MARPLE TOWNSHIP – At one point on Wednesday, Wayne was seven outs away from a Championship Series sweep of Upper Darby and a record 19th Delco League title.  A little more than 48 hours later, the defending champions have their first losing streak of the season, and the Blue Sox have picked themselves up off the mat and forced one final game for the title.

 

A five-run first inning made the difference as second-seeded Upper Darby held on for a 5-4 win over top-seeded Wayne at Cardinal O'Hara on Friday night, forcing a decisive Game 5 on Saturday afternoon.

 

Upper Darby took advantage of its second chance against Koll Peichel, scoring five times in the first inning.  After allowing two hits in five shutout innings in Game 1 on Sunday, Peichel ran into trouble almost immediately, as Sammy Burman hit a one-out single, moved to second on a fielding error, went to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a double by Christian Strickland, whose courtesy runner would eventually come in to score on two more wild pitches.

 

Steve Theisen and Joe Suppa followed with walks before Max Anastasio crushed a three-run home run to left center to give the hosts a 5-0 lead after one.

 

Wayne began to chip away in the second as Drew Van Horn drew a leadoff walk against Sam Wright, Matt Kane singled two batters later, and both came in to score on a double by Alden Mathes.  Wright and Peichel then combined to allow just four base runners over the next two innings.

 

Things tightened further in the top of the fifth.  Luke Zimmerman reached on a one-out single before a home run to dead center by Steven Wells brought the defending champions within one at 5-4.  Sean Mohollen followed with a single to chase Wright from the game; as he left, it seemed the momentum in the series was leaving with him.

 

Ben Thorpe came on and after getting ahead of Van Horn, hit him with a pitch before a fly ball allowed pinch runner Jake Siani to get to third with two down.  It was then Thorpe's turn to make way for Upper Darby's rubber-armed veteran, Johnny Gonzalez.  Two nights after throwing a complete game in Game 3 and a candidate to start Game 4, he instead came on in the fifth and retired Kane to end the threat and keep the Blue Sox on top.  He then sent down the next six in a row to shut the door and force a Game 5 that he will almost certainly be starting.

 

Wright allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out three in four and a third innings to earn the win; Peichel allowed five runs on five hits – with all five runs and three of the hits coming in the first inning – while fanning seven in four innings to take the loss.  Gonzalez earned the first save for either side in the series.

 

The decisive Game 5 is set for Saturday afternoon at Devon Prep, with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m.  Live audio will be available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa9SbFI_1XE

MARPLE TOWNSHIP – When a team's back is against the wall, managers often have to resort to unorthodox tactics to give their team an edge.  Desperate times, etc.

 

Upper Darby's Dave Jerdon surely spent some time on Wednesday afternoon thinking about how to manage his team in a win-or-go-home Game 3 of the Delco League Championship Series.  Wednesday evening, he unintentionally stumbled upon something new: getting ejected.

 

Jerdon was tossed midway through a five-run top of the fourth inning for Wayne, but his Blue Sox rallied and scored nine runs in their final two innings to stun the defending champions, 10-6, and cut Wayne's lead to two games to one in the best-of-five series.

 

Upper Darby put two on in the bottom of the first, but Wayne's Mike Valente wriggled out of the jam.  He wasn't as lucky in the second, as Joe Suppa led off the frame with a solo home run to give Upper Darby its first lead of the series.

 

Johnny Gonzalez was cruising through three innings but ran into trouble in the fourth.  A leadoff double by Matt Briner was followed by an error that scored Briner with the tying run.  A Luke Zimmerman walk clearly met with disapproval from the Blue Sox bench, and Jerdon was issued his walking papers as a result.  Hits from Steven Wells and Sean Mohollen were compounded by two errors in the outfield; by the time Gonzalez was back in the dugout, Wayne had sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs, while the Blue Sox were down a manager.

 

But as quickly as he lost his groove, Gonzalez got it right back, sending Wayne down in order in the fifth before the Upper Darby offense finally broke out of its Championship Series slumber.  Dating back to Game 5 of last year's series, the Blue Sox had totaled two runs on six hits in three games; on Wednesday, UD would score six times and rap out six hits in the bottom of the fifth inning alone, all with two outs.

 

Valente retired the first two batters in short order before a Sammy Burman double and an RBI single from Christian Strickland – who was announced as the 2023 Delco League Most Valuable Player during the game – ended his night and cut the Wayne advantage to three.  Alex Pak came on from the bullpen and faced three hitters; Andrew Yates, Steve Theisen, and Suppa all singled, bringing home two more runs and making it a 5-4 game.

 

Wayne manager Brian Fili summoned Joe Peluso from the bullpen, but he fared no better, walking Max Anastasio to load the bases and Matt Querey to force in the tying run.  Pinch hitter Darren Hagan then ripped a double to left to score Suppa and Anastasio and put the Blue Sox ahead, 7-5.

 

UD tacked on three more in the sixth as Adam Fine singled and Burman walked before balks on consecutive pitches scored Fine and moved Burman to third.  Two batters later, Yates hit a no-doubter over the fence in right field to make it a 10-5 game.

 

Wayne put runners on base in the seventh, scoring one on an RBI single from Zimmerman, but that would be it.

 

Gonzalez went the distance for what was surely one of the least-expected complete games of his career; he allowed six runs – three of them earned – on six hits and three walks while striking out four in seven innings.  Pak took the loss, as the Wayne bullpen was charged with seven runs and allowed eight hits in an inning and a third of work.  Valente allowed three runs on five hits in four and two-thirds, striking out eight.

 

Game 4 is set for Thursday night at Cardinal O'Hara; first pitch is scheduled for 5:45 p.m.  A live audio stream will be available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIBcWdvohYg

 

DEVON – It got late very early on Tuesday night, as an 11-run, 16-batter bottom of the first inning put Game 2 of the Delco League Championship Series out of reach almost before it began.  Wayne eventually came away with a 16-1 victory, and more importantly, a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

 

The first eight batters of the game reached base and scored for Wayne before Upper Darby pitching recorded an out.  The Blue Sox used three pitchers in the first and six in total for the night as the defending champions took an 11-0 lead into the second.

 

Wayne tacked on two more in the third and three in the fourth before Upper Darby added a consolation tally in the top of the seventh.

 

Each player in the Wayne starting lineup scored at least one run in the game, with Nate Sides crossing the plate four times.  Steven Wells had three hits and four runs batted in, while Luke Zimmerman added a pair of hits and drove in three.  Wayne pounded out 15 hits on the night – 14 of them singles – and drew 10 walks.  For the Blue Sox, Darren Hagan's seventh-inning double scored Steve Theisen, who was on base twice with a pair of walks in the game.

 

Cam Mathes threw three perfect innings for Wayne, while Corey Woodcock tossed two shutout innings of relief to earn the win.  Frank Parrotti took the loss; he faced the first seven batters of the game and did not record an out.  Appearing in his second consecutive Delco League Championship Series, Mathes has appeared in four of the seven games over the past two seasons; he has pitched 13.2 shutout innings and allowed just one hit and three total base runners while striking out 11.

 

 

Wayne will look to claim league championship number 19 – its second in a row and fourth in five years – on Wednesday night.  First pitch for Game 3 is set for 5:45 p.m. at Cardinal O'Hara.  A live audio stream will be available on DelcoLeague.com.

DEVON – When a team makes its fourth trip to the finals in five years, the names become familiar, the roles become understood, and the narrative unfolds with the same characters telling the story.  Especially when they're facing the team they beat to win the title a year ago.

 

But on Sunday, it was a new name stepping into the Delco League Championship Series limelight: Koll Peichel.  The righthander tossed five shutout innings and allowed just two baserunners as Wayne topped Upper Darby, 7-1, to win the first game in the best-of-five series at Devon Prep.

 

Peichel allowed two hits – one to the second batter of the game, and another in the third – and did not walk a batter while striking out three and retiring the final eight batters he faced en route to the victory.

 

He got by with a little help from his friends, as well, as a two-run double by Nick Mullen and an RBI single from Luke Zimmerman in the first staked Wayne to an early 3-0 lead.  Upper Darby's Johnny Gonzalez settled in after that, facing the minimum over the next three innings and recording all nine outs via ground balls.

 

Wayne would strike again in the fifth, adding a pair to the lead on three hits and an error.  On the flip side, some outstanding defense at third base from Wayne's Owen Mathes helped keep the Blue Sox off the board until the top of the sixth.  A walk and a hit batter by reliever Joe Peluso led to a fielding error that loaded the bases with nobody out.  Christian Strickland drew a walk to force in a run, but Peluso induced a pop out and then a double play to stamp out the potential rally.

 

Two more Upper Darby errors in the seventh led to two more runs, including an RBI double by Alden Mathes, before Peluso sent the Blue Sox down in order in the seventh to finish off the ballgame.

 

Peluso allowed one run on two walks and struck out one over two hitless innings in relief of Peichel.  Gonzalez allowed five runs, four of them earned, on seven hits and a pair of walks while fanning three in five innings to take the loss.

 

Mullen finished the day 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored, and two driven in for Wayne, while Zimmerman and Matt Briner each enjoyed a two-hit day.

 

The teams will return to Devon Prep on Monday night for Game 2.  First pitch is set for 5:45 p.m., with a live audio stream available on DelcoLeague.com.

 

Upper Darby   0 0 0   0 0 1   0  –  1  2  3

Wayne           3 0 0   0 2 2   X  –  7  9  1

 

Wayne leads, 1-0

 

W: Peichel

L: Gonzalez

 

ASTON - After three tight contests to start the series, Wayne flexed its top-seed muscle with a 15-3 pounding of fourth-seeded Aston Valley in Game 4 of the Delco League semifinals at Buggy Field on Friday night.

 

With the win, Wayne claims the series, three games to one, and moves on to face second-seeded Upper Darby in the finals, slated to begin on Sunday.

 

Wayne got things started in the top of the first, taking a 2-0 lead on a two-run single by Luke Zimmerman.  Aston Valley had chances over the first two frames, notching five hits, but Wayne lefty Alex Pak stranded all five runners on base to keep things at 2-0 after two.

 

The defending champions then blew things open over the next two innings. Wayne sent 10 men to the plate in both the third and fourth innings, totaling 10 runs. In the six-run third, Drew Van Horn and Matt Briner hit two-run doubles, while five consecutive walks and a hit batter led to four more coming across in the fourth.

 

The Knights hung three on the board in the bottom of the fourth after a two-out error extended the inning and eventually led to a three-run double by Shawn Edevane.

 

That would be as close as it got, as four Wayne relievers combined to retire the final 10 Aston Valley hitters of the game. Zimmerman would add an RBI single in the top of the fifth before an Alden Mathes solo home run and a Steven Wells single in the sixth set the final margin.

 

Wayne will host Upper Darby in Game 1 of the Championship Series on Sunday, August 6, at 2:00 p.m. at Devon Prep. The full series schedule is listed below.

 

Wayne             2 0 6   4 1 2   0  -  15  14  1

Aston Valley   0 0 0   3 0 0   0  -   3    8  1

 

Wayne wins series, 3-1

 

W: Weitzel

L: Tozzi

 

 

Game 1: Upper Darby at Wayne, Sun., August 6, 2:00 p.m. at Devon Prep

Game 2: Upper Darby at Wayne, Mon., August 7, 5:45 p.m. at Devon Prep

Game 3: Wayne at Upper Darby, Wed., August 9, 5:45 p.m. at Cardinal O’Hara

Game 4: Wayne at Upper Darby, Thurs., August 10, 5:45 p.m. at Cardinal O’Hara (if necessary)

Game 5: Upper Darby at Wayne, Fri., August 11, 5:45 p.m. at Devon Prep (if necessary)

DELCO – Upper Darby cemented its place among the Delco League's all-time great teams, while Wayne fended off a frisky Aston Valley squad to reach the brink of the finals for the sixth time in eight seasons on Thursday night.

 

Upper Darby punched its ticket to the Delco League Championship Series for the third consecutive season with a 15-7 rout of Drexel Hill in Game 3 of their semifinal series at Monsignor Bonner on Thursday night.  The Blue Sox swept the cross-township rivalry series, 3-0.

 

Things got off to a wild start in this one, as Drexel Hill plated five runs in the first to take an early lead for the second consecutive game.  And for the second consecutive game, Upper Darby answered in a big way, as the Blue Sox scored seven in the top of the second to take a 7-5 lead.  The Ducks got one back in the bottom of the frame, but UD added one in the third and seven more in the fourth to take control of the game and the series.  Drexel Hill managed another run in the sixth, but that would be all as the Blue Sox sealed the deal and their return to the finals.

 

Upper Darby collected 10 hits on the night and was the beneficiary of 12 walks issued by Drexel Hill pitching over the first four innings of the game.  Josh Hankins was 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and four runs batted in on the night, while Adam Fine, Andrew Yates, and Steve Theisen added two RBI apiece.  Chris Salvey led the Ducks with a pair of hits, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and his third home run in the series.

 

With the win, the Blue Sox advance to their third consecutive Delco League Championship Series, a feat last achieved by Wayne from 2018-20.  Upper Darby topped Aston Valley in five games for its first title in 2021 before falling to Wayne, also in five games, a year ago.  One of those clubs will be Upper Darby's final opponent in 2023 as well.

 

Upper Darby   0 7 1   7 0 0   0  –  15 10 2

Drexel Hill      5 1 0   0 0 1   0  –    7  6  4

 

Upper Darby wins series, 3-0

 

W: Shindle

L: Lytle

S: Finney

 

After darkness suspended Game 2 with the score at 4-4 after nine innings on Tuesday night, Aston Valley pulled off a feat that only one team managed to achieve all season in the Delco League: the Knights beat Wayne.

 

A run in the top of the 12th pushed Aston Valley past the league's defending champions, 5-4, to level the semifinal series between the teams at a game apiece.

 

The Knights took a 2-0 lead for the second consecutive game, plating a pair in the top of the first.  Wayne got one back in the bottom of the inning, but Aston Valley pushed the lead to 3-1 in the second.  Another run for the Knights in the sixth extended the lead to three, but two in the bottom of the sixth and one in the seventh knotted the affair at 4-4 and sent things to extra innings.  After two scoreless innings at Devon Prep, the teams reconvened at Buggy Field on Thursday to finish the game before the start of Game 3.  It would take three more innings, but Aston Valley would get the winning run in the top of the 12th to tie the series at a game apiece.

 

Shawn Haut, Kody Clausius, and Shawn Edevane had two hits apiece to lead the Knights, while Nate Sides turned in a 5-for-5 performance in defeat for Wayne.  Both teams had ample opportunities to plate the winning run earlier, as both left a dozen on base in the game.

 

The win tied the series prior to the start of Game 3 at Buggy Field later Thursday.

 

Aston Valley   2 1 0   0 0 1   0 0 0   0 0 1  –  5  8  0

Wayne           1 0 0   0 0 2   1 0 0   0 0 0  –  4  9  1

 

Series tied, 1-1

 

W: Porter

L: Peluso

 

The defending champions are one win away from a chance to repeat as a three-run seventh led Wayne past Aston Valley, 5-3, at Buggy Field on Thursday night.

 

For the third time in as many games, it was the visitors taking the lead as Wayne tallied a run in the top of the second.  The Knights answered with a pair in the bottom of the frame, but Wayne leveled things with a singleton in the top of the fifth.  It remained tied until the seventh, when Wayne hung a three-spot on the board.  Aston Valley got one back, but that was all the home side could muster as the visitors moved to the brink of the finals.

 

Luke Zimmerman was 2-for-4 on the night with a run scored, while Nick Mullen added a pair of RBI in the winning effort.  Mason Deluca led the way for Aston Valley, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.

 

Mike Valente went the distance for Wayne, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out 11 against just one walk.  Aidan Chermol took the loss, allowing three runs on two hits in two innings.  Tyler Reinert got the start for the Knights, allowing a pair of runs on five hits in five innings.

 

Wayne will look to end the series in Game 4 on Friday night, which is set for 5:45 p.m. at Buggy Field.

 

Wayne           0 1 0   0 1 0   3  –  5  7  0

Aston Valley   0 2 0   0 0 0   1  –  3  3  0

 

Wayne leads series, 2-1

 

W: Valente

L: Chermol

 

MARPLE TOWNSHIP – It was a bit of delayed gratification for Upper Darby, but it was gratification nonetheless as Matt Querey's walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Blue Sox a 6-5 win in Game 2 of their Delco League semifinal series against Drexel Hill at Cardinal O'Hara on Wednesday night.

 

With the win, UD took a 2-0 lead in the series and can punch its ticket to a third consecutive championship series appearance with a win on Thursday.

 

Game 2 began on Tuesday night, and one night after suffering a 13-1 defeat, Drexel Hill bounced back to take an early lead.  A run in the first and two in the second put the visiting Ducks on top, 3-0, before the Blue Sox answered with a four-spot in the fourth.  DH drew level in the sixth before the game was suspended due to darkness.

 

When play resumed on Wednesday, the Ducks took the lead once again, going ahead 5-4 in the top of the ninth, but Querey's two-run double in the bottom of the frame put the Blue Sox in control of the series.

 

Querey was 1-for-4 on the night with the two runs batted, while Joe Suppa had a pair of hits and two runs scored to go with two RBI of his own.  For the Ducks, Ryan Davis notched a pair of hits and drove in a run, while Chris Salvey hit his second home run in as many games.

 

Two nights after tossing six innings in Game 1, Johnny Gonzalez earned his second win of the series, allowing a run in three and two-thirds innings.  Gavin Grande took the loss for Drexel Hill.

 

Upper Darby will look to finish off a series sweep while Drexel Hill fights to stay alive in Game 3 on Thursday night.  First pitch is set for 5:45 p.m. at Monsignor Bonner High School.