Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Lionville holds top spot in Legion play
1st-place Lionville holds on to beat 2nd-place Red Sox
When two of the most talented and dedicated American Legion teams face off against each other, it usually figures to be an exciting, tense affair.
Monday night at Downingtown East High School, Lionville and Spring City did not disappoint, turning what looked like a blowout early on into a close finish, as the first-place Hillcats pulled out a 7-5 win to take a two-game lead over the second-place Red Sox with just three to play before the playoffs start July 7.
Lionville (9-2) jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but the Red Sox (7-4) came back with five big runs in the top of third inning to make it a 7-5 game and Spring City had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the seventh before Hillcats closer Scott Jewett escaped the jam and secured the victory.
“It is real important to go into the playoffs in the No. 1 spot,” Lionville coach Brett Mariani said. “These guys beat us earlier in the year when they had a 9-0 lead and we came back to tie the game before they won it in their last at bat. We knew when we got the 7-0 lead that they would not quit and they would come back.”
Lionville scored a run on no hits in the first inning as Red Sox hurler Thomas Hughes walked four Lionville batters. But the Hillcats really broke through in the bottom of the second inning.
Brendan Kane led off with a walk and went to second on an Austin Taylor single. Mike Evans loaded the bases with a single and after Hughes struck out the next two Hillcats, Will Peiffer ripped an RBI single to make it a 2-0 game. After two more walks from Hughes, designated hitter Justin George roped a long three-run double to clear the bases and give Lionville a 7-0 lead.
“I try to stay ready as a designated hitter by taking a lot of batting practice,” George said. “So I was ready and I hit an inside fastball, a little up in the zone just like I like it. To beat these guys was important for us because we lost to them early in the season and we did not want to go 0-2 against them. We are trying to be the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.”
With Lionville starter Hutch Gagnon cruising through the first two frames it looked like the rout was on. But the Red Sox came right back in the top of the third inning by plating five runs on three hits, while getting an assist from two Gagnon walks.
The big hit for the Red Sox was a bases-clearing double to left field by catcher Ryan Harvey. Harvey also added a single in the game and was in the ondeck circle when the game ended in the seventh inning.
“I really wanted to get another chance into seventh,” Harvey said. “But, I have a lot of confidence in my teammates and I thought we were going to pull it out. We were able to come back in this game because we are a battle tested team and we have been in a lot of big games before.”
Jacob Matthew came in relief of Hughes in the third inning for Spring City and the crafty right hander shut the Hillcats down in his four innings of work, allowing just two hits and two walks, after Hughes walked seven batters in two innings. Matthew was around the plate the entire four innings he worked.
But, Gagnon also put up goose eggs for the Hillcats until the seventh inning. Sam Barletta led off the final frame with a solid single to center. Brad Clemens then worked a walk to put two men on with no one out. Hughes laid down a perfect bunt and beat the throw to first to make it very uncomfortable for Jewett, who came in relief of Gagnon after Clemens walked.
But the Hillcats closer is used to these tight spots. After getting Casey Caras to pop out to second base for the first out, Jewett blew fastballs by Quinn McKenna and JC Reed to end the game and Lionville celebrated a little cushion in the standings.
“We really would like to go in the playoffs as the No. 1 seed,” Mariani said. “We feel we are the best team in the league although we don’t always play like that so tonight was a big win for us.”