Prep Baseball Report

Game Recap: West York vs. Bonner-Prendergast



By Frank Cooney
Eastern PA Area Scout

Brett KinnemanIn a playoff game that saw both teams on the ropes, defending state champion, West York, was able to land a knockout blow in the eighth inning.  

West York wasted no time in jumping out to an early lead, plating six runs in the first inning, knocking Bonner starter Pat Vanderslice out of the game before he could record an out. Four walks and a controversial call at first on a bunt attempt set the stage for Brett Kinneman’s three-run triple, plating West York’s 3d, 4th and 5th runs of the inning, ending Vanderslice’s outing before it really had a chance to begin. 

Bonner called on 2014 Pitt recruit, Daniel Furman to put out the fire. The senior entered the game with nobody out in the first inning, five runs already on the board and a runner on third with nobody out. Furman allowed a leadoff single, scoring Kinneman from third and putting West York on top by a score of 6-0, but Furman was lights out from there. From that point the 6-foot, 185-pound right-hander allowed just one unearned run in eight innings of relief, giving up three hits and striking out seven. 

West York starter, Joe Prego, kept the Bonner offense in check through the first three innings, as the only baserunner he allowed were via walks. Jim Haley,a Penn State recruit, led off the 4th with a single though, and was followed by a single from 2013 3B Frank Savisky. After a double steal put runners on 2nd and 3d with nobody out, Dan Furman got Bonner on the board with a deep sacrifice fly to left field. Bonner would add another run in the frame, making the score 6-2.  

The fifth inning saw Bonner get the leadoff man on once again, as leadoff hitter Tom Crumlish started the inning with a double. An RBI double from Savisky and an RBI single from Furman cut the West York lead to 6-4.  

Bonner started their third consecutive inning with a hit in the sixth, knocking the West York starter from the game. And for the third consecutive inning, Bonner pushed two runs across the plate, tying the game at 6-6.  

In the bottom of the 7th inning, Bonner found themselves in the enviable position of having Jim Haley up with the bases loaded and 2 out, with a chance to deliver a walk-off win. Haley made solid contact, driving the ball to deep centerfield, but West York senior Brandon Rauhauser, tracked it down.

West York seized control in the top of the 8th inning, as Furman issued back to back  walks to begin the frame. Two Bonner errors led to West York scoring three runs to take a commanding 9-6 lead. West York called on 2014 RHP Carson Fries to close the door in the bottom of the eighth, and he did so emphatically, shutting Bonner down in order to preserve the 9-6 victory for West York.

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