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Game Recaps: St. Joseph's Prep at Malvern Prep and Neumann-Goretti at Episcopal Academy

March 27, 2016

By Jacob Gill
Pennsylvania Assistant Director of Scouting

Saturday was a de facto Philadelphia Catholic League versus Inter-Academic League Challenge, with the independent schools coming out on top three to one in a quartet of head-to-head contests between the leagues:

St. Joseph's Prep 1 @ Malvern Prep 2
Penn Charter 8 @ La Salle 1
Neumann-Goretti 6 @ Episcopal Academy 0
Springside Chestnut HIll 6 @ Archbishop Ryan 2

PBR had the opportunity to take in two of the games with staggered start times that were contested in close geographical proximity to each other.

St. Joseph's Prep at Malvern Prep

This game played out as anticipated between two teams expected to be carried by their pitching this spring. The visitors' lone tally came in the top of the fourth inning without the benefit of a hit. Two walks and a fielder's choice set up a first-and-third situation in which an errant throw on a steal attempt allowed the Hawks to break a scoreless tie. The Friars had chances to respond in the fifth and sixth innings, putting the first two runners on in both, but failed sac bunt attempts killed both potential rallies. The home team finally broke through against the SJP bullpen in the bottom of the seventh, as a leadoff single from junior center fielder Nick Li was followed one out later by a walk-off, opposite field home run from senior right fielder Chance DiFebbo (Delaware).

A trio of Malvern Prep RHPs -- sophomore Brady Devereux (Wake Forest), junior Jimmy Kingsbury (Villanova), and sophomore Billy Corcoran (Pittsburgh) -- combined to limit the Hawks to four hits and two walks against eight strikeouts. St. Joseph's Prep starter, junior RHP J.T. Gosweiler, was more than equal to the task, posting a line of 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K while inducing weak contact with his heavy fastball and solid secondary offerings.

Neumann-Goretti at Episcopal Academy

The visiting Saints got outhit in this one, but took advantage of a disastrous top of the first inning that included two walks, a hit-by-pitch, and four errors by the Churchmen to tally four runs on its way to the PCL's only win against the Inter-Ac on this day. Senior RHPs Ethan Pritchett (Wagner) and Jeff Ciocco (Western Kentucky) combined to shutout EA on four hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Episcopal senior first baseman Alex Burman (New Jersey Tech) was the only player on either side to tally multiple hits, as he barreled the baseball in all three of his at-bats.

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