ROYERSFORD >> For a moment, it looked like Spring City would have plans through the remainder of Tuesday night. Fully booked, the Red Sox’s itinerary suddenly wiped clean.
Needing a win against Malvern-Paoli to claim the Chester County Senior Legion championship, Spring City was down 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning. A win for the Pirates would force an elimination game for all the marbles, and with one out, it looked to be a long night at Ram Stadium.
But with two late runs, the Red Sox ripped out the rug from under Malvern-Paoli, taking the Chester County title in a 3-2 win to cap an undefeated run through the double elimination bracket. Spring City took wins over Downingtown (3-0) and Malvern-Paoli (6-5) along the way.
“That saves our pitching for the coming games at regionals,” said Red Sox first baseman Brendan Kenning, who graduated from Pope John Paul II in June. “It was great, the bottom of the lineup got us started and the top finished it off.”
Both teams are primed for the Pa. Region 3 tournament, Spring City (17-3) being the host and champion of Chester County, as well as Malvern-Paoli (11-6) for finishing within the top two of the league. The Pa. Region 3 tournament is scheduled to run from July 14-18 at Ram Stadium.
Down 2-1 with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, a single from leadoff man David Ruckman (3-for-4) put runners on the corners before he stole second base, putting the Red Sox in scoring position.
From there, Nick Moyer battled back on a full count, hitting the equalizer on a sacrifice fly to tie it 2-2. Kenning stepped up next, hitting a hard ground ball into the infield, reaching base safely as the winning run came in.
Both clubs had complete game performances on the mound in a pitcher’s duel. Sean Crawford struck out three, scattered six hits and walked two on 98 pitches for Spring City. Anthony Cristinzio fanned two with six hits and five walks on 91 throws.
“We were just able to bear down honestly,” Kenning said. “Credit to the bottom of the order, they’ve done a great job all season long. Sean’s been doing that all year and to stay ahead of the pitch count and put us in a position to win, it was huge and we were able to get it done.”
Kenning drove in the first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning with a sacrifice fly of his own to go up 1-0 over Malvern-Paoli.
The Pirates responded immediately with two runs in the following frame to climb into the drivers’ seat, riding a 2-1 lead up until the Red Sox’s seventh-inning effort. Ryan Over (2-for-3) initially tied it, 1-1 with an RBI double before Michael Garrison drove in Over with a base hit after.
“I was happy we hung in early in the game,” Malvern-Paoli coach Bert Iams said. “The key to this game was we didn’t let them get a multi-run lead early on. If that would’ve happened, things could’ve spiraled. Anthony Cristinzio pitched the game of his life. He’s usually an outfielder and catcher, and came in today and just threw bullets all day long … the defense really kept us in the game.”
The Pirates took a 5-3 win over Exton following a first-round bye to start the tournament. Upon taking a 6-5 loss to Spring City, Malvern-Paoli rebounded with a 4-3 triumph over Downingtown to punch their tickets to a rematch with the Red Sox in the league final.
According to Iams, this postseason run — which still isn’t quite over yet — is a far cry from where the program has been in recent years.
“Our team didn’t win a game two years ago. We won five games last year. Now to be on the brink of winning the Chester County championship, these kids have come a long way,” Iams said. “They’ve really built this program up and I’m thrilled for them. It’s been a super exciting year.”
Spring City won state championships in 2010 and 2018. Kenning, who won the District 1 Class 4A final with Pope John Paul II during this past PIAA season, is now gunning for another piece of hardware with the Red Sox as regionals begin this week.
“All year long, we’ve put some teams away pretty big, but I think this was a great game to prepare us for some of the tough matchups coming ahead,” Kenning said. “You’re not always going to blow every team out with situational hitting. It’s something to build on and continue to move forward.”