collin Ammon. “Of course we wanted to move on, but this was an amazing week and we really started playing well together as a team.” 

It was Vikings junior Struss at first base for Chester County, who saved at least three runs as Philadelphia Catholic got the bats going late in regulation by stretching to record three of his game high nine pout outs, helping strand six runners in three innings.  

“It sucks to lose, it would have be unbelievable to play at Citizen’s Bank,” said Struss, who plays in the City County league with the Gilbertsville Bearcats. “I just tried to stretch as far as I could and was able to make some plays. This is such an honor and great opportunity to play in a facility like this in front of so many coaches and scouts. It’s really something I will never forget and use the experience going forward this summer.” 

Downingtown East’s Chris Ward, who took the hill to start the seventh innings for Chester County, which he would like to forget, as the Philadelphia Catholic all stars posted four runs on four hits, leaving one man on to cut the Chester County lead to two.

In the bottom of the ninth, Chester County was one strike away from a date at the Bank when, St. Joseph’s Prep sophomore Shane Willams, who was 4-for-4 with 3RBI in the game, lifted a 2-2 pitch from West Chester East’s hurler Bill Krebbs just past the infield, scoring Corey Balada (LaSalle) and Mike Zolk (Neumann-Goretti) to knot the tilt at eight. Krebbs slammed the door and sent the game into extra innings as he fanned Lansdale Catholic’s Rorey Clemmens on four pitches, stranding the winning run at third.

In the bottom of the eleventh inning, with Balada at second base and two outs, left fielder and Spring-Ford junior Louis Vining made a great play on a single by Williams cutting the ball off and preventing an attempt home by Balada.

“I just wanted to make sure I got to it quickly to cut him off,” said Vining, centerfielder for PIAA class AAAA State runner Spring-Ford. “We all wanted to play in Citizen’s bank, but just to get the chance to play here and have so many people taking notice of what you can do is something that I will never forget. It’s been a tiring weekend but I wouldn’t trade it, This place I awesome and being involved with the Carpenter Cup and playing here just motivates me even more to want to play in places like this some day. I think any body who is serious about playing should try out and try to be a part of this.”

Balada scored three pitches later as Jimmy Kerrigan squeaked a base hit in the hole between first and second, ending Chester County’s championship dream and advancing Philadelphia Catholic to a match up Monday with Burlington County.

“We told the kids that they had nothing to hang their heads about,’ added Rozich.” That’s baseball, I am very impressed with how well theses kids from all different teams and leagues built some very good chemistry in a short time. Of course we wanted to advance and really had a shot, I think to win the whole thing. That’s why you have to shut the door on a team when have them down and we just didn’t; get that done today, but I am very proud of the effort and the way they carried them selves, which is what the scouts and coaches that are here are looking for.”

West Chester Area players in the Carpenter Cup

Rustin

Chris Catenacci p  2IP, 2H, 0ER,

Jack Fritz  p  1.1IP, BB

Matt Gosik  3b  1-for-2, run, 2RBI

Kevin Jewitt ss  0-for-2, BB

Henderson

Zack Jones  3b  0-for-3, on base twice

Cooper Redding  ss  1-for-2, 2runs, 2 assists, 2 put outs

West Chester East

Bill Krebbs  2.2 IP, 3R, 2ER, 3H, K, 2BB

Luke Lawrence cf  0-for-3, 2 put outs 

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Chester County

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Phila. Catholic

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