NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA — It may have taken nine innings, but the third time was the charm for Episcopal as they looked for their first Inter-Ac win of the season.
The Churchmen took down Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy by a 4-3 final behind a Reggie King walk-off sac fly in the bottom of the ninth. King would have five plate appearances today and went 3/3 with a walk and that sac fly, a pretty good day the office if you ask us.
Episcopal came out of the gate hot after a 1-2-3 inning from starter Hunter West when Dillon Walls doubled to lead off the bottom of the first. JD Amoroso bunted him over to third, and Spencer Schuh continued the small ball with a fielder’s choice that brought in Walls.
The small ball would continue and pay off again in the bottom of the second for the Churchmen. Will Cohen was hit by a pitch (one of three on the day, ouch) and Logan Correll bunted him over to second. Reggie King then singled to put runners on the corner, and Baxter Schuh’s groundout made it 2-0.
Shoutout to the Schuh parents for teaching their kids how to get that run in.
The score remained 2-0 EA through three innings thanks to great pitching from Hunter West, but the Blue Devils were ready to break through. They would plate three runs in the top of the fourth, two on singles and one on an error to put them ahead 3-2.
Fast forward to the sixth, Hunter West’s day was done after five strong innings, but the Churchmen still trailed 4-3 with just six outs to play with.
Reggie King led off the sixth with another single, and after a failed bunt attempt, Dillon Walls walked to make it first and second. JD Amoroso grounded into a fielder’s choice to make it first and third with two outs, setting the stage for Spencer Schuh.
As foreshadowed above, Schuh would deliver in the clutch, with an RBI single to tie the game up at 3-3.
Roman Notaro was now in the game in relief for Episcopal, and he was fantastic. He would pitch scoreless sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings for the Churchmen and needed something from his offense to walk it off.
That looked like it was coming in the bottom of the seventh when Episcopal loaded the bases with one out, but in just brutal luck, Ian Ferrell ripped a line drive right at the third baseman who stepped on third for the double play.
That’s baseball.
Another line drive double play in the eighth erased Episcopal’s threat when Spencer Schuh lined out to the pitcher, who fired it back to first base to turn two.
Would the third time be the charm in the ninth?
Well, Episcopal once again loaded the bases with no outs. Jake Virbitsky walked, Hunter West bunted and it was misplayed, and then Will Cohen was hit by another pitch to put three ducks on the pond.
After a pitching change, Logan Correll struck out for the first out. The hottest hitter on the team Reggie King stepped up and on a 1-0 pitch, he sent a fly ball out to center field that was just deep enough to score Virbitsky with a very close play at the plate.
The 4-3 win puts Episcopal at 1-2 in the Inter-Ac, they will play their next game on Tuesday at The Haverford School (0-3)