(photo of Haverford’s Jimmy Boyle via Alex Geibel)
HAVERTOWN, PA — Haverford High punched its ticket to the District 1 quarterfinals Wednesday, taking down Boyertown 7-2 in the round of 16 behind a dominant outing from Jimmy Boyle that was never really in doubt after the fourth inning.
Boyertown actually got on the board first in the top of the first. Gavin Trainer singled and stole second, and Tilman Henley lined one to right to score him and make it 1-0. But, Haverford settled in quickly and didn’t flinch.
The Fords tied it in the second when Vinny Angelucci singled, moved up on a wild pitch, and Owen Klick lined one to center to bring him home and even it at 1-1. Then in the third, Rocco Kelleher doubled, and Sam Sturman followed with a single to center to flip the lead, 2-1 Haverford.
The fourth inning is where Haverford put the game away for good. Six straight hits, five runs, and a complete takeover. Charlie Pusztay singled to start things, Bobby Menear singled to score him, Klick singled to score Menear, Durkan singled to score Klick, Kelleher singled to score another, and Sturman capped it off with yet another single to push it to 7-1.
It was a clinic — six consecutive singles, five different guys driving in runs, and Boyertown’s pitching staff had no answers.
Boyertown got one back in the fifth on a Trainer double that scored C.J. Cressman to make it 7-2, but that was all they’d get as Haverford took this won 7-2 in a game that was called in the bottom of the sixth for weather.
Boyle was the story on the mound from start to finish. The righty went all six innings, struck out 10, surrendered just six hits and two runs, and didn’t walk a single batter. In a win-or-go-home game, that’s exactly what you need from your ace. For Boyertown, Chase Waibel got the start and lasted just three and a third innings, giving up three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks before handing it off.
Haverford spread the hits around all day — Klick, Angelucci, Kelleher, Menear, and Sturman all went 2-for-the-day, with Klick and Sturman each driving in two. Twelve hits as a team, and nobody had to do too much.
Haverford moves on to the District 1 6A quarterfinals where they will host #8 Neshaminy on Friday at 4:00 PM.
If Haverford wins that, they’d play the winner of Pennsbury and Garnet Valley/Spring-Ford in the semifinals on Tuesday. If they lose, they are not out. They would enter the “states playback” tournament to try and win their way back into states.