Prep Baseball Report

PAISAA Semis & Championship



By Jacob Gill
Philadelphia Region Director of Scouting

paisaa semifinals

McGowanHaverford School 12 vs Mercersburg Academy 2 [5 innings]

A six-run first inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double from 2015 IF Kevin McGowan and a bases loaded double from 2014 1B Connor Burke, springboarded the Fords into the championship game. Haverford College-bound Matt Galetta (remember that name for later) went all five innings for the win.

Springside Chestnut Hill 3 vs Malvern Prep 13 [5 innings]

Seton Hall-bound Joe Poduslenko (2-3, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI), 2014 IF Matt Maul (2-3, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI) and 2013 OF Brian Giacchino (2-3, 2 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI) led a balanced offensive attack that saw seven different players notch base hits and eight different players score runs.

paisaa championship

Haverford School 7 vs Malvern Prep 3

In the third meeting of the year between these two schools (they split two regular-season games), Haverford's bats stayed hot and 2014 RHP Connor Burke kept the potent Malvern line-up at bay. Burke throws out of a high-3/4 slot with a clean arm action and slight wright wrap. He stayed out of the middle of the plate, effectively mixing his fastball with a slider that cut away from the Friar barrels.

After the teams traded single runs in the second inning, the Fords exploded for four in the top of the third. The 3-4-5-6 hitters all drove in runs in consecutive at-bats, highlighted by another double to right-center from clean-up man McGowan. The teams swapped two-spots in the fourth to complete the scoring.

It's not uncommon for a pitcher to start and finish a game. It is much less common for a pitcher to start the first game of a double-header and finish the second game, but that is exactly what Matt Galetta did. The mercy-rule win and an aggressive Mercersburg offense that made a number of outs early in the count kept Galetta's pitch count depressed and allowed him to come on in the sixth inning to record the final six outs Haverford needed to claim the title.

For in depth scouting notes with velocities and times see the PA Scouting Blog.

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