Haverford School defeats No. 1 Seed Malvern Prep 2-1 to win the 2022 PAISAA Championship - PSD Photo by Lou Rabito
Photos/Videos: Lou Rabito, Marc Narducci, Scotty Haines & Mike Nance
By: Marc Narducci
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA -- Nobody gave Haverford School much of a chance during the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) baseball tournament and quite frankly, the prognosticators couldn’t be blamed.
The Fords were pretty much considered an afterthought, if even that. They were the No. 7 seed in a 12-team tournament.
Remember, Haverford School went just 3-7 in the Inter-Ac League, even though it is among the best in the area.
Want a true David vs. Goliath matchup?
Haverford School had to face mighty Malvern Prep, the top seed, in addition to being the four-time defending PAISAA champion and this year’s Inter-Ac League champ in what some suggested might be a rebuilding year.
Bad suggestion.
Malvern Prep was as powerful as ever, taking a 25-3 mark into the title game, going 9-1 in the Inter-Ac, one game ahead of second place Episcopal Academy.
Meanwhile Haverford School, which finished with an 18-10 overall record, had lost both regular season meetings to Malvern Prep, its biggest Inter-Ac league rival.
In addition, Fords junior righthander Jac Campbell, mainly a reliever, was making only his second start of the season and the first one lasted only two innings.
So while the odds were against Haverford School, the players embraced the underdog role.
By now you know how this one ended up.
Haverford School 2, Malvern Prep 1.
PSD Reporter Marc Narducci catches up with Haverford School head coach Bob Castell, players Jac Campbell & Jake LaRocca and Malvern Prep head coach Freddy Hilliard after the 2022 PAISAA Champinoship:
2022 Paisaa Championship Highlights by Marc Narducci:
Campbell, went the distance, allowing just four hits to the powerful Malvern Prep lineup.
“David and Goliath, who won, I guess David did,” Campbell said.
David, meet the Fords.
Playing the role of David to a tee, Campbell didn’t overpower his opponent, but he kept the Friars off-balance with his off-speed arsenal.
“I threw a lot of changeups and curveballs,” Campbell said. “I kind of rely on my off-speed pitches.”
Like David, he won’t overpower his opponent.
“I don’t throw hard so I make sure my off-speed pitches are in tip-top shape every game,” he said.
During the regular season, Haverford School lost 11-2 and 5-2 to Malvern Prep. Despite being 3-7 in the Inter-Ac League, five of those losses were by three runs or fewer.
There were signs that the Fords were better than their record, but that doesn’t win any medals. It did, however, give the Fords confidence that they could compete with the heavyweights.
The Fords split their regular season games with Episcopal Academy and to prove that wasn’t a fluke, beat the second-seeded Churchmen, 6-3 in the second round of this PAISAA tournament.
2022 PAISAA Championship: Haverford School vs. Malvern Prep - PSD Gallery by Lou Rabito
Next up was a 4-3 come from behind win at No. 6 seeded Penn Charter and then the Fords completed matters with their title victory over Malvern Prep.
“Things didn’t go the way we wanted in our league, but they believed if they played well down the stretch, we had a second opportunity in the tournament and we feel we are always a good team in May,” Haverford School coach Bob Castell said. “...We had to go on the road for three of the four games and we have mentally tough kids, we certainly weren’t perfect in games, but found ways to win games down the stretch.”
Malvern Prep took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Ryan Davis, who opened the inning reaching base after getting hit by a pitch, eventually came around to score on an error.
The Fords weren’t exactly tearing the cover off the ball. In fact Malvern Prep lefthander Mike Gordon had a perfect game through three innings.
Gordon walked two batters in the fourth and was pulled for hard-throwing righthander Charlie Oschell with one out and runners on first and second. The Fords loaded the bases with another walk.
Haverford School missed a suicide squeeze bunt, but the pitch bounced in the dirt and Connor Scanlon, the runner from third, scored the Fords’ first run to tie the score.
Following a pop up to center field for the second out, Haverford School rightfielder Jake LaRocca then delivered an RBI single up the middle, scoring catcher Mark Quatrani from second base. It was a close play at home but Quatrani was clearly safe while making a head-first slide.
“I saw the ground ball up the middle and my third base coach was saying ‘go, go, go,’” Quatrani said “I didn’t expect it to be that close but I wasn’t even watching the ball at that point, I was focused on going as hard as I can and making a good slide.”
2022 PAISAA Haverford School Gallery by Mike Nance
Haverford School vs. Episcopal Academy - PAISAA Quarterfinal Gallery by Scotty Haines
What about the hit?
The single by LaRocca was the first of the game for the Fords, who would only manage two others. LaRocca will attend Wake Forest in the fall, but he won’t be playing baseball. So this was his final game.
Think he won’t remember that final hit many years from now?
“It feels awesome, especially since it is my last baseball game ever,” LaRocca said. “Words can’t describe how excited I am, how proud I am of my teammates.”
Haverford School junior Jac Campbell - PSD Photo by Lou Rabito
Fords celebration - PSD Photo by Lou Rabito
LaRocca was more than happy to play up the underdog role, fueling the fire for him and his teammates.
“We embraced it,” he said of being underdogs. “We looked at this game as we had nothing to lose, ‘let’s go out and win it...”
So that is exactly what they did.
After taking the 2-1 lead, Campbell would allow one hit over the final four innings.
When he got the final out on a groundout, the Fords erupted in celebration.
Even underdogs know how to celebrate.
“It’s a great feeling for the program and I am very proud to be able to coach these guys Castell said. “When it comes out like this, on the good end of a 2-1 championship game, it doesn’t get any better than this.”
Of course there is the other side to the story, the frustration felt by the Friars.
A team wins 25 games and one of the toughest conferences in the Delaware Valley and yet, any time a season ends in a loss it is tough, especially for such an accomplished program. So of course, there was disappointment.
Yet Malvern Prep coach Freddy Hilliard chose to look at the many positives he experienced with this team.
“They are a special group,” Hilliard said of his team. “With everybody we graduated last year, I think a lot of people thought this is the year Malvern is down.”
Some down year, huh?
“We had to replace six offensive guys, 70 percent of our innings, but all these guys are selfless, they work for each other, try to get better each day,” Hilliard said. “They are a special group.”
Indeed they are and it took one special group to beat another.
Somewhere David has to be smiling.
Fords celebration - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
Fords celebrate with the first place PAISAA plaque - PSD Photo by Lou Rabito