Malvern Prep 2025 Inter-Ac Champions
Photo by Lennie Malmgren for PSD
By: Josh Abrams
Photos: Lennie Malmgren
Philadelphia - When you are as good of a baseball team as the one Malvern Prep currently boasts, you find different ways to win as many ballgames as possible.
That theme certainly continued on Tuesday, May 6th, at Palaia Field on the campus of William Penn Charter, as the visiting Friars held off the host Quakers by a score of 8-6 in eight innings. The victory clinched the 2025 Inter-Ac regular season title for the Friars, and at this point, it has become quite the familiar feat for the baseball powerhouse.
Malvern Prep has now won the last five Inter-Ac championships. They had to really work for this one, though, because Penn Charter did everything they could to play spoiler and defend their home turf.
With the score tied at six runs apiece in the top of the 8th inning, and two outs showing after the Friars' first two batters went down rather easily, Prep senior Ryan Capobianco hit an opposite-field single to right-center to drive in the game-winning run. His classmate, Brady Abate, added extra insurance when he singled in fellow senior Jake Bauer and gave his team a crucial two-run lead (8-6) they wouldn't relinquish.
Needing just three outs to secure the win and coveted league title, it was all up to another senior to close things out. William & Mary commit Chase Ecker threw just nine pitches in the frame to dispatch the 2-3-4 hitters of Penn Charter.
Final out of the game: Ecker gets Hall to ground out to third base, Friars secure 2025 Inter-Ac title (Video by Lennie Malmgren for PSD)
Malvern Prep's Chase Ecker and Ryan Capobianco reflect on exciting and thrilling 8-6 victory on the road at Penn Charter (Video by Josh Abrams)
"I feel like our dugout definitely made a difference... being loud, keeping the energy going, and just picking each other up," said Ecker, who also 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored in addition to pitching three scoreless innings. "Owen Hammond (with) two outs extended the (eighth) inning, that was huge. Jake Bauer with a clutch hit (in the sixth) , murdering the ball and getting two runs; that was huge for us."
Bauer's sixth inning double drove in Ecker and junior catcher Lucas Moore to give Malvern Prep the lead back, 6-5. The designated hitter recorded two doubles on the day and provided a spark at the bottom of the Friars' lineup with Hammond and Capobianco batting in front of and behind him, respectively.
"Team effort the whole way through, clean defense, team hitting, energy, dugout and coaches," explained Capobianco about what he thought worked well for his team. "They (the coaches) help us and they support us, that's why we got the win."
Speaking of coaches, Malvern head coach Freddy Hilliard is no stranger to the winning circle. Hilliard reached an incredible milestone this season marking his 400th win on March 23rd. The Friars have won 26 Inter Ac titles since 1980, 11 of those have been during Hilliard's 14 years at the helm. The team has also won 8 state championships during his tenure and counting.
A Team to Watch Out For...
It's no coincidence that this Malvern Prep team is loaded with talent. Abate's two base hits came in his last two at-bats of the afternoon. Senior second baseman (and Duke football commit) Andrew Pellicciotta and junior first baseman Lucas Moore reached base three times, with the former stealing two bags and the latter recording an RBI single with a run scored. Everybody contributed for the Friars even if some didn't record a hit, and Ecker knows that will have to continue moving forward for them to be successful.
"This win is huge," Ecker said. "I think (we're) just keeping it rolling and not taking anything for granted, giving it our all every single game. We still got another title to win, so (we) keep going for that.
That title, the PAISAA championship, is the ultimate goal, especially for a team seeking a three-peat in the state. Capobianco realizes games like this one matter but the mindset and mentality of locking in must hold true for the other games, as well.
Malvern Prep's Jake Bauer crushes ball to right center, drives in two runs to put Friars ahead 6-5 in the top half of the sixth (Video by Josh Abrams)
Go-ahead single in top half of 8th inning from Capobianco gives Malvern Prep 7-6 lead with two outs (Video by Josh Abrams)
"It's one game one more win," said Ryan. (We) went 1-0 today and we're going back at it tomorrow but throughout this whole journey our goal is to to just go 1-0 every day."
Quakers Take a Step in the Right Direction Despite Falling Short
Penn Charter might not have gotten the result they wanted on Tuesday, but given the final score combined with the game going into extras, there were certainly plenty of positives to take away for the home team.
"First of all, you have to tip your cap to Malvern," stated head coach Justin Hanley. "To win this league, you've got to beat them once, if not twice. I could not be more proud of the way our guys came out and withstood the initial blow from Malvern, and kind of bounced back and really grinded out some at-bats. I was telling our guys; I think that's a game in the past (where) when they take the lead in the sixth, we may have let them blow it open. But we responded... (they made) a lot of in-game adjustments that we've been asking for all year and to see them make that now, it's awesome as a coach."
Malvern Prep vs. Penn Charter Game Highlights by Lennie Malmgren for PSD
Junior rightfielder Ryan Musial recorded four total bases (a triple and single) with two runs scored and an RBI, while sophomore shortstop Noah Hall recorded two hits and drove in three runs. The latter also played the role of reliever, taking over for senior starter Cole Stocks and pitching the last three innings.
Penn Charter HC Justin Hanley is proud of the way his team fought against a loaded Malvern Prep squad who is never out of it (Video by Josh Abrams)
Penn Charter's Rowan Griffith records sacrifice fly and brings home Ryan Musial to tie things up at six runs apiece in the bottom of the sixth (Video by Josh Abrams)
"As a coach and former pitcher, that's kind of nice to have that security blanket, have that faith in a relief pitcher like Noah," said Hanley. "I think he made a name for himself today, not only with the bat but (also) as a pitcher, and I couldn't be more proud of the way Cole came out. He didn't have his best stuff right away but he found it as the innings went on and that just speaks to his character, his makeup, just a gutsy effort out of him."
