FINAL: West Chester East 6, Warwick 1; Warriors eliminated from States
ROYERSFORD - Greetings from Ram Stadium on the campus of Spring-Ford High School, just off Route 422 near King-of-Prussia. I’m here for the first round of the PIAA Quad-A baseball playoffs - Warwick, the District 3 third-place finisher, is set to take on District 1 champ West Chester East. Winner advances; loser is done. First pitch is 2 p.m., and I’ll post updates as the game goes on. West Chester East is the home team, and is wearing white uniforms with red trim. Warwick is the visiting team and is wearing white uniforms with black trim. Feel free to spread this link to your friends. Sit tight and stay tuned for game updates …
STARTING PITCHERS: For Warwick, righty Adam Zipko, and for West Chester East, righty Jay Lynch.
GAME NOTES … Lynch is heading to Binghamton University. He’s one of four WCE players who earned full rides to D-I. Lynch is 9-2 with a 1.34 ERA this season. Nice breaking ball … Tough luck in the top of the first for Warwick. Mark Stuckey fanned to lead off the game, but Kyle Keener lined a single to right. That brough up Zach Shank, who ripped a liner to first. Derek Prucnal made the stab and doubled off Keener. … Zipko got off to a hot start in the bottom of the first, whiffing Prucnal and getting Zach Mouton on a short pop to center. But then he started nibbling, walking Steve Snyder and Justin Leeson, and then uncorking a wild pitch to put runners on second and third. That brought up Chad Miller, who sliced a single to right, plating Snyder and Leeson and WCE leads 2-0. Both walks scored. The hits keep coming for WCE: Tom Spitz pelted a hard single to left, and WCE has runners on first and second. Wheels are coming off here for the Warriors early on - Zipko plunks Justin Orton and the bases are juiced. Zipko finally gets out of it, getting Rich Brice to fly to left - could have been a lot worse, but WCE leads 2-0 after one. Zipko needed 30 pitches to get out of the first. … Good start for Warwick in the top of the 2nd: Austin Klinger slams a double to the gap in right-center. Thompson is courtesy runner. And Warwick is on the board: Zipko helped his own cause, dunking a single over short, scoring Thompson and making it 2-1 WCE - two outs. Lynch got out of it, getting Jordan Donmoyer to pop to center. Bottom of the second coming up - 2-1 WCE. … WCE brought its sticks: 9-hole hitter Tyler Quaile leads with a ground single to left and is bunted to second by leadoff man Prucnal. And Quaile goes to third when Mouton singles to right. And now Mouton steals second. Second and third and one out for WCE. Sticky spot for Zipko, who walks Snyder to load the bases with one out. Leeson hits a hopper to SS. Shank knocked it down, but safe all around - and WCE leads 3-1. Warwick assistant Bob Locker went out to settle down the troops - and Warwick has action in its bullpen down the left-field line. And now it’s 4-1 - Miller hits a sac fly to center, scoring Mouton. Two complete: 4-1 WCE. … And some ‘Wooly Booly’ action on the PA. Gotta love that. … Keener slammed a 2-out triple to deep center for Warwick, but Lynch had a K and a pair of grounders to SS. … Nice bounce-back inning for Zipko, who allows a 2-out double to Quaile, but punches out two in the frame. End 3 - WCE leads 4-1. … Quick inning for Lynch, who punches out Klinger and Baucom before Ansel singles to right. But Zipko popped out to first to end the inning. Still 4-1 WCE. … Uh-oh - troubles for Warwick in the bottom of the fourth. Mouton reached on an error by the first baseman and then Zipko plunked Snyder in the helmet. Leeson followed with a single to left, scoring Mouton and giving WCE a 5-1 lead. And it’s now 6-1 on Miller’s sac fly to right, playing Snyder. We head to the top of fifth and WCE is up 6-1. … 1-2-3 fifth for Lynch: Donmoyer flied to right, Garner struck out and Stuckey popped to left. Still 6-1, bottom fifth. … Zipko works out of trouble in the fifth, allowing two singles, but no further damage. Through five complete, it’s 6-1 WCE. … Just what the doctor ordered - Keener works a leadoff walk in the sixth. Warwick showing signs of life here, when Shank hit a B-B to SS, who couldn’t handle it for an E6 - Keener to third. Warriors have first and third and nobody out. Tough luck for Warwick - Lynch settles in and fans Klinger, gets Baucom to pop to short center, and then Ansel grounded out to second. Warriors strand two. Bottom 6 - 6-1 WCE. … 1-2-3 sixth for Zipko (his first 1-2-3 frame today), who got Leeson to sky to right, Miller to pop to 1B and Spitz grounded to first. Last chance for Warwick coming up in the top of the seventh. … Warwick top 7 - Zipko doubles to left. High courtesy runner at 2B. Donmoyer struck out swinging. One down. Runner on second. Garner sweet bunt single, High to third. Interesting. Stuckey pops up to the catcher. Two down. Two on. Keener chops into fielder’s choice at SS. Game over. West Chester East wins 6-1. … Thanks for dropping by.
