Rovner excels on mound for Plymouth
Wiss grad making transition to Perky play
PLYMOUTH TWP. >> Quinn Rovner is quickly becoming one of the top pitchers in the Perkiomen Valley Twilight League.
The Plymouth right-hander entered Monday’s game against Ambler with a 0.32 ERA in 22 innings.
He continued his dominant rookie-campaign in the adult league, pitching the Diamonds to a 4-3 win over the Brewers at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.
Rovner went six innings and allowed three runs — one earned — on eight hits. He struck out five batters to two walks as he picked up his third win of the season.
“It’s a lot different,” the recent Wissahickon grad said, comparing the Perky League to high school. “The skill-set is a lot higher. Coming into my first game I saw that everyone was a lot bigger, a lot stronger and they actually knew how to hit. It wasn’t just a bunch of high school kids. It’s good for me. It will really help give me the transition I need. My teammates are amazing, too.
“It’s been really fun, educational and I learned a few things because most of these guys are in college. I can learn from them. I can ask anything I want. It’s been good.”
Rovner, who will be pitching at Muhlenberg College next year, used his fastball, changeup and curveball against Ambler.
The first two runs he allowed Monday night were unearned. Routine groundballs to second and third base resulted in the batters reaching second. The first error would have ended the inning before a Sam Plaugher RBI single gave Ambler a 1-0 lead. In the third inning Nick Fasano reached on an error to start the inning and he scored on a Joe Picozzi single, doubling the Brewers lead to 2-0.
The only earned run Rovner allowed was a solo home run to Picozzi in the fifth inning, which broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Brewers a one-run lead.
“I know I trust my guys behind me,” Rovner said. “I know they’re going to make some plays and they did — a line drive back to the first baseman for a double play — that was huge for us. Errors are going to happen. I make mistakes myself giving up that home run, but I know we’re always going to comeback and tonight, obviously we did with that win.”
Hutch comes up clutch
Mike Hutchinson had the game-winning RBI for Plymouth. With one out and the bases loaded with the game tied at three in the bottom of the sixth inning, the 2018 Upper Merion grad grounded out to shortstop and brought the go-ahead run home.
Hutchinson, a rising sophomore at the University of Delaware, went 2-for-4 in the game with a pair of singles.
“We talked about the pitcher (Ambler starter Pete Moore) before the game,” he said. “Three-pitch pitcher, cutter kind of guy, so I knew right out of the gate he was sitting outside. I figured just dagger the ball, take it the other way. That’s where I went with the approach.”
He entered Monday’s game hitting .364 in 16 games. He leads the team in hits (22), triples (3) and RBIs (13).
It’s a busy summer for Hutchinson. He is also playing for Valley Forge in the Greater Norristown American Legion Baseball League. He’s hitting .417 for the Generals.
“(Life is) pretty much work 8-5 and then come over here and come to the games,” Hutchinson said. “The coaches in the other league they understand. Obviously this is 18-and-up so we take it a little more seriously than over there, but over there I like to get my swings in, work on some groundballs and stuff like that. Over here I do what I can.”
Controversial ending
Monday’s game between the third place Diamonds (13-7) and the eighth place Brewers (10-12) didn’t end without controversy.
Trailing, 4-3, Fasano led off the top of the seventh inning with a double. Brett Reynolds entered the game to pinch run and got picked off by Plymouth closer Andrew Huebner. Reynolds, along with Ambler’s coaching staff and bench, argued that a balk should’ve been called. The umpires huddled up and decided to stick with the original ruling.
Jason Kelmer followed with a double, which would’ve scored Reynolds to tie the game and put the go-ahead run in scoring position with no outs. Moore took over at second base to pinch run.
After a strikeout, Chris Hens singled to left field and John Wagner threw the tying run out at home to end the game.