Hits Don't Fall For Knights, Suffer First Lost Of The Season

Rustin's bats show up, but hits don't fall, ending eight game winning streak.

In baseball, sometimes there are just those days when teams hit the ball hard, but the baseball just cant find open field. On Monday, it was just one of those days for the Rustin Golden Knights baseball squad.

After defeating Unionville on Friday afternoon to move to 8-0 on the season, Rustin returned home on Monday to face Downingtown East, and wound up suffering there first loss of the season, dropping the game, 4-3.

Luke Koehloff went six strong innings for Downingtown East, silencing Rustin's bats to a certain extent giving up only three earned runs on the afternoon. 

Jack Fritz got the ball for Rustin and was almost equally as good as Koehloff. Fritz took his start into the seventh inning going 6 1/3 innings giving up four runs, just five hits, while striking out six. 

It was a pitching duel in which Rustin didn't necessarily struggle with the bats. The Knights hit the ball hard throughout the game, but balls just weren't finding the holes.

Did Downingtown East come away with a lucky win, or was it just one of those days in baseball where things don't tend to fall in place for the opposing team? I'll let you be the judge of that.

Rustin took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when second basemen Joe Palladino led of the frame with a single. It marked the fourth straight game in which Palladino has led off the game with a base knock. Center fielder Nick Miller then sacrificed Palladino over to second, and third basemen Kevin Jewitt knocked him in to put a run on the board and add an RBI to the third basemen's stat sheet.

The Knights got their second run with Palladino again leading the assault by lacing a double. That was followed by another sacrifice bunt by Miller moving Palladino to third base. Miller reached base on a defensive interference call and Kevin Jewitt was brought home on an Alec O'dell sacrifice fly.

Small ball is an effective way to win tight ballgames. Sounds just like what the Philadelphia Phillies offensive approach has been thus far this season, with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard missing from the lineup, eh?

After a questionable call at first base, Downingtown East answered the bell and scored three runs of their own in the top half of the third inning to tie it at three-all.

The ballgame remain unchanged until the top of the fifth inning when Downingtown East took a page out of Rustin's offensive approach and knocked in their fourth, and eventual game winning run on a sacrifice fly of their own.

Rustin now sits at 8-1 on the season, and lead the Ches-Mont League with eleven games left in the regular season. 

Rustin is back on the road tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Octorara to take on the Braves.

Chase Senior can be reached at Chase.Senior3@gmail.com 

Trash Talk Doesn't Phase Knights; Ten Run Great Valley

Knights Take Twitter Battle Into Their Own Hands, Slump the Patriots.


Twitter wars are well documented in the professional level of sports. Whether it's LeSean McCoy calling out Osi Umenyiora of the New York Giants, Warren Sapp calling out Jeremy Shockey for ratting on the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, or Josh Scobee calling out DeSean Jackson for being a punk, they happen fairly routinely.


Prior to the highly anticipated Great Valley versus Bayard Rustin Ches-Mont League matchup, members of the Great Valley squad took to Twitter claiming it was their club who "Ran the league". 


Rustin took matters into their own hands and not only did they talk the talk, but they walked the walk and handled business on the diamond thumping Great Valley at home by a score of 16-6 to remain undefeated at 7-0 on the season.


It is a rivalry that has always been heated and that continued to be the story on Wednesday afternoon. The two baseball programs never seem to show affection towards each other and in years past Great Valley has had Rustin's number. That was not the case during this latest contest. 


Rustin opened the game with a bang, plating two runners in the first inning, then carried that momentum to the bottom half of the second inning when the Knights scored seven runs, to take an early 9-1 lead against the Patriots. 


Great Valley battled back, scoring four runs against Rustin starter Jack Fritz, decreasing the Knights advantage to a 9-5 lead. Rustin added three more runs in the 5th inning making it a 13-5 game and it was virtually all gold and navy from there on out. 


Great Valley was indeed threatening in the sixth inning when lefty specialist Nick Miller moved from center field to the mound for Rustin. Miller began his appearance by picking off a runner to begin the inning, then proceeded to strike out the next two batters to dampen any hopes of a Great Valley comeback. 


Rustin tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning which sent the Patriots packing with the ten-run rule in affect.


Starting catcher Michael Friedrich led the offensive juggernaut, reaching base all five time en route to a 5-5 day at the dish. Matt Gosik belted a three run homer, while Nick Miller did work both on the mound and in the batters box with two sacrifice fly balls. Joe Palladino laced two line drives for Rustin and Dan Myers broke out of his current slump with a 2-4 performance.


Rustin will travel to Unionville tomorrow afternoon in hopes to remain scorching hot. First pitch is slated for 3:30 PM.


Chase Senior can be reached at Chase.Senior3@gmail.com  

Pitching And Hitting Keep Knights Rolling

Knights Continue to Roll, Win Fifth Straight

Consistency continues to aid the Rustin Golden Knights baseball team, which is why this 2012 crew, consisting of a mixture of youthful and veteran talent remain unbeaten on the season.

When the bats go cold, tactful pitching is executed, and on days the pitching may not be there, the bats come out in full force.

On Wednesday afternoon it was a mixture of both aspects of the game ending in a dominant 12-3 victory over Oxford, who Rustin has flat out dominated since becoming a baseball program in 2006.

Doug Frank, the third starter in the Golden Knights starting pitching rotation went the distance giving up just three runs over seven strong innings on the hill.
Below: Doug Frank On The Mound Vs Oxford

For four year starting third basemen Kevin Jewitt, it was a day to remember in his high school career and achieved an accolade that not many players can claim they accomplished.

Jewitt, who came onto the scene as a freshman, recorded his 100^th career hit in a gold and navy uniform, and did it in style by bashing a homerun.

“It was just another at bat to me, I wasn’t really concerned about reaching 100 career hits. I’ve loved every moment I’ve ever had as a Knight. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to be surrounded by day in, and day out” Jewitt said.

Jewitt will be attending Villanova University on a baseball scholarship in the fall of 2012, and is arguably the best baseball player to ever come through Bayard Rustin high school.

Quite the praise for the versatile third basemen, who has been used around the whole infield during his four seasons at Rustin. Jewitt has seen time playing at first base, shortstop, and now third base.

Matt Gosik, also joined the bash party by smashing a line drive homerun to left field virtually putting the game out of reach, and sending Oxford home with a loss on their home turf.

For freshman Frank Siderio, it was also a day to embrace. Siderio got his varsity career underway and recorded his very first career hit.

By moving to 5-0, the Golden Knights are currently ranked number two in the Pennsylvania Division AAAA Baseball standings behind Butler who sits at 6-0 according to MaxPreps.com.

As of April 5^th, The Philadelphia Inquirer currently has Rustin ranked number six in southeastern Pennsylvania.

“It (the rankings) feels great right now, but we have a lot of work left to do to keep it up” Senior pitcher Jack Fritz said. “ The goal is a state championship and its good to see we are starting to get some positive recognition”.  Fritz added.

Recognition is something this baseball program has not received in recent years, but that looks to now be changing. Behind head coach Brad Harkins and assistants Brian Lindros and Lee Brandon, the team is clearly starting to take notice and turn heads in the high school baseball community.

Rustin will enjoy this undefeated record heading into the weekend, but will quickly put it behind them when they get back in action on Monday afternoon. The squad, full of flaming hot bats and consistent pitching will travel to Avon Grove. First pitch is slated for 3:30 PM.

Chase Senior can be reached at chase.senior3@gmail.com

Rustin Bats Cool Off, But Remain Undefeated

Knights need extra innings to take down Eagles

After averaging just over nine runs per game through the first three games of the 2012 campaign, the Rustin Golden Knights bats cooled off on Monday, but still managed to beat Biship Shanahan high school in extra innings to remain undefeated on the season. (4-0)

A pitchers duel is the best way to describe Rustin's 3-2 victory over Shanahan on Monday afternoon, and it was Chris Catenacci who came up clutch with another superb outing.

Catenacci, pitching in his senior season for Rustin went the distance last Wednesday versus Sun Valley giving up a lone run in seven innings of work, and carried that dominance to the hill on Monday tossing six strong innings, yielding five hits, giving up two runs, striking out three.

The game was knotted up at two heading into the eighth inning when starting catcher Mike Friedrich reached base on an error. Pinch runner Mike McVey, who displays some excellent speed on the base paths came in to run for Friedrich, swiping second and third.

Designated hitter Dylan Jenkins struck a well hit ball towards first base that was booted, scoring McVey, giving Rustin the game winning run.

Nick Miller received the win for the Knights, coming in relief for Catenacci in the seventh inning. The southpaw pitched two effective scoreless innings, striking out three, giving up no runs to capture the win.

Rustin looks to stay unbeaten on Wednesday, when they take on Oxford. First pitch is slated for 3:30 pm.

Chase Senior can be reached at chase.senior3@gmail.com