In the News
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Wendle powers Avon Grove to wind-swept victory
SHORTSTOP HAD TWO HITS AND SCORED FOUR RUNS TO LEAD THE RED DEVILS PAST BISHOP SHANAHAN
By PETER DiGIOVANNI, Staff Writer
DOWNINGTOWN -- Before the local baseball season began, many thought Avon Grove would be the team to dethrone West Chester East in the Ches-Mont League scramble. Popular opinion had it that the Red Devils had depth at pitching and one of the area’s best players in senior shortstop Joe Wendle.
Wednesday, at wind-swept Bishop Shanahan High School, the Red Devils made the alleged experts look pretty smart as they defeated the host Eagles, 13-4, on a very chilly afternoon.
Wendle led the nine-hit Red Devil attack with two hits and four runs scored, as well as making all the plays in the field. Avon Grove coach Tim Rector said it’s a luxury to have Wendle back in the lineup after he missed most of last season with a leg injury.
“I think Joe is one of the best players in the area,” Wendle said. “He is so confident out there he thinks he can hit anybody, but he he is not overconfident. In the field he has such great hands. He is very gifted.”
Wendle stroked a double in the top of the first inning off Shanahan (1-1, 1-1) starter Mike Czenszak that was instrumental in Avon Grove taking an early 2-0 lead. But the Eagles responded off Red Devil senior Brandon Snyder to plate three
runs of their own in the bottom of the inning.
Greg Cordivari roped an RBI single and Alex Poppe hit a sacrifice fly to tie the score, and Czenszak helped his own cause with a sharp RBI single to right. Shanahan scored another run in the second off Snyder and took a 4-2 lead after two frames.
Then, Avon Grove erupted.
The Red Devils (3-0, Ches-Mont, 4-0 overall) scored three runs in the top of the third off Czenszak and piled on four more in the top of the fourth off reliever, Ryan Lanzalotto. The Red Devils were aided by eight walks from the Eagles’ pitchers and some costly miscues in the field.
Wendle, Eric Kukoda, Diego Balcazar and Brandon Snyder had the key Red Devil hits in the eight-run uprising.
“You can’t give a team more than three outs in an inning and you can’t walk as many people as we did,” Shanahan coach Mike Cooper said. “I was encouraged by the way we came back in the first inning, though, after they took a 2-0 lead.”
Avon Grove also went to its bullpen in the third inning, bringing in senior Paul Glenn to replace Snyder. Glenn responded by shutting down Shanahan over the next three innings as Avon Grove extended its advantage to 10-4. Glenn also rocked a towering home run to right in the top of the fourth inning.
“Going into the year we thought we would have good pitching and defense,” Rector said. “Today, Paul came in for Brandon and the other day against Downingtown West, Brandon came in for Paul, and we got two innings out of a sophomore, Colin Taylor, today also. We hit the ball very well today.”
After the game Wendle responded to the talk that the undefeated Red Devils were the favorites to win the Ches-Mont League.
“We honestly do not listen to that stuff,” Wendle said. “We practice hard every day and get ready for the next game. We have nine guys in the lineup that can hurt you and our young guys have stepped up so far this season.”
For Shanahan, it was the first game in 10 days and Cooper said his team still has a lot of fight left in them.
“We didn’t hit, pitch or field well today,” Cooper said. “But we will get right after it tomorrow and get ready to go. We are a ways away from where we want to be.”
To contact staff writer Peter DiGiovanni, e-mail pdigiovanni@dailylocal.com
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Happy opener for Eagles, new coach
By PETER DiGIOVANNI, Staff Writer
EAST WHITELAND -- For openers, things could not have turned out better for new Bishop Shanahan baseball coach Mike Cooper.
The first game of the Cooper regime had it all. A long, three-run home run in the top of the first inning, a great defensive play in the bottom of the seventh to cut down the tying run, and a strong pitching performance from the Eagles’ starting pitcher.
All of which added up to a thrilling 3-2 Ches-Mont League win over Great Valley.
“It is real nice to get this first win,” Cooper said. “We want the kids to feel good about themselves. They are working really hard.”
Alex Poppe launched a huge three-run homer to left off Great Valley starter Tom Rafetto to get things going for the Eagles. Poppe took a 2-2 fastball and lifted it high over the left-field fence for an early 3-0 Shanahan lead. Poppe found new life as the pitch before the home run was dropped in foul ground by the Patriots.
“I was just trying to get a hit and get a run in,” Poppe said. “It was a fastball and I hit it pretty good and it took off. It was nice to get a lead early and give Chris (Whitman) some runs to work with.”
The three-run inning would be the last uprising Shanahan (1-0) would have against Rafetto, who did not allow another hit in his six innings of work, striking out nine along the way.
“Tommy pitched a super game,” Great Valley coach Matt Schultz said. “It was unfortunate for us that the kid (Poppe) got another chance, but give him credit. He hit the home run.”
Great Valley (0-1) had its chances against Whitman. The Patriots stranded runners in the second, fourth and seventh innings. But the Eagles hurler was tough, allowing just six hits - all singles - and walking just four batters.
“We got the home run early, then we did not hit the ball,” Cooper said. “But Chris pitched a great game for us and kept us in the lead. We need to hit the baseball
better, though.”
Whitman gave way to Mike Czenzak in the bottom of the seventh and the Patriots, trailing 3-2 at the time, staged a rally.
Kyle Stackhouse led off with a walk, his third of the game. Stackhouse moved to second on a balk call against Czenzak. Chris Campbell then singled sharply to center and things suddenly got interesting.
Shanahan center fielder Matt Sallito charged the ball, picked it cleanly and threw a strike to catcher Andrew Rychalk, who put the tag on a sliding Stackhouse just before he reached the plate to keep the score at 3-2 and preserve the Shanahan win.
“I knew he was going to try to score,” Sallito said. “I just wanted to get to the ball and come up throwing. This is the first game of the year and I knew we had to come out strong. This is a whole new team this year.”
Schultz said he had no doubts about trying to score Stackhouse from second to tie the game.
“We left some runners on base today and that helped them and then we almost scored at home,” he said. “It was a bang-bang play.”
Although Cooper was pleased with the win, he saw areas in need of improvement for the Eagles. “Chris Whitman pitched a great game and Matt made a great play,” Cooper said. “All spring we talk about hitting the cut-off man, and there was a case that you can’t hit the cut-off man, you have to throw home. It was a great play.”
To contact staff writer Peter DiGiovanni, e-mail pdigiovanni@dailylocal.com