Springfield captured its fourth consecutive District One AA title on Tuesday. To view photos of all the action, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Scott Huff
Cairn University – Springfield was crowned PIAA Class AA District One champions for the fourth consecutive season as the Spartans rallied to defeat top-seeded New Hope-Solebury by an 8-6 margin.
It was Marten Pauwels delivering the blow that changed the fortunes of the Spartans when – with his team trailing 5-3 in the fifth inning - the senior catcher delivered a grand slam.
“The ball that Marten Pauwels hit pretty much shut everyone up,” said Springfield head coach Dennis Primavera in reference to Pauwels booming grand slam homerun with two outs in the fourth inning that gave the Spartans a 7-5 lead. “He crushed that ball over 400 feet. Marten is our third hitter for a reason – he has been our best hitter all season.”
Pauwels grand slam – the first of his career - was set up after Jeff Hammons, Mike Johnston and Ian Quinn collected consecutive singles to load the bases with one out. After a strikeout for the inning’s second out, Pauwels stepped into the batter’s box and got all of a fastball.
“I was just looking to get my pitch,” he said. “Plain and simple.
“I knew it was a good swing. I knew I drove it, and I put it together after I took a couple of steps.”
The Lions made it a 7-6 game with a run in the bottom of the inning, but the Spartans got that one back in the sixth. Johnston led off the inning with a double, and scored on Chris Binet’s double for the 8-6 final.
Hammons relieved starter and winning pitcher Ed Bacino in the sixth, and he silenced the Lions the rest of the way. In two scoreless innings of relief, he did not allow a hit while striking out one.
“We were in tight games all year,” Pauwels said. “We tried to play our butts off, but we just lost it at times.
“We lost in two walk-offs this season. We were in it with every single team in that league, but we just couldn’t put the ‘W’ together. As our coach has been saying, the longer we go – the better we’re getting. It’s falling together, and it’s awesome to see.”
With Tuesday’s win, the Spartans, playing on just three days rest, effectively negated any advantage the Lions may have had with five days rest after playing their semifinal game last Wednesday.
“We were confident in each other, and we were confident that whoever was going to be on the hill in today’s game would throw a strong outing,” Pauwels said. “We knew Julian (Salzer) was done, so it was on to the next guy. We have to rely on our entire team.
“Eddie (Bacino) stepped up today and did great. We did great as a team. We hit the ball.”
All told, the Spartans pounded out 11 hits, and it was Pauwels leading the way with a 3-for-3 effort that included a triple, home run and three RBIs.
“He was going to go to Temple to play his college ball, but they dropped the program,” added Primavera of his catcher that is projected to be an outfielder at the next level. “If nothing comes up that seems right to him – he will go to Hillsboro Junior College in Florida. And that isn’t a bad place to be.”
Binet was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI, and Johnston was 2-for-3 with a double. Hetrick had 2 RBI.
Bacino earned the win, throwing five innings and allowing eight hits and six runs (four earned) while walking two and striking out three. Hammons earned the save with two scoreless innings of relief. He did not allow a hit and fanned one while walking two.
The Spartans next game will be against the ‘runner-up’ of the contest between Philadelphia Catholic League champion Neumann-Goretti and Philadelphia Public League champion Philadelphia Academy Charter that will be played Wednesday. The winner of that City Title game automatically goes to states – the loser plays Springfield for the second Class AA invitation on Thursday.
“Playing for district championships is a realistic goal for us each year,” said Primavera. “When we play the strong league schedule (SOL American Conference) it makes us a better team. We look forward to the playoffs, and we have been very successful.”
Anything less than a district title, according to Pauwels, would have been disappointing.
“It’s been our goal to get to this point, even when it was snowing outside,” he said. “It was a long season, and it’s unbelievable to see what’s happened to this team. It’s awesome.”
Extra innings: In the first inning, Binet singled and scored on a triple by Pauwels, who later crossed the plate on a groundout by Bacino to spot the Spartans a 2-0 lead. The Lions scored four in the second to go on top 4-2, but in the top of the third, Pauwels, who singled, scored on a single by Hetrick to make it a 4-3 game. The Lions plated a single run in the third, but their 5-3 lead was anything but secure.
Springfield Spartans 2 0 1 4 0 1 0 - 8 11 5
New Hope Solebury Lions 0 4 1 1 0 0 0 - 6 6 2
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