Cole Warner and the East Side defense took their talents on the road to Bristol, Connecticut Sunday afternoon, zipping past Naamans(DE) 8-1. Warner threw 4.2 innings, striking out nine and allowing just one hit against the Delaware state champions.
Brady Winklespecht took the mound for Delaware, giving free passes to Ryan Donnelly and Warner, sandwiched around a sac bunt from Darren Molineux. Dillon DiGiulio took a a first pitch fastball to left to fill the bases right out of the gate. Ryan Hennessey worked himself into a 2-1 hitters’ count and grounded into an apparent double play. The play was challenged by manager Bob Hennessey and Ryan beat it out, allowing the first run to score.
After retiring Naamans batters in order in the bottom of the inning, including a Warner strikeout and comebacker toss to first base, the boys from West Chester loaded the bases in the second. Jack Cassidy, one of the heroes from the state title game in Pittston who knocked a grand slam and closed out a victory over Blue Mountain, led off with a double up the middle, beating out a tag and colliding with the second baseman. Colton DiGrazio and Adam Gazonas walked. With two outs, Winklespecht got Patrick Corliss looking to get out of a huge jam. A two-out RBI hit by CJ Puit tied it up at 1-1 after two innings.
East Side then got the big inning they were looking for in the third. Donnelly dropped a ball along the line in right to open the inning, reaching third. He was quickly chased home by a grounder from Molineux. After forcing Winklespecht to the 65 pitch mark, Jason Pontari took the mound with two on and two outs. Paul Cowperthwait greeted him with a ball laced to center field that was quickly thrown back in and then thrown away at third. DiGiulio and Hennessey scored to make it 4-1 East Side.
From there, Warner dug in, striking out the next eight consecutive batters, painting the corners for the first four. Meanwhile, East Side busted through again in the fifth for four more runs to put the game on ice. Patrick Corliss reached on a leadoff E6, as the throw from short came in low to first base. Corliss’ speed helped him move up on a fielders choice. With two on and no outs, Molineux walked on four straight pitches to load the bases. A wild pitch to Cole Warner allowed Corliss to score. Dillon DiGiulio hit into a fielders choice at short, resulting in an out and a run scored by Donnelly. Darren Molineux came in on another wild pitch, despite a tag play put on by Brian Miller. A frustration throwing error by Miller down to third allowed DiGiulio to come in.
Ryan Hennessey encountered a bit of resistance in the sixth inning, but fanned Joey DeCaro and Will Santora with the bases loaded to end the threat and send East Side to the winners bracket final.
East Side(15-1) will now take on a Capitol Hill, D.C.(8-0) team that defeated Berlin, Maryland 7-6. That game featured a combined 20 walks and 16 strikeouts. Those two will meet Tuesday morning, 11:00am on ESPN. Berlin(MD) and Naamans(DE) will faceoff in an elimination game Monday night at 5:00 on ESPN+.
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