Baseball Public League State Playoff Recaps, 2005-

Recaps of PL State Playoff Baseball Games, 2005-

2005
CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle University
   Neshaminy 5, Frankford 1: The Pioneers' run came on Luis Alicea's third-inning double off the leftfield fence. Ramon Reyes collected two hits. Neshaminy scored three in the fourth and two in the seventh.
At Balliet Field, in Coplay
   Emmaus 12, Central 2: The winners ended the game with run No. 12 with nobody out in the home sixth. Joshua Fleishman (RBI), Joe Magdovitz and losing pitcher Andrew "Potter" Reynolds had the Lancers' three hits (all singles). This one was played over two days due to rain.
CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
At Northampton HS
   Whitehall 14, Bok 4: The five-inning loss ended the 34-year career of coach Tom DeFelice. Anthony Rivers (two hits) and Justin Stewart had Bok's RBI.
CLASS AA
FIRST ROUND
At Memorial Park, in Quakertown
   Springfield Montco 13, GAMP 11: Anthony Venafro slammed a two-run homer, the first by a Pub player in state competition, while Eric Funaro went 4-for-5 with two RBI and Andrew Caines rapped two hits. GAMP scored four in the visiting seventh and had the bases loaded with two out when Gabe Natale fired a liner inches foul down the leftfield line. He then grounded out, first baseman to the pitcher covering. This one was also played over two days due to rain.

2006
CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle High
Central 10, West Chester Henderson 9: The Lancers became the first non-basketball team to win in the states, largely on the strength of a seven-run fourth that erased an 8-3 deficit. Joshua Fleishman, Nick DeLeo and Jared Farbman stroked singles for RBI in the frame while Aaron Esbensen lined a run-scoring double and Mike Braun drew a bases-loaded walk. Also, Joe Magdovitz fanned for what should have been the third out. But two runs scored as the catcher could not immediately find the ball and the pitcher then threw it past third. In a three-run second, Winterstein doubled in a run and Fleishman got home TWO by laying down a squeeze bunt on a pitch straight at his head. Winterstein won in relief and Esbensen earned a two-out save.
At Balliet Stadium, in Coplay
Nazareth 16, Frankford 2: The Pub runner-up was humbled in this five-inning game. Nazareth scored 12 in the third inning with the help of nine walks and two hit batsmen. Juan Carlos Torres bagged two of Frankford's six hits.
QUARTERFINAL
At Spring-Ford High
Central 1, Central Dauphin 0: Micah Winterstein, a 5-7, 125-pound sophomore righthander, pitched two-hit ball over the first five innings and, using his fielding skills (second base), made five assists to help himself immensely. Jared Farbman then completed the combined three-hitter. The Lancers scored in the home first as Matt Smith led off with a single, moved up on Nick DeLeo's groundout and a passed ball and came around on Farbman's single to right-center. Afterward, the Lancers staged a playful sit-down strike in front of their dugout in an attempt to gain go-to-prom permission for DeLeo (minor school infraction). They even held out their hats and shook them back and forth in we're-begging-you fashion. Dr. Sheldon Pavel, Central's principal, relented. The giddy Lancers swarmed around DeLeo and doused him with water. The prom followed; this game started at 1 o'clock.
SEMIFINAL
At Balliet Stadium, in Coplay
Delaware Valley 7, Central 1: The Lancers were no-hit for 4.2 innings. Micah Winterstein then dropped a bloop double just inside the rightfield line and Mike Braun followed with an infield single. Braun stole second and the throw glanced off an infielder's glove into the outfield, allowing Winterstein to score. A walk and error opened the sixth, but the next three batters went out in order. Jared Farbman and Winterstein did Central's pitching. Joshua Fleishman made the best defensive play, jumping above the height of the fence in dead centerfield to prevent a first-inning homer.
CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
At Northeast
Southern Lehigh 18, Swenson 0: The Lions committed seven errors, leading to 10 unearned runs, in this four-inning game, and managed just one baserunner (Gerald Wolford, walk to lead off home first).
CLASS AA
FIRST ROUND
At Ashburn Field
St. Pius X (Pottstown) 7, GAMP 1: Losing pitcher Andrew Caines collected two hits and the Pioneers' lone run came on Foster McKoskey's sixth-inning groundout.

2007
CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle University
West Chester East 14, Frankford 0: The Pioneers surrendered 12 runs and 13 hits in the first two innings, but at least were able to avoid a three-inning termination in their final game under 19-year coach Bob Peffle. Esteban "Shortie" Meletiche, Edwin "Tito" Rohena and Jon Bracero had singles and Peffle afterward autographed a keepsake baseball for veteran ump Jim Scott.
CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
At Northwestern Lehigh HS
Bethlehem Catholic 15, Franklin Towne 0: FT sent just 10 men to the plate in this three-inning game. Seven fanned and the only guy to reach base, via a walk, was Ron Gunning. This result completed an 0-4 year for the Pub in state playoffs with a scoring disadvantage of 42-0.
CLASS AA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle Uuniversity
Pine Grove 8, Prep Charter 0: In the second game of a doubleheader, following Frankford, the Huskies likewise were limited to three singles (by Josh DeSimone, Mike Zangari and Sam Shipley).
CLASS A
FIRST ROUND
At Radnor High
Delco Christian 5, GAMP 0: The Pioneers fanned eight times in the first three innings, and 12 times overall, and their four hits came in separate innings. Eric Funaro and Brandon Henson laced doubles. Anthony Venafro's 400-foot blast to dead center was caught, ending the game.

2008
CLASS AAAA
FIRST ROUND
At La Salle University
Frankford 3, Avon Grove 1 (8 inn.): Edwin "Tito" Rohena pitched a three-hitter, struck out seven, picked two runners off first base and gave himself the win with a one-out, two-run homer to dead rightfield in the home eighth. Jon Bracero was plunked by a 3-2 pitch immediately beforehand. The Pioneers, humbled by a combined score of 35-3 in three previous state appearances, scored in the second as Frank Donato doubled and came around on a pair of errors. Esteban "Shortie" Meletiche doubled for Frankford's other hit.
QUARTERFINAL
At Spring-Ford High
Hempfield 3, Frankford 2: All of the scoring took place in the last three innings. Esteban "Shortie" Meletiche stole home in the bottom of the fifth to get things started, then surrendered a two-run homer. Hempfield added one more in the seventh, then Edwin "Tito" Rohena delivered an RBI single in the bottom half. Frankford had the bases loaded with one away, but a forceout at the plate and popout ended it. All five of Frankford's hits were singles, 12 guys fanned and eight runners were stranded in scoring position.

CLASS AAA
FIRST ROUND
At Ashburn Field
Blue Mountain 14, Phila. Elec. 0 (5 inn.): The Chargers were held to two hits, singles by Chuck Fitzgerald and Ricky Holmes, and had to play most of the last two innings with just eight players. In the visiting fourth, relief pitcher Luke Moscinski was almost knocked out by a knee to the head as he scooped up a dribbler along the first-base line and tagged the runner. He could not continue, but rightfielder Anthony Digneo, who had just yielded to sub Aaron Casby, was unable to re-enter the game in Moscinski's spot in the order. Moscinski would have led off the home fourth. PE was assessed an automatic out. Over BM's last two at-bats, PE coach Mark Olkowski went with three infielders rather than two outfielders.
CLASS AA
FIRST ROUND
At Blue Mountain
Pine Grove 11, Prep Charter 1 (5 inn.): The Huskies' only hit, Sean McGovern's RBI single, made it 1-0 in the visiting first after Kyle Stanton walked and was bunted over by losing pitcher Sam Shipley.
CLASS A
FIRST ROUND
At Ashburn Field
Christopher Dock 16, GAMP 1 (6 inn.): In game two of a doubleheader, the visitors exploded for eight runs in the visiting sixth and GAMP had no answers. The Pioneers were limited to five singles. They scored in the fifth as frosh Dom Raia singled and later tallied on Nick Coppola's base hit.