Council Rock South advanced to Friday’s PIAA Class AAAA title game at Penn State University. Hatboro-Horsham saw its season end. To view photos of the Hatboro/La Salle game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Scott Huff
Hershey - Council Rock South senior Brian Donnelly loves the big stage, and the stage doesn’t get much larger than the PIAA Quad-A state semifinals. Donnelly was masterful with a one-hitter as the Golden Hawks soared to a 4-0 victory over District Six champion Altoona. Rock South will face La Salle – a 7-5 winner over Hatboro-Horsham – in the state final at Penn State University with a 1 pm start.
“Brian Donnelly was almost unhittable today,” said Council Rock South head coach Greg Young. “He controlled the game with his fastball – I don’t think he threw more than a couple of curveballs or changeups the entire game.
“Brian plays with an unbelievable confidence, and there is no question that he enjoys the big moment,” added Young. “He has just had a great season – whether he is on the mound – playing centerfield – hitting in the clutch - or running the bases.”
The performance Donnelly displayed on the mound was apparent to all in attendance at Hershey High School. He dominated a Mountain Lion offense that had used a combination of strong pitching and timely hitting to advance to the semifinal round. Donnelly did not issue a single walk – allowed just the one hit – and was efficient with four strikeouts.
“Coach Young does a great job of calling the game, and we stuck with the fast ball for most of the game,” said Donnelly. “This might have been the best game that I have ever thrown at any level, and to do it in a state semifinal game is special.
“I love competing in big time games,” added Donnelly. “I want the ball in my hands whether it is football (where he played quarterback) or baseball. The bigger the game, the more I want the ball in my hands.”
Donnelly also was in the middle of the Golden Hawk offense batting second in the lineup behind Zach Fitzgerald and ahead of Bret DeStefano.
CR South scored three times in the first inning to secure a lead it would never relinquish. Fitzgerald opened with a patient at-bat and worked a walk. Fitzgerald scooted to second on a wild pickoff play, and dashed to third in a deftly placed sacrifice bunt by Donnelly. Fitzgerald scored the first Hawk run on an RBI single by Bret DeStefano.
DeStefano moved to third base on a single by Jeff Miller and scored on an RBI single by senior catcher Dan Callahan. Miller – who moved to third base on the Callahan single – scored the third run of the inning on a wild pitch.
“We told the players before the game that we needed to get an early jump and send a message,” said Young. “That lead was very important for us.”
Council Rock South added an important insurance run in the third inning to boost the lead to 4-0. And once again, Donnelly was in the middle of the inning to help himself.
Donnelly led off the inning with a sharp single – stole second base – and scored on a key RBI double by Miller.
“If we do the little things – throw strikes, play defense, and run the bases – I love our chances,” said Young. “La Salle is going to be a great opponent in the state final, and the team that does the little things will win the game.
“If Bret DeStefano is ready to throw, he will get the start at State College,” added Young. “But Brian Donnelly will be there and ready if we need him.”
DeStefano is one magnificent Plan A – and Donnelly is one wonderful Plan B.
Altoona Mountain Lions 000 000 0 -0 1 0
Council Rock South Golden Hawks 301 000 x -4 6 1
To read Dan Dunkin’s complete game story, please click on the following PhillyBurbs.com link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/baseball/golden-hawks-start-prepping-for-finals/article_6a17a477-a432-5296-bf7c-5ef47ac044b8.html
To reach Dunkin’s column, please click on the following PhillyBurbs.com link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/baseball/true-team-living-a-dream/article_4e36935c-e3b3-5264-a37a-e910cadbb776.html
No Magic Left in Hatter Bag
Royersford - Hatboro-Horsham played the part of a Harry Houdini all season long,as the Hatters pulled out improbable win after improbable win – both in the regular season and in the post-season playoffs. However, Hatboro-Horsham failed to pull a victory out of the ‘hat’ in the PIAA Quad-A semifinal baseball game against La Salle – losing to the District 12 champions - 7-5 – in a game played at Spring-Ford High School.
“There was no a single player in our dugout that didn’t believe that we could come back and play again on Friday,” said Hatboro-Horsham head coach Peter Moore in reference to the Quad-A title game. “Things didn’t happen today that have happened for us all year, but it wasn’t from a lack of competing.”
Hatboro-Horsham – which rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take a 5-2 lead in the third inning – found itself on the short end of a 6-5 score in the sixth inning. The Hatters loaded the bases with two outs, and Grant Opalisky ran the count to 3-2 and fouled off the next four pitches. Opalisky made contact on pitch five and the ball floated into short centerfield where it was caught on the dead run for the final out of the inning – and the last threat of the game for Hatboro-Horsham.
“That was a great at-bat by Grant,” said Moore of his junior designated hitter. “He made the pitcher work, and he saw a lot of pitches. The ball just didn’t fall in.”
“I never doubted that we would be able to come back,” said Hatboro-Horsham senior outfielder Casey Saverio. “I had confidence that if we didn’t come back in the sixth inning, we would come back in the seventh inning.
“I think that we showed people that we deserved to play in this game,” added Saverio. “We know some of the other players on (La Salle’s) team,” added Saverio. “But a loss is a loss. It feels the same to me.”
Ironically, the winning pitcher for La Salle was Kevin Long – who would have attended Hatboro-Horsham if he attended public school.
“I played with a lot of those players in legion baseball,” said Long who threw six strong innings for the Explorers. “All during the game they tease me a little, but we just have fun with it. “
La Salle took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run single by PJ Acierno.
Hatboro-Horsham stormed back to take a 5-2 lead in the third inning. It would prove to be the only inning the Hatters would score in the game.
With one out, Saverio blistered a double and scored moments later on a ringing RBI single by Chris Hens. Hens would advance to second on a single by Opalisky and would score on a double off the bat of Zach Prendergast. With runners on second and third, Opalisky scored on an RBI groundout by Ryan Kelly. Zach Crim was hit by a pitch and promptly stole second base. Both Opalisky and Crim scored on a looping single by Tyler Zingle.
“This team has been resilient all year, and I knew we would bounce right back,” said Moore. “But we didn’t really play a clean game, and we didn’t do the little things we needed to do to win.”
La Salle put together a damaging four run fourth inning to take the lead for good. The Explorers parlayed just two hits - three walks – a hit batter – and a Hatter error into the game-changing inning.
The Hatter pitching staff had been pristine all year – but not today. Hatboro-Horsham issued a staggering 11 bases on balls and one hit batter. La Salle added just six hits to the mix – but the Explorers managed to strand 13 runners on base.
La Salle will move on to meet Council Rock South in the title game, while Hatboro-Horsham is left with wonderful memories of a magical season.
The magic simply ran out.
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters 005 000 0 -5 8 1
La Salle Explorers 020 401 x -7 6 0
To read Todd Thorpe’s complete game story, please click on the following PhillyBurbs.com link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/high_school/intel/backyard-brawl-goes-to-la-salle/article_91cf7f27-1fcc-55a0-bfa7-ec41314b63a4.html
To read Drew Markol’s game sidebar, please click on the following PhillyBurbs.com link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/willow_grove/hatters-fall-in-state-semifinals/article_9c9f45b4-4533-5501-8818-f8dfebf28b71.html
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