(photo via Shelby Kauffman/DBN)
COATESVILLE, PA — The depth of the West Chester Rustin lineup was just too much for Springfield.
Rustin, who is heading to the state semifinals for the first time in program history, had five combined hits, two walks, and three runs batted in from the bottom three hitters in their order.
The teams traded runs in the first inning to get things going with a bang.
TJ Valletti’s RBI double scored Owen Keough, who singled, to start the scoring in the top of the first. Keegan McShea tied it up for Rustin in the bottom of the first with a sac fly, which scored Jackson Roche.
Springfield caught a bit of a break in the top of the second inning, and they capitalized on it. What looked to be an inning ending double play on a line drive to first base was overturned, as a call of catcher’s interference was made.
Instead of the inning ending, the bases became loaded with one out. After a strikeout, Danny Meakim singled in Sean O’Reilly and Shane McCaffrey to put Springfield ahead 3-1.
The game really took a turn in the bottom of the fourth, when Rustin scored four runs to open up a 6-3 lead. That included a two-run single from nine hole hitter Ryan Wood, and another two-run single from Jackson Roche.
The first of those two singles knocked out Springfield starter Nolan Dulski, who allowed four earned runs in 3.1 innings with four strikeouts.
Jack Rae came in and was quickly welcomed by Roche to make it 6-3 Rustin.
Springfield got one back in the fifth on a Johnny Hopkins RBI single, but Rustin really put the game away with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Drew Kraus threw two scoreless innings of relief for Springfield, as he continued a dominant run in the playoffs. The sophomore will be a big part of this Springfield rotation for the next two years.
Another sophomore, Rustin’s Aidan Cugini, started this game for the Golden Knights. He threw 4.2 innings allowing seven hits, two earned runs and had six strikeouts.
Brady Shuffler and Brogan Walsh combined to record the final seven outs to lock down the win for Rustin. Jackson Roche and Ryan Wood both had two hits, while Cole Hoffmayer went 3/4.
The Rustin infield defense was outstanding as well. Jackson Roche and Xavier Wood are as clean as a middle infield pair as I have seen all season along with Cole Lombardo and Harrison Maull at Garnet Valley, and Wood is still just a sophomore. These guys aren’t going away anytime soon.
Rustin will take on District 3’s Greencastle-Antrim on Monday at 2:00 PM at Millersville University for a trip to the state title game. Hollidaysburg out of District 6 and DuBois out of District 9 are on the other side of the bracket.
For Springfield, this is a tough ending, but there is so much to be proud of for this group. These guys were 3-13 in the Central League last season, and this senior class really helped turn this thing around. Two guys especially, Jake Lennon and Nick Corse, who were on varsity all four years.
Lennon unfortunately left this game with an injury, a tough ending to his Cougar career, but he left a great legacy.
Springfield ends the season at 17-9 and will return a ton of talent next year, including Danny Meakim and TJ Valletti on offense, and Drew Kraus and Nolan Dulski on the mound. Freshman Dylan Sheridan was thrown into the fire as the starting catcher this season as well and held down the fort.
That will be it for our Delco High School baseball coverage in 2026. Thank you everyone for following along, and for the support all season long! Special shoutout to the Springfield Boosters, Longen Group Insurance, and the Delco Beer Stop for helping us get the stream going.
Stay tuned for updates on our All-Delco teams as we head into summer ball coverage.
Check out the full broadcast from today’s game: