Rocks, Colonials hold off H-T’s late rally
HATFIELD TWP. » The seventh inning got a bit shaky for Gavin Rocks but the Plymouth Whitemarsh right-hander found a way through it.
“It got a little messy,” he said. “It’s all right.”
The Colonials’ 4-0 lead was whittled down to just a run after host Hatfield-Towamencin scored three times in the bottom of the seventh. But with two outs and tying run on second, Rocks ended the Titans’ late charge with strikeout and PW held on for a 4-3 Bux-Mont Connie Mack A win Thursday night at School Road Park.
“We struggled in the last inning but we just needed to shut them down and finish off with a win,” Rocks said. “That’s all we needed.”
Rocks drove in the Colonials’ opening three runs - putting PW up 2-0 runs on a double in the fourth before drawing an RBI walk in the sixth — and also pitched the last four innings to earn the win as PW (7-6) completed a regular-season sweep of H-T.
“I just know I need to step up because we’re on a playoff run,” said Rocks, a rising sophomore at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. “And I just feel like I’m one of those players that can kind of help out our team a lot, especially hitting and pitching and the field, of course.
Luke Gartland, who finished 2-for-4, added an RBI single in the top of the seventh that provided PW with what eventually became a much-needed insurance run.
“We were .500 before this game and we’re better and we can beat any team in the league,” Rocks said. “We’re so talented we just need to focus up and get it all together.”
Colonials starting pitcher Tommy Flaherty allowed just one hit — a Justin Egner infield single in the second — as he threw three shutout innings. Rocks took over on the mound in the fourth and the righty kept the Titans (10-4) off the
scoreboard until the home side mounted its rally bid in the seventh.
Jack Picozzi drew a oneout walk, took second on a wild pitch and scored to make it 4-1 on Aidan Copestick’s RBI single to left.
Quinn Marett followed with a single to center. After steals advanced the runners to second and third, an error on a throw to third allowed Copestick home, cutting H-T’s deficit to 4-2.
With two outs, Charlie Wetzel pulled H-T within one, dropping an RBI single into right to plate Marett. Wetzel went to second on a passed ball but was stranded there when Rocks ended the game with a strikeout swinging.
“I know we’re due for some wins,” Rocks said. “We’re on a playoff run right now and we’re like .500 so I know we just need some wins. I just focused up and shut them down.”
PW is back in action Friday, visiting Nor-Gwyn for a 6 p.m. contest at Hostelley Field. Hatfield-Towamencin hosts Deep Run 8 p.m. Saturday at School Road Park.
“Focus just on hitting the ball in play,” Rocks said. “We cut down on errors a lot today and we got to keep throwing strikes, no more walks.
H-T starting pitcher Aidan Hoy retired the first 11 Plymouth Whitemarsh batters before Gartland became PW’s first base runner with two outs in the fourth on an error.
On the next at-bat, Dylan Robinson collected the Colonials’ first hit with a single up the middle while Rocks followed by doubling to right center, scoring both Gartland and Robinson for a 2-0 lead.
“I was waiting back on a fastball just waiting for him to throw it to me,” Rocks said. “And just got a hold of one and it felt good.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh went up 3-0 in the top of the sixth. The Colonials loaded the bases with no outs after consecutive singles from Luke Caucci and Gartland and a Robinson walk. Rocks followed with another walk to bring in Caucci.
The Colonials still had no outs and the bases loaded but could not capitalize as two strikeouts sandwiched around an infield fly out kept their lead at 3-0.
PW added its fourth run in the seventh when Gartland’s RBI single scored Flaherty, who led off the inning with a walk.