MALVERN, PA – They had lost three straight – two of them by one run, and the other by two – so with a 2-3 record and three games out of first place, the possibility of winning a league championship seemed farfetched at best.
But, as the saying goes ad nauseam, that is why you play the games.
Needing to win each of its last five contests, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy remained on course in every way possible. Despite a plethora of injuries that necessitated learning new positions on the fly – no pun intended – they performed physically. Despite lingering doubt from naysayers, they stayed confident. Despite mental fatigue, they persevered.
That explains SCH’s joyous reaction Friday afternoon, when a line drive to left field was inhaled by senior Gunnar Hayes for the final out, thus allowing the Blue Devils to finally exhale with a thrilling 6-5 victory over host Malvern Prep. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy had joined Malvern as the 2016 Inter-Academic League co-champion.
Both squads finished 7-3 and now look forward to the PAISSA Independent Schools state tournament. The Blue Devils are a sixth seed and meet 11-seed Hill School on Tuesday. Malvern is the top seed and received a first-round bye until Thursday.
“This win means so much to me and my teammates and means so much to our school as well,” said junior Ian Diaz. “Coach (Joe) Ishikawa has always talked about never giving up and play as a family and play selfless baseball and to buy into what he was saying and see it pay off is awesome.”
SCH tosses their caps celebrating their Inter-Ac title - photo courtesy of May Naish
Malvern, which has now won – outright or shared – six straight crowns, took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Sophomore winning pitcher Aidan Frye, who also recorded a win as a reliever in a come-from-behind, walk-off win over Penn Charter precisely 24 hours earlier, was concerned, but not frazzled.
“I knew if I could start to control the game on the mound, the team would be able to come back and score some runs,” said Frye. “I realized I was moving too fast, so I tried to slow the game down on the mound and take my time.”
SCH poses for a team photo after defeating Malvern Prep 6-5 -photo courtesy of May Naish
The last out - courtesy of Kim Frye
Frye would surrender two more runs, and heading into the fifth, the Blue Devils trailed, 5-3. However, over the next two innings, the Blue Devils stunned the Friars by scoring three unanswered runs.
An immense two-run single by junior Danny Shubert tied the game at 5-5 in the fifth. In the sixth, SCH took its first lead when Chris “Bubba” Alleyne doubled home Nick Rowland, who had also doubled.
“It feels great to have the game winning hit,” said Alleyne, “but it feels better to enjoy the win with my teammates who put me in that position.”
Ahead by one run heading into the seventh, several Blue Devils would later maintain that having played in so many one-run league games this season – five of a possible 10 – was a blessing because it helped calm their nerves.
“Those experiences taught us how to play in those tight ballgames and to never give up,” said Diaz.
First up for Malvern was junior slugger Shane Muntz, one of the area’s most dangerous power hitters.
“As soon as he lined out to right, I knew that if I stayed consistent with my pitch selection for the next two outs, they would be easy pop outs," said Frye. "When the last ball was hit I knew when he hit it that it wasn’t going over the fence, but I got a rush of happiness knowing we just beat Malvern Prep.
Junior Andrew Singer described SCH’s victory as symbolic.
“For me personally, this win is a perfect example of how hard work and the right attitude gets you to the next level,” said Singer. “All year our program has been doubted by many people and we knew that, but we stayed true to who we are.
“We know we belong with the best of them, and this win shows that perfectly. I am beyond excited and I love the fact that we could win the Inter-Ac for our seniors this year. Nick (Rowland), Gunnar (Hayes), Tom (Trullinger) and Brian (Leard) are all great guys and they deserved every part of the title.”
Coach Joe Ishikawa lauded his players.
“It validates the commitment the players have made to the core principles of pride, humility, and honor, that serve as the foundation for the SCH baseball program,” said Ishikawa. “And it proves that no matter the obstacles, you just have to stay focused on the team goals and never give in.
“As coaches, we loved showing up every day and sharing the field with them. They are truly an amazing group of young men.”
(John Knebels can be reached at jknebels@gmail.com.)