2018 Inter-Ac Round-Up (Week 4/21)
Inter-Ac Baseball – With 40 percent of the Inter-Academic League baseball season accounted for, every single team is in first place. Then again, all six squads are simultaneously in last place.
Say what?
Yep. Heading into the third week, every school has played four games and each has won two and lost two. If the league ultimately finishes in a six-place tie for first, it would be unprecedented . . . in any sport.
Below are summaries of each team’s two wins, accompanied by comments by one player from each team assessing a “high point” and “low point” as the league prepares for week three.
Episcopal Academy: Senior Isaiah Payton helped the Churchmen to a pair of two-run victories. In a 6-4 success over Malvern, Payton belted a two-run home run and picked up the save . . . In a 5-3 win over Penn Charter, Payton notched another save and was on base three times.
Junior Infielder/Pitcher Jack O’Reilly:
HIGH: “Our win on the road against Malvern.”
LOW: “Our game against GA. It was an all-around poor effort from our squad.”
Haverford School vs. Episcopal Academy - 20 Photos taken by EA student-photographer Alexandra Conroy
EA vs. HAV - Photo by Alexandra Conroy
Germantown Academy: The Patriots eked past Malvern, 3-2, on RBI hits by sophomores Shane Harkins and Dante Messina and junior Grant Giampalmi, making a winner out of junior Jack Popolizio. Junior Colten Smith thwarted a Malvern rally with a one-out save . . . Two days later, Smith struck out eight and allowed only two hits while hurling the Patriots past Episcopal, 9-2; Popolizio knocked in four runs.
Senior Infielder Jack Sullivan:
HIGH: “Our lineup has been productive one through nine and it doesn’t fall off once we get through our first couple hitters. Another key thing for us this year has been our starting pitching. Our two starters in the league are trying to outduel one another each start, and this has led to them both taking us deep in the game.”
LOW: “We have to get rid of the one inning that has been hurting us in the field. Whether it be early on in the game or later in the game, we need to get rid of ‘the inning.”
#3 Haverford School senior Justin Meyer - Photo by EA Jr. Photographer Alexandra Conroy
Haverford School: Richmond University-bound senior Justin Meyer chose a dramatic time to notch his 100th-career hit. In an 11-7 win over Penn Charter, Meyer slammed a solo home run in his first at bat.
"It was really special getting a homer in a big league game," said Meyer. "When I found out I got 100 RBIs I was kind of shocked, then my coach let me know where I was at with hits until 100 so I knew I was one away going into the game."
He later added a two-run double. Sophomore Pat Toal’s standout pitching (one run in 5 1/3 innings) proved to be essential . . . In a 3-2 win over Episcopal, junior Sean Clark knocked in all three runs, including a huge two-run double in the seventh, and Toal picked up three hits to make a winner out of junior reliever Calvin Costner.
Senior Infielder/Pitcher Justin Meyer:
HIGH: “The past two games all together. These two wins, especially beating our rivals and coming up clutch in the late innings at their field, have brought positivity and confidence back to our team and showed that we can compete with anyone in the league.”
LOW: “Our low point has been with our pitching not being able to locate their pitches and allowing (the opposition) to get free bases which turned into runs.”
Malvern Prep: An incredible six home runs propelled the Friars past Haverford School, 15-4. Junior Chris Newell offered a career-best contribution with not one, not two, but three home runs, believed to be a school record. Sophomores Cam Conley and Jordan Dissin and senior Brady Devereux (winning pitcher) also provided long balls, the latter a three-run blast . . . With senior Billy Corcoran striking out nine, the Friars stopped Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy, 7-2.
Senior Pitcher/Infielder Brady Devereux:
HIGH: “Definitely the win today (April 20 against SCH) – putting us tied for first – and us hitting well. That game gave us a lot of confidence going into next week.”
LOW: “Not being able to rally and put up an offensive fight against Germantown Academy.”
Springside-Chestnut Hill: The Blue Devils stunned Haverford School, 11-1, behind senior pitcher Aidan Frye and a bevy of offensive support . . . A 4-2 win over Germantown Academy included four strong innings by Frye along two runs batted in by junior Pat Elliott.
Junior Catcher Sam Aslansan:
HIGH: “The Germantown Academy game. We came off a huge win against Haverford and we were able to maintain focus throughout the week to prepare for GA. Coach Ish (Joe Ishikawa) told us, ‘Beating Haverford will mean nothing if we can’t beat GA.’ GA always plays us hard and they find ways to ruin our season. So going in there against their number one and staying on top of them for all seven innings felt, as a team, amazing.”
LOW: “The Penn Charter game. We tacked on two runs in the top of the first, but then made two errors in the bottom of the first and gave those runs back. We left 10 runners on throughout the game and couldn’t capitalize.”
Penn Charter: Strong pitching by senior Will Samuel and three runs batted in by freshman Dean Bergmann aided the Quakers’ 5-2 win over Springside-Chestnut Hill . . . Samuel also was the winning pitcher in the Quakers’ 6-5, come-from-behind win over Germantown Academy.
Malvern Prep vs. Springside Chestnut Hill Highlight Video - by Zamani Feelings
MP vs. SCHA - Photos by Zamani Feelings
SCHA vs. Malvern Prep - photos by Zamani Feelings
WPC vs. SCHA - Photos by Zamani Feelings
WPC vs. SCHA - Photos by Zamani Feelings
Penn Charter senior Mike Siani tells us his team and personal goals for the season & offers insight to younger athletes who aspire to play at the next level:
Senior Outfielder Mike Siani:
HIGH: “The win against Springside-Chestnut Hill. We really came together in the clutch when we needed to and a few underclassmen stepped up as well.”
LOW: “Just some of the early season struggles that most teams go through. I wouldn't really call it a low point, though. I just think we needed some time to play together since it's a brand new team.”
(John Knebels can be reached at Jknebels@gmail.com or on twitter @johnknebels.)
(Videos & Photos taken by Zamani Feelings, Follow Zamani on Twitter @Zam919)