Box Score
HAVERFORD, Pa. – Ben Einbinder hit two home runs and added three RBIs to launch Haverford to a 12-4 win over Gettysburg in the Centennial Conference (CC) quarterfinal baseball game on Friday.
Einbinder hit the middle of three straight homers in the bottom of the fourth that gave the Fords (25-14) a 5-2 advantage en route to securing a spot in Saturday's CC semifinal against second-seeded Johns Hopkins at Franklin & Marshall. Game time is 11 a.m.
Matt Sweeney (Bethesda, MD/St. Anselms Abby School) went 3-for-4 for the Bullets (20-19), who were making their first appearance in the CC playoffs in the four-year history of the championship-playoff format.
With his team trailing 2-1 entering the bottom of the fourth, Tim McLean reached on an infield single and advanced to second on an errant throw to lead off the inning.
One batter later, Kenny McAlpine launched a 1-0 pitch over the short porch in right field to turn a one-run deficit into a one-run lead.
Einbinder made it back-to-back, drilling a 1-2 pitch over the same spot to make it a 4-2 game.
Mike Primiani made it 5-2, sending an 0-1 pitch over virtually the same spot.
After Ben Field drew a walk, Rahul Munshi reached on a fielder's choice. Gettysburg starter Tobin Whitman (Lyme Center, NH/Hanover) got a pop fly for the second out, but Steve Andelman singled through the right side to plate Munshi.
After a pitching change, Ross Hempel (Marriottsville, MD/Glenelg) got a fly ball to get the Bullets out of further trouble.
In the top of the sixth, Michael Donohue (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) launched a 3-1 pitch over the left-field fence for a two-run homer – also scoring Sweeney, who singled one batter earlier – to cut the deficit to 6-4.
Back-to-back singles to lead off the home sixth and a passed ball set up second and third with one away after a foul-fly out.
Mills notched in an infield RBI single and Ryan Stephens doubled to clear the bases and stretch the lead to 9-4.
Einbinder blasted a two-run shot over the left-field wall in the bottom of the seventh before a Stephens double and error set the final margin.
A two-out error in the bottom of the first and a McLean double to the gap got Haverford on the board early.
The Bullets grabbed the lead in the top of the second when Brian Pernice (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown) led off with an infield single and Donohue reached on a fielding error to set up first and second with one out.
An Andrew Freeburger (Baltimore, MD/Parkville) triple scored Pernice and Donohue for the 2-1 lead.
Joe Bonyai (Torrington, CT/Hotchkiss School) had a two-out single down the left-field line for his long hit of the day, finishing one shy of the program's single-season record of 55.
Bonyai finished the day with nine putouts, breaking the old single-season record of 301 on a groundball in the seventh inning.
Ryan Frankel went the distance for the Fords, striking out three to improve to 4-0.
Whitman picked up the loss for Gettysburg, falling to 4-4 on the season.
| Score by Inning |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
- |
R |
H |
E |
| Gettysburg (20-19) |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
- |
4 |
8 |
4 |
| Haverford (25-14) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
x |
- |
12 |
16 |
1 |
Tobin Whitman, Ross Hempel (4), Rob Borman (8) and Michael Donohue; Ryan Frankel and Kenny Alpine, Jonathan Debrich (9). WP:.Frankel (4-0). LP: Whitman (4-4). S: none. SO-BB: Whitman 1-1, Hempel 1-0, Borman 1-0; Frankel 3-2. 2B: Michael Sweeney (G), Ryan Stephens 2 (H), Tim McLean (H). 3B: Andrew Freeburger (G). HR: Michael Donohue (G), Kenny McAlpine (H), Ben Einbinder 2 (H), Mike Primiani (H).
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