End of an Era: Rocky Grove’s String of Three Straight D10 Titles Comes to an End in Quarterfinals

| May 21, 2019


SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (EYT) – An end of an era.

(Photo: Scott Perry of Rocky Grove who had a two-run double in the first inning for the Orioles. Photo by Christie Datko)

After winning three straight District 10 baseball titles (one in Class 1A and the last two in Class 2A) as well as the 2018 PIAA Class 2A baseball title, Rocky Grove’s season and string of title came to an end in the bottom of the eighth inning Monday when Ricky Telesz’s single into right field scored Caelan Bender from third to give Wilmington a 5-4 victory over the Orioles in the District 10 Class 2A quarterfinals.

“My initial thoughts are that I’m very blessed to have had a wonderful career with these kids,” said Rocky Grove manager Bill Wilson. “It was a tough way to lose it today, but we’re going to hold our heads up high.”

Bender started the eighth inning rally by getting hit by a Scott Perry pitch, and Cameron Marett followed with a double to put runners on second and third with just one out.

The hit capped a comeback from an early 4-0 deficit for the Greyhounds, who tied the game in the bottom of the seventh.

Down 4-3 entering the seventh, Telesz reached leading off and went to second on a walk to Jaret Boyer an out later. Zach Dlugozima then hit into a fielder’s choice with Telesz out at third, but Timmy Lewis came up with a single to tie the game at four.

Rocky Grove took the 4-0 lead in the first inning coming out with guns blazing.

Seth Wilson leadoff the game with a single, following a walk to Tyler Knupp, Nick Sanner ripped a double scoring Wilson. Scott Perry then doubled home Sanner and Knupp before Travis Knupp then drew a walk to put runners on first and second followed by Eli Moreland’s base hit that staked the Orioles to the 4-0 lead.

Wilmington answered in the second as Dlugozima reached base on an error by the shortstop Sanner. Isaac Schleich singled and Ethan Susen was hit by a pitch loading the bases with two outs. Nathanael Luu drew a bases-loaded walk from Orioles starter Tyler Knupp getting the ‘Hounds on the board 4-1 with Dlugozima scoring.

Tyler Knupp lasted 3 ⅔ innings giving up one run with four hits while striking out six with two walks.

However, it was the pitching change that Wilmington made after the third inning that proved to be the difference.

Lewis entered the game in the fourth replacing Boyer, the starter, who gave up seven hits and four earned runs in three innings.

Rocky Grove never had another hit in the game against the lefty. He went five innings with four walks and four strikeouts.

“That is the problem in our region and area,” said Wilson. “There just are not that many lefty pitchers around at all. We had only seen him one other time for an inning. I certainly think not having lefty experience hurt us today.”

Lewis’s brilliance allowed for Wilmington to chip away at their deficit.

Wilmington cut the lead in half in the fifth when pinch runner Zach Lightcap scored on an error by Sanner. Lightcap had been running for Telesz who had doubled prior against Perry who took over on the mound for Rocky Grove.

Then in the sixth, with back-to-back walks followed by a groundout, Wilmington was able to cut the lead to one as Luu scored on a wild pitch pulling the Greyhounds to within a run at 4-3 heading the seventh.

Rocky Grove squandered two opportunities to increase their lead against Wilmington starter Boyer in the second and third innings.

Both times they had runners on the corners with two outs – and both times Eli Moreland and Ryan Hanna were caught stealing to end the inning.

“I’ve been around and coached this great group of kids for more than four years now,” Wilson said. “I’ve been around these guys their entire baseball lives. They were state champions a year ago, and I’m glad to be a part of everything.”

WILMINGTON 5, ROCKY GROVE 4, 8 INNINGS

Score by Innings

Rocky Grove – 400 000 00 – 4
Wilmington – 010 011 11 – 5

ROCKY GROVE – 4

Nick Sanner cf 4111 – Caden Toscano c 3000 – Tyler Knupp p 4110 – Seth Wilson ss 4110 – Scott Perry 1b 4112 – Ryan Hanna 3b 4020 – Reece Henderson 2b 0000 – Travis Knupp dh 4000 – Eli Moreland rf 4011 – James Ginnery lf – 1000, Michael Shields pr 0000. Totals: 32-4-7-4.

WILMINGTON – 5

Nathanael Luu cf 5201 – Caelan Bender 2b 5100 – Cameron Marett ss 5020 – Ricky Telesz 1b -5021 Robert Pontius rf 4000 – Jaret Boyer p 4110 – Zach Dlugozima dh 4000 – Dylan Batley c 1000 – Isaac Schleich 3b 1010 – Ethan Susen lf – 4000, Timmy Lewis p – 3021, Zach Lightcap pr – 0100. Totals: 41-5-8-3.

Errors: W 0. RG 2. 2B: Scott Perry, Nick Sanner, Tyler Knupp, Ryan Hanna, Ricky Telesz, Cameron Marett. HBP: Ethan Susen Caelan Bender. CS: Ryan Hanna, Eli Moreland. SB: Cameron Marett 2, Nathanael Luu.

PITCHING

Wilmington

Jaret Boyer 3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Timmy Lewis 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0, ER, 4 BB, 4 K

Rocky Grove

Tyler Knupp 3 ⅔ IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K HBP 1
Scott Perry 4 ⅓ IP 4 H 4 R 4 ER 5 BB 2 K HBP 1

Winning pitcher: Timmy Lewis
Losing pitcher: Scott Perry


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