NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA – The Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Blue Devils travel to Episcopal Academy’s Stone Field for a high-stakes PAISAA Quarterfinal clash against the Churchmen. 

With a trip to Thursday’s semifinal against the winner of Perkiomen School vs Haverford School on the line, this Inter-Ac showdown promises fireworks. Episcopal (6-2, 2nd in Inter-Ac) and SCHA (4-6, 4th in Inter-Ac) have split their two meetings this season, setting the stage for a thrilling rubber match.

In their first meeting, Episcopal edged SCHA 4-3 in nine innings, thanks to a walk-off sac-fly by junior Reggie King, who went 3 for 3 with a walk. The Churchmen leaned on small ball and clutch hitting from Spencer Schuh, while reliever Roman Notaro tossed four scoreless innings. SCHA bounced back in the second matchup, winning 8-6 behind strong bullpen performances from Connor Flatow and Joe Piezynski, who outdueled the EA bullpen after they allowed five runs in three innings. 

With both teams’ pitching staffs fully rested, Episcopal will rely on the Inter-Ac experience of Hunter West and Logan Correll. West, who started the first SCHA game, mixes a mid-upper 80s fastball with a sharp slider to challenge the Blue Devils’ aggressive lineup. Correll, a Lehigh commit, is a versatile arm who could see action as a starter or reliever if needed, bringing his poise in high-stakes situations. Offensively, juniors Dillon Walls and Spencer Schuh are Episcopal’s catalysts along with King and Jake Virbitsky, capable of sparking rallies with timely hits.

SCHA is liking to roll out either freshman Connor Crittenden or junior Stokes Tate to start. They also possess a very capable bullpen with the experience against the EA lineup, as Joe Piezynski pitched four innings, allowing only one run. The Blue Devils’ lineup, led by the backstop Paul Cifra and first basemen Dax Caplan, combines power, speed, and the ability to take their walks to test Episcopal’s defense. 

Episcopal’s game plan centers on small ball, using bunts and clutch hitting to pressure SCHA’s infield. SCHA will aim to drive up pitch counts and exploit Episcopal’s week bullpen, as they did in their 8-6 victory. With both teams familiar with each other’s strategies, execution will be critical. 

Episcopal’s strong league standing and home-field advantage give them a slight edge, but SCHA’s grit and recent win over the Churchmen make this a toss-up. First pitch at 4 PM at Stone Field–expect a lively crowd and a hard-fought battle.

(cover photo via Andy Marchese/Delco Baseball Now)

WEST CHESTER, PA — West Chester Rustin (15-6) shut down the defending champion Marple Newtown (8-13) 2-0 in a PIAA 5A District 1 first-round battle at West Chester Bayard Rustin High School on Monday, advancing to the quarterfinals behind a masterful performance from junior ace AJ Calio.

Calio, a Vanderbilt commit, was untouchable, tossing a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts, walking only 4, and catcher Dan Giordano supported his battery mate by throwing out two of those walked batters. Calio fanned two batters to start the game, setting the tone, and struck out the side in the fourth and fifth, stifling Marple Newtown’s offense. The Tigers, who upset Strath Haven 4-1 on May 12, couldn’t solve Calio’s 92 mph fastball or his low-80s slider and changeup, managing just four baserunners across seven innings.

Marple Newtown’s Jack Maholick, a Catholic University commit, kept the game scoreless through five innings, allowing just three hits with four punchouts. But Maholick’s control wavered, with two walks and two hit-by-pitches–three of which were in the fifth inning–and Rustin broke through in the sixth against reliever Jake Gorman. 

Giordano reached on a Tigers error, McClain and Calio bunted for singles to third, and a wild pitch scored Giordano. Nate Lewis’ sacrifice fly plated McClain, giving Rustin a 2-0 lead. Calio sealed the win in the seventh, striking out two to end it, using 110 pitches to do so.

That’s one of the best postseason pitching performances you’ll ever see at any level.

Rustin, the 5-seed, advances to face Upper Dublin, the 4-seed, riding Calio’s arm and timely small ball in the sixth. Marple Newtown, the 12-seed, finishes at 8-13, their title defense cut short despite a gritty effort from Maholick. Last year’s champions–who beat Phoenixville, Chichester, Strath Haven, and Radnor to claim the 5A crown–couldn’t replicate their 2024 magic, but their experience on the mound made this a hard-fought battle for Rustin on their home turf.

MALVERN, PA — Malvern Prep (9-1 Inter-Ac) dominated Monsignor Bonner (7-5 PCL) 13-1 on Friday evening, a game that was relocated from Bonner’s flood-prone dirt field to Malvern’s turf due to a ton of rain and several flood warnings.

The rain let up for this game as the Friars’ bats erupted in their final tune-up before the PAISAA Tournament, likely with both teams preserving players for the playoffs. 

Malvern surged ahead in the first inning, plating six runs. Brady Abate walked, stole second, and scored on Andrew Pellicciotta’s double. A Bonner error allowed Pellicciotta to score, and Chase Ecker’s bunt single set up Owen Hammond’s RBI single, scoring Sergio. Walks to Moore and Ryan Capobranco, plus passed balls, ballooned the lead to 6-0. 

The Friars added seven more in the fourth with Ecker’s two-run double scoring Abate and Jackson Melconian, followed by Hammond’s two-run double to plate Sergio and a courtesy runner. Capabranco’s RBI single and Abate’s hit-by-pitch, capped by Melconian’s sacrifice fly, made it 13-1.

Ecker was untouchable on the mound, tossing 4 shutout innings with 1 hit allowed and 2 strikeouts, silencing Bonner’s lineup. Monsignor Bonner scratched across a lone run in the fifth when Cory Sheridan scored during a Sean Dugan, who reached on a walk, steal of second, making it 13-1. Bonner’s pitchers struggled, issuing 8 walks and hitting 3 batters, unable to contain Malvern’s aggressive base running and timely hitting.

Malvern, finishing 29-5 and atop the Inter-Ac, enters the PAISAA Tournament as the 1-seed, hosting the Hill vs Penn Charter (the game will be played on Saturday) winner on Tuesday.

Monsignor Bonner, sixth in the Catholic League, heads to Father Judge on Sunday at 12:00 for their playoff opener. The regular season finale tested both teams’ depth, but Malvern’s firepower proved too much as they head into the postseason with momentum looking to win their third straight state title, while Bonner looks to regroup for their Catholic League playoff run. 

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Episcopal Academy (5-4) battled through some light rain to secure a 10-7 victory over Penn Charter (3-6) at Ralph F. Palia Field, the home of the Quakers, on Wednesday afternoon. Both teams were likely trying to preserve all their players for the upcoming PAISAA Tournament. 

The soggy conditions added drama as both teams fought for momentum heading into the playoffs. The slick turf field and wet baseball accounted for several errors in this game.

The Churchman struck first in the top of the first inning. Dillon Walls and JD Amoroso reached on errors by Penn Charter’s third baseman and pitcher, setting up the stage for Reggie King’s two-run double to left for a 2-0 lead. 

Penn Charter took the lead in the third, a Kyle McKernan walk followed by a Ryan Musial single, and three more walks tied the game at 2-2. Then, a Gavin Ruta sacrifice fly took the lead for the Quakers, making it 3-2.

Episcopal Academy grabbed the lead back in the fourth. Dillon Walls doubled to score Logan Correll, and another Penn Charter error allowed Walls to score, giving EA a 4-3 lead. They broke it open in the fifth with an Ian Ferrell RBI single and a Baxter Schuh two-run double, driving in King and Correll to make it 7-3. Ferrell added a two-run single in the sixth, scoring Jake Virbitsky and King to push the lead to 9-4. Walls scored again in the seventh on another Penn Charter error, making it 10-4.

The rain-slicked field contributed to Penn Charter’s late rally in the seventh. A bases-loaded ground out followed by an error allowed Ruta and Muni German to score, that brought the game to 10-7. This was not enough, as Penn Charter fell to Episcopal by a score of 10-7. 

Now 6-4, Episcopal Academy, the three seed in the PAISAA State Tournament, will have to wait for the winner of the Springside Chestnut Hill vs Westtown game to see who they will play on Tuesday. Penn Charter, now 3-7 and a nine seed, will head to the Hill School on Friday in hopes of keeping their season alive.

In that same bracket, The Haverford School will head to Friends Central on Friday for the first round. Malvern Prep has a bye and on Tuesday will play the winner of that Penn Charter/Hill School game.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA – Marple Newtown turned on the lights for a 6:30 home game on their turf field–one of the finest in the area–and turned up the heat, upsetting Strath Haven by a score of 4-1 in a Central League showdown with the PIAA District 1 5A playoffs just one week away.

The Tigers pounced in the second inning. Junior right fielder Sean Grogan singled and stole second before a pair of Strath Haven errors allowed Grogan to score, and freshman first baseman Jordan DiPinto to reach. Junior centerfielder Jackson Burger then ripped a two-run double to right, scoring the courtesy runner Aiden Doney and DiPinto to widen the lead to 3-0.

They added another run in the fourth inning when Doney, running for Kevin Agger, scored on a DiPinto ground ball, stretching the lead to 4-0 going into the fifth. 

Strath Haven tried to spark some late life in the sixth inning when Eli Price reached second base with less than two out after an error. This was ultimately unfruitful as Strath Haven would continue to struggle against Marple Newtown’s Sophomore pitcher Kevin Wigo, who tossed a complete game, striking out five and only allowing three hits all night. 

The Panthers did manage to break through in the seventh inning when Quinn Kell walked, went first to third on an Atticus Bean single, and scored on Patrick O’Connor’s sacrifice fly. They cut the deficit to 4-1, but this was too little, too late from the Panthers as Wigo shut the door with a game-ending flyout from Milligan. 

Pitcher Rob Mattai took a tough loss for Starth Haven, allowing 4 runs (only one earned) over four innings while totaling 6 strikeouts. Now 10-6, Strath Haven’s hopes of hosting a playoff game took a hit, though they can still be a dangerous team in the playoffs with Boston College recruit and RHP Luke D’Ancona potentially returning to the mound.

A rematch looms large–last year, Marple Newtown ended Strath Haven’s season by upsetting them 13-2 in the 5A semifinals en route to the championship over Radnor.

Marple Newtown, now 6-10, reminded everyone of their postseason potential as they get the momentum rolling into the playoffs next Monday. The PIAA rankings can be a bit confusing, but it appears as though Marple Newtown may get the last seed and be rewarded with a trip to West Chester Rustin to take on Vanderbilt recruit A.J. Calio and the Golden Knights.

Strath Haven is currently scheduled to be the #9 seed and travel to Phoenixville in the first round.