DREXEL HILL, PA — The only way to get over your last win streak ending is to get a new one started.
Haverford saw their 15-game win streak to begin the season come to a close last Thursday when they fell to Lower Merion 7-1 at home. In their first action since that game, they got back on track with a 6-1 win vs Upper Darby to keep pace for the Central League title race at 13-1 with just two games to go.
Radnor was unable to play their game vs Harriton due to field conditions, so for now, Haverford is 0.5 games up for the conference lead as the Raptors sit at 12-1. A reminder that if these two teams end with the same record they will split the title (lame) regardless of the fact that Haverford won the head-to-head matchup.
Shoutout to Upper Darby for having a turf infield now as this game was played in Drexel Hill with Haverford being the home team.
Gavin McClafferty got the start for the Fords today in this one, and he was in control so much that he got the finish as well. He allowed just three hits and one unearned run while striking out seven and walking zero.
Haverford got on the board first when Ryan Cassidy scored a run all on his own as he walked, stole second, stole third, and then an overthrow on that steal of third allowed him to score and make it 1-0.
The Royals would respond back with their lone run of the game in the top of the second when Ray Fonio singled, advanced to second on a passed ball, and then came into score on a base hit by Justin Butler.
Haverford wouldn’t let Upper Darby starter Pat Callahan get a shutdown inning as the first hitter of the bottom of the second, Charlie Pusztay, homered to left field to put the Fords back ahead 2-1.
Haverford really started to pull away in this game when they put three on the board in the bottom of the fourth.
Nick Elvanian was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Cam McCormack doubled to put runners on second and third. Following a Pusztay walk, the based were loaded with nobody out.
Ben Ishmael delivered an RBI single to have everyone move up 90 feet and make it 3-1. It looked like Pat Callahan was going to pull a houdini act as he got Will Elias and Owen Fleischauer out in the next two at bats, but Ryan Cassidy ripped a two-run gut punch double to put Haverford ahead 5-1.
The Fords would add one more in the fifth on a sac fly from Sam Sturman, but the story of this game was the dominance from Gavin McClafferty. He completed this game in just 78 pitches, and did not walk a single hitter. Of his 78 pitches, 57 of them were strikes.
Shane Durkan also added in two hits for the Fords in the win.
Haverford improves to 13-1 in the Central League and will have a great challenge on Wednesday afternoon as they welcome in a red-hot Conestoga team that is 8-5 in the Central League after they started the season 0-4. Both teams have pretty much wrapped up a playoff berth in the 6A bracket of District 1.
As for Upper Darby, they fall to 1-13 in the Central League and will hit the road to take on Lower Merion (9-4) on Wednesday before ending the season at Conestoga next Monday.