BASEBALL: Mixed Emotions for Inter-Ac/Independents Carpenter Cup Team

Photos/Videos: Zack Beavers

By: Marc Narducci

PHILADELPHIA – There was no way of hiding the disappointment for the members of the Inter-Ac/Independents team in the 37th annual Carpenter Cup high school all-star baseball tournament.

They had just been eliminated, 12-5 in the quarterfinals by a talented Delaware South team at FDR Park and there was little anybody could do to console the players.

With the Carpenter Cup, there can be the joy of competing in one of the best high school tournaments in any sport in the country and the disappointment of not getting the chance to suit up where the Phillies play for keeps. Both emotions are understandable.

One of the great aspects of the Carpenter Cup, is that there is real incentive to win, especially the first two games.

The first two rounds of the 16-team single-elimination tournament are played at FDR Park, a nice venue for sure.

Yet nothing beats playing where the pros play.

Teams that win two games and advance to the semifinals, then get to play at Citizens Bank Park.

No matter how much these high school baseball players have accomplished, playing in the Phillies ballpark is indeed special.

So with that as a backdrop, the players for the Inter-Ac/Independents felt both pride for being selected to this all-star tournament sponsored by the Phillies, and disappointment that they weren’t able to make that extra step.

Inter-Ac/Independents vs. Delaware South - PSD Game Highlights by Zack Beavers:

In fact, this feeling isn’t exclusive to the Inter-Ac/Independents, a team that also includes schools from the Friends League.

Any quarterfinal losing team, knowing a win would have enabled them to compete where Bryce Harper does, walks off being disappointed.

And in a way that is how a good tournament should be. Teams and individuals should want to win badly. This is no all-star tourney where the players go through the motions. It means a lot.

So Inter-Ac standout catcher Mark Quatrani of the Haverford School was one of many with conflicting feelings.

Haverford School senior and Cornell baseball commit, Mark Quatrani - PSD Photo by Zack Beavers

Quatrani was a member of the Inter-Ac/Independents team that earned its second straight semifinal berth last year, losing an epic 6-5 game to eventual champion Tri-Cape of South Jersey in 11 pulsating innings at the Bank.

“It’s tough because everybody wants to play at Citizens Bank Park,” Quantrani said.

He was even more conflicted because he hit a home run in the loss to Delaware South.

There aren’t many high school players who get to say they hit a home run in their final game. His team was down 8-3 when he hit his solo shot in the fifth inning.

“I wasn’t even trying to hit a home run, I was trying to get on base and give my team an opportunity to win,” Quatrani said.

He decided to sit on a fastball.

Good decision.

“I honestly didn’t think it was out, but I knew I hit it pretty well and luckily it went out,” he said.

Quatrani is such an accomplished hitter, that he can go yard when he isn’t really trying. He hit nine home runs this year for Haverford School, so his power outburst in an all-star tournament should be no surprise.

And now it’s off to college. He will be continuing his education and baseball career at Cornell. Yet one can bet that in 20 years he will always remember playing in the Carpenter Cup and especially last year at Citizens Bank Park.

Of course, there are two sides to every story and who wouldn’t want to be on the side with Delaware South?

The franchise is going to Citizens Bank Park.

“Last year we weren’t thinking about going to the Bank, but this year we won our opening game 15-3 (over the Philadelphia Public League) and we really started believing,” said Delaware South outfielder TJ Morris, a Salisbury University commit.

Morris, who went 1 for 2 with a run scored against the Inter-Ac/Independents, also had high praise for his opponent.

“They have sone great kids on that team, some great arms and a lot of college commitments,” he said. “We knew all we had to do was hit.”

As if that is so easy to do, but his team has made it seem pretty simple, having outscored the first two opponents, 27-8.

Moving back to the Inter-Ac/Independents, at the other end of the spectrum from Haverford School’s Quatrani is Penn Charter freshman outfielder Gavin Ruta. Imagine being a freshman and being selected for such a talented team.

Ruta didn’t exactly seem awed at the situation. Against Delaware South he went 2 for 2 with an RBI and run scored.

“It was my first time as a freshman playing here and it was really exciting,” Ruta said. “It kind of stinks that we didn’t get to the Bank, but I am really excited to play next year.”

Haverford School head coach Bob Castell has been on the coaching staff for the Inter-Ac/Independents “forever” as he describes it.

He wanted to win as much as anybody, but realized how much benefit it is for those who play and yes, even coach, in the Carpenter Cup.

Penn Charter freshman outfielder Gavin Ruta - PSD Photo by Zack Beavers

“The exposure these guys get is nothing but great,” Castell said, obviously referring to the college coaches and even pro scouts who attend. “The result is the only thing we would like to have different, but as far as them coming out and getting exposure, this is a great experience.”

Delaware South jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the top of the first inning and it doesn’t matter what level of baseball is being played, a touchdown deficit is a major obstacle.

Inter-Ac/Independents cut the deficit to 8-4, on that fifth inning homer by Quatrani, but would get no closer.

Episcopal Academy junior outfielder Tyler Beaulieu, despite the loss, found joy in competing in the Carpenter Cup and being teammates with his regular season adversaries.

“It’s really cool, I mean you compete against a ton of dudes in high school that during the season it gets a little chippy and then you come here and all play together and you make friends,” said Beaulieu, who also played on last year’s team that made it to Citizens Bank Park.

When Beaulieu was questioned about saying Inter-Ac competition was a ‘little chippy’, he laughed, knowing that those conference games can match any on the intensity meter.

Think Phillies-Braves and you get the idea of a typical Inter-Ac game.

Anyway, the players realize that those opponents who they were trying to beat the doors off during the regular season, aren’t such bad guys once they are teammates.

Episcopal Academy junior outfielder and Cornell baseball commit, Tyler Beaulieu - PSD Photo by Zack Beavers

In addition, Beaulieu said playing at Citizens Bank Park was something he’ll aways remember.

“It was surreal,” said Beaulieu, who is a Cornell commit.

And even though he didn’t make it back this year, it only adds to his hunger next season.

“We’ll make the Bank next year,” he vowed.

More on the Carpenter Cup...

The Inter-Ac/Independents opened the tournament with a 5-1 win over Delaware County. Malvern Prep senior infielder Tim Dickerson had two hits. Episcopal Academy sophomore lefthander Logan Correll allowed an unearned run, while Haverford School junior right-hander Fred Jordan and Friends Central junior righthander Matt Hamilton each pitched three shutout innings.

The Philadelphia Catholic League was eliminated in the first round in one of the more entertaining games – a 7-6 defeat to South Jersey’s Olympic-Colonial.

The Catholic League led 4-0 after four innings, thanks largely to a three-run double by Neumann-Goretti junior Evan McCoach.

La Salle’s Tristen Helmick set the tone by pitching three scoreless innings to start the game.

Inter-Ac/Independents vs. Delaware South - PSD Photos by Zack Beavers

The Catholic League was missing the players from Father Judge, who competed later in the week (and won) the PIAA 6-A state championship.

Then again, virtually every team in the Carpenter Cup misses players.

The key in this tournament or any tourney for that matter, is working with what you have and over the years, the Inter-Ac/Independents and the Catholic League have done just that in becoming respected opponents in this highly popular tournament.