Baseball: Patient Marple defeats host Coatesville in second round of Districts

CALN >> Marple Newtown got only eight hits — all singles — in its 7-5 win against host Coatesville Wednesday in the second round of the District One Class AAAA baseball playoffs Wednesday. But the Tigers found other ways to get on base, drawing seven walks and reaching base four times after being hit by a pitch. “We take pitches, and we don’t even mind getting hit,” said Marple Newtown head coach Steve Smith. The Tigers will host a quarterfinal Friday against Pennridge — which upset No. 1 Interboro. That game is slated for an unconventional noon start time Friday. Coatesville head coach Hal Ziegler said his team got what it expected from Marple Newtown.

“We heard that Marple was a feisty team, with patient hitters,” Ziegler said.

The Tigers had at least two runners reach base in every inning except the first, and built a 7-0 lead by the top of the sixth inning. The game was still scoreless in the top of the third, when Marple left fielder Luke Cantwell came to bat with the bases loaded and two outs. On a 2-2 pitch, he lined a single to left field to score the game’s first run. Marple added three runs in the top of the fourth. Right fielder Nick Molinaro led off with a single, designated hitter Brian Reynolds followed with a single, and first baseman Corey Woodcock drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. After a force out at the plate, second baseman Bob Steven came to bat and was safe at first on an infield hit, making the score 2-0. Shortstop Ricky Collings was then hit with a pitch (he was nailed twice on the day) to make it 3-0.

A wild pitch scored center fielder Alden Mathes from third to make the score 4-0. Marple designated hitter Scott Hahn then hit a line drive down the third base side, but Coatesville third baseman Alex Curtiss made a leaping catch and turned it into an inning-ending double play. In the top of the fifth, Marple scored two more runs. Cantwell and Tiger pitcher Cameron Mathes were consecutively hit by pitches to lead off the inning. A wild pitch later brought Cantwell home, then Reynolds lined a hit to score Mathes from second and make the score 6-0. Mathes was breezing along on the mound, allowing only two hits and a walk through five innings and striking out six.

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Marple Newtown’s Alden Mathes, left, is greeted by the bench after scoring Marple’s first run in a 7-5 win over Coatesville in teh second round of the District One Class AAAA tournament Wednesday. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)