Wayne Reaches Championship Series in Style, Routs Aston Valley, 15-3, in Game 4
Joe Greenwich, DelcoLeague.com
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
Delco League Championship Series Schedule
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)
