D’town comes back to beat Express

DOWNINGTOWN » The Downingtown American Legion baseball team showed why it is the top seed in the Chester County League playoffs Saturday afternoon.

Despite being shorthanded, the Diamond Dawgs roared back from a two-run deficit and advanced to Monday’s winners bracket with a 4-2 win over Westtown. Relief pitcher Carter Rieben earned the win with four innings of shutout baseball and he tied the game with a big two-run single in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rieben allowed the Express just three hits.

Downingtown will now host Spring City, tentatively, Monday at 2 p.m. Westtown goes into the losers bracket to play the winner of the West Chester vs. Oxford game today at 11 a.m at West Chester Rustin.

“Carter has been doing well for us all year,” Downingtown manager Scott Rambo said. “He comes in and throws strikes and lets our infield make the plays. I thought our third baseman Evan Williams played a great game today and in the bottom of the fourth when we got all our runs Carter came up with the big hit and Tommy Eliason got us going with a double and Dylan Dirocco laid down a great bunt for us. We played well today despite being short a few guys and I thought we had great at bats in the fourth inning.”

Westtown (7-8) got out early against Downingtown (14-1) starter Aidan McEvoy in the top of the third inning. Dylan DeMarco led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a sharp RBI single from Ben Watson to give the Express a 1-0 lead. Spencer Piercy followed with another RBI poke after Watson stole second and suddenly Westtown was up 2-0 after three innings with Matt Fricker on the mound.

But Downingtown has come from behind many times this season and the Diamond Dawgs did it once again Saturday in the bottom of the fourth inning. Eliason led off with a double to right center to get the party started, and after Jack Dovido was hit by a Fricker pitch, DiRocco bunted the runners up a base with one out.

Fricker then walked Jackson Jonik to load the bases with one out. On a 1-1 pitch, Rieben took a Fricker pitch to center field, scoring two Downingtown runners and it was a 2-2 game. But, Downingtown was not done yet. After Aaron Sipes popped out to third baseman Pat McDonough for the second out, Matt Walter ripped a Fricker fastball for a two-run single and Downingtown had a 4-2 lead.

“I hit a fastball up a little,” Rieben said. “I just tried to get the bat on the ball in that situation and i got a good part of the bat on it.”

With Downingtown holding a 4-2 lead it was up to Rieben to hold Westtown down. But, the Express put their first two men on base in the top the fifth inning when both Watson and Piercy singled.

Owen King then could not lay a bunt down and Rieben struck him out on a high fastball for the first out. Matt Fricker flied out to right field and then rueben picked Piercy off first and the Express threat was ended.

“I do not have a different mindset when I come in relief,” Rieben said. “I just try to throw strikes and let the defense dod the job. We have a very good infield and they make all the plays for me. It’s just try to pound the zone with strikes and let the defense do their thing.”

Westtown threatened again in the top of the sixth inning when with two out, Ryan Wittman doubled to right field. But, Rieben came back strong and struck out Dave Subers to preserve the 4-2 Downingtown advantage after six innings. Westtown went down in order in the top of the seventh with Rieben striking out Piercy to end the game.

“We had our chances in a couple of innings,” Westtown manager Tom Travers said. “But Downingtown is a great team. They are so well coached. But we are still alive and will come out battling Sunday.”