Game 1: The Ravens Lose 6-2 in Non-Conference Play
The Ravens welcomed the United East Conference St. Elizabeth Eagles to Upper Merion High School field on Sunday, April 6th. The games were originally scheduled to be played a day earlier at Heuser Park. However, the weather forced the rescheduling, and the Ravens celebrated their seniors on Saturday night on campus. On Sunday, all active seniors saw action against St. Elizabeth in a split double-header.
Game 1 was a non-conference game which ended in a 6-2 loss for the home team Ravens. Senior Zach Nutley went 5 innings on the mound and struck out 4 batters. He was relieved by fellow seniors Brett Angelillo, Justin Harrison and Alex Rausch. Junior Shane Lennon threw the 9th. The four relief pitchers surrendered just one run over the final four frames.
Offensively, the Ravens started 9 seniors in the line-up. Catcher Chris Walton had two hits in the game, including a two RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. The infield was comprised of Jack Woods at first base, Samson Gerner at second, Luke Franklin at shortstop, and Bobby DiDonato at third. The outfielders were Nick Tanella, Julian Albanese, and Connor Cook. David McKinney was the designated hitter.
Game 2: The Junior Varsity Wins 4-3 in Walk-Off Fashion
The second game of the day was a 7-inning Junior Varsity game. Again, the seniors led the way. Starting pitcher Giuseppe Bentrovato went 3 innings, allowing just 1 run on 2 hits in the longest outing of his career. Dom Younger closed out the game on the mound to earn the win in his first appearance on the mound. Younger had a single, a run scored and a stolen base as well.
At the plate, senior first baseman/designated hitter, Thomas George, had the single biggest swing of the day with a two-run home run to right field in the second inning.
Head Coach Ross Trachtenberg said about the shot: "That was a huge home run for Thomas in a big spot for the team. He worked a deep count and finished off his at-bat with one of the best swings of his career. It was a great moment for Thomas and our team."
The seniors were responsible for the final two runs of the game in the 7th inning as well. Ryan McDonough drew a walk to start off the 7th. He also had a single earlier in the game. Later that inning, with the bases loaded, it was senior Fabian Vega who plated the tying run in freshman Solomon Denmark with a hit up the middle. Fellow freshman Anthony Galli hustled from 2nd base to score the go ahead run on the play.
"This was a great way to finish off a weekend celebration of our seniors" said Trachtenberg after the day of baseball. "Twenty young men are graduating in a month, and I am so proud of what each has accomplished on and off the field. Today was a terrific day for them to play together, just as they did as freshman during our first season as a program in the spring of 2022."
Up Next: The Ravens travel to Immaculata University on Monday, April 7th for a 3:30pm non-conference game. The team then hosts Lancaster Bible College on Tuesday, April 8th at Heuser Park for a 3:00pm United East contest.
