Saturday non-conference games in high school baseball can be so unique.
It’s not like other sports such as basketball or football where you are typically getting the best that the other team has to offer 99% of the time. Pitching typically has to be reserved for conference games, so that can lead to some slugfests.
Other times, it can lead to 1-0 games, and that’s baseball.
Haverford School 1, St. Joe’s Prep 0
By: Brendan Ricciardi:
It took until the bottom of the seventh for a run to finally cross the plate, but it was well worth it for The Haverford School.
The Fords loaded the bases on a one-out single from Braydon Scanlan followed by back-to-back walks from David Falcone and Ethan Stern. That set the stage for nine-hole hitter Danny Getz, who delivered a base to right field to end this great non-conference showdown.
Gabe Danisi, who missed all of 2025 with an injury, was very good on the mound. He went 5.1 innings with six hits allowed, zero earned runs and eight strikeouts. Matt Borden gets the win after he retired all five batters he faced including two strikeouts.
Of the Fords’ five hits, Getz had two, Scanlan had two, and Thomas Lawler had one.
The Fords now sit at 4-2 on the year and will host Pennridge for another great non-conference game on Wednesday.
Malvern Prep 16, La Salle 3
By: Brendan Ricciardi:
I said that in yesterday’s newsletter we had a great non-conference matchup between two of the best programs in the state, but this one was just all Friars.
Malvern scored multiple runs in all four innings that they hit, with two in the first, five in the second, two in the third, and seven in the fourth to hit the mercy rule.
Speaking of seven, that’s how many runs Malvern Prep outfielder and Wake Forest recruit Brady Abate drove in today. Not bad!
That included a three-run homer as well. Bryan Cogliano left the yard as well for the Friars.
Jack Herbein had a solid outing, striking out seven over four innings with five hits allowed and three earned runs. Tommy Sergio also had two hits for the Friars.
Malvern improves to 3-0 and will host Shanahan for a non-conference game on Monday.
Plymouth-Whitemarsh 12, Haverford 2
By: Brendan Ricciardi:
This is just one of those “burn the tape” type of games for the Fords, who are one of the best teams in Delco.
Maybe it was the emotional win over Garnet Valley last night that just had them a bit flat today, but Plymouth-Whitemarsh scored eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to run away with this one late.
Owen Klick had two of the four hits for the Fords including a triple. Cam McCormack also doubled and Grayson Boebert added a hit.
Jayden Luistro struck out five over two scoreless innings to start the game.
While a disappointing performance for the Fords, I don’t think there’s too much to worry about here. Just a bad inning that got away from them. They fall to 1-2 and will host Lower Merion on Monday for a battle of two top Central League teams from last year.
Sidwell 6, Friends Central 3
By: Jonah Casel:
Two Quaker schools faced off in sunny Myrtle Beach on Saturday morning. Only one of these teams, however, is from the Delco area, so we’ll focus on that one.
Friends’ Central started Gavin Yeager, who has taken on the job of being the Phoenix’s top pitching option due to Michael Mamaluy’s injury taking him out indefinitely. Yeager pitched very well against The Haverford School last week, and he was solid again today, striking out eleven and allowing four runs in 5.2 innings.
Caleb Bachman sent one over the wall for Friends’ Central’s first home run of 2026. He added a single to top off his best game of the young season. Bachman has been expected to take a bigger role in Friends’ Central’s lineup that is missing key players due to injuries.
Sophomores Zac Canterino and Fisher Haggerty knocked in one run and had two base hits each. Neither pitched today, but they are both tasked with taking the mound in the upcoming days for the Phoenix.
Friends’ Central will have to shake off the loss quickly, because they still have three games to play in Myrtle Beach before heading back to the City Ave campus. Tomorrow at 8:30 AM they play New Castle, another team from Pennsylvania making the spring break trip.