Upper Moreland defeated Keystone Oaks to earn a spot in Friday’s PIAA Class AAA state title game.
Tommy Robinson is Upper Moreland’s number three pitcher only because he happens to be on same team as mound aces Eddie Decker and Charlie Hooker.
On the season’s biggest stage Thursday, Robinson looked every bit the part of a number one, allowing just two hits and four total base runners in the Golden Bears 3-1 win over Keystone Oaks in a PIAA Class AAA semifinal game.
“He’s a kid who unfortunately didn’t get enough innings this year due to circumstances, but any time he’s on the mound we feel just as confident as we are in our two mainstays who are out there all the time,” coach Ernie Rehr said. “It’s easy for a coach to say that after the fact, but I’m not kidding – every kid in that dugout and every coach felt just as confident with Tommy as they do with an Eddie Decker on the mound.
“He absolutely did a fantastic job. He keeps the ball down, he moves the ball around, and he does what our other pitchers do as well. He may not overpower, but he’s going to get groundouts, and with the defense behind him, they’ll pick them up.”
Robinson was quick to deflect credit to his defense.
“I knew I had good fielders behind me,” he said. “There wasn’t much pressure at all. My coaches kept me calm, and I knew what I had to do.”
As a result of the win, the Golden Bears advanced to Friday’s state final against District 3 third place team West York, a 5-4 winner over District 2 champion Abington Heights. It is the first trip to the state final in program history for Upper Moreland.
“I feel so fantastic for these guys,” Rehr said. “For some of our seniors who have been starters for four years, this was their goal, and for them to reach this point is fantastic.
“I know we have another game, and we certainly want to stay focused on that, but to get to this point and to set the tone for the Upper Moreland baseball program, it’s fantastic. Words can’t express the admiration I have for these young men.”
The Golden Bears plated all the runs Robinson would need in a two-run first. Robert Knox got things started with a single and then immediately stole second. After advancing to third on Charlie Hooker’s fly ball to center, he scored when the throw to first on Pat Driscoll’s grounder between third and short pulled the first baseman off the bag.
Kyle Bennis, the courtesy runner for Driscoll, stole second and scored on yet another Keystone Oaks error, this one on Colton Hooker’s grounder up the middle to put the Golden Bears on top 2-0.
“One of the things we’ve done in the playoffs is we’ve been really aggressive, trying to steal as many bases as possible,” Rehr said.
In the second inning, Keystone Oaks cut that lead in half with a single run, but the Golden Bears got that one back in the bottom of the inning. Matt Kohn singled and stole second, advancing all the way to third on an errant throw. He scored on yet another Keystone Oaks errors. All told, Keystone Oaks had four errors.
EXTRA INNINGS: Rehr lauded several of his players for delivering clutch defensive plays. “There was a really nice play at third base by Mike Cavanaugh,” the Golden Bears’ coach said. “He had to make a play on a ball hit to his left – he had to dive for it, came up with the ball and threw the guy out at first. Eddie Decker made a nice play in the outfield on a fly ball, but I really have to give credit to Tommy Robinson. He made a good team look very average today.”…Kent State recruit Jared Skonicki, who has allowed just three earned runs all year, tossed two scoreless innings in relief for Keystone Oaks.
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