5/12/19
RECAP >> Justus Darville and Braden Waller had themselves a day on Saturday afternoon on Parkland High School’s home field — a day both will remember for a long, long time.
The performance turned in by the senior outfielder and sophomore pitcher couldn’t have come at a better time.
It didn’t hurt, either, that it came against their arch-rival. And, at the most important time of the year — the post-season.
Needing some type of positive to inject into a team that was desperately searching for a win after dropping six straight games and eight of their last 10, Darville and Waller shined in their Eastern Pennsylvania Conference quarterfinal as Emmaus, the No.7 seed, tasted winning for the first time in more than two-and-a-half weeks after upsetting second-seeded Parkland 3-0.
Darville provided all the offense the Hornets needed against Trojans ace Adam Smith as he had a two-run double and a solo home run, while Waller pitched arguably the best game in his first season on the varsity tossing a complete-game shutout.
Both performances added up to Emmaus’ first win against the Trojans, who had outscored them 25-14 in two regular-season meetings. It was also the first time that the Hornets have defeated their rival in the last five meetings between the two schools.
“They (the players) knew the task at hand and maybe having the tournament start against our bitter rival is exactly what this team needed, ” said Hornets first-year head coach Jeremy Haas.
“They needed that emotion, that focus, something to get them going more than maybe playing a team like a Reading or Central Catholic would do (the team’s last two opponents). If that’s what motivates them, that’s fine by me because every game going forward is going to really big.”
With the victory, Emmaus improved to one game over .500 on the season at 11-10 overall. Up next for the Hornets will be a semifinal date on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at DeSales University to take on third-seeded Northampton, which used a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat sixth-seeded Pleasant Valley 2-1.
Emmaus and Northampton have met twice this season with each team winning on their home field. This will mark the third consecutive year that the Hornets have advanced to the semifinals.
“We came in here and we knew that people were going to underestimate us,” said Darville, who had his team’s only two hits of the game. “We were the underdogs and we’re totally okay with that.”
Darville, who struggled early on the season at the plate, gave his team a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning as he ripped a one-out, two-run double deep to right field that scored junior Wyatt Henseler who had walked and senior Brandon Robinson who had reached first on an error by Trojans third baseman Blake Barthol.
He then later gave the Hornets an insurance run with his first home run of the season in the top of the seventh, a solo shot over the right field fence to make it a 3-0 game.
“I’ve been waiting for that thing all season,” joked Darville. “Everybody knew the struggles I had at the beginning of the season but it felt really good, especially off Adam. He’s my good friend and we train together.”
“The second half of this season he’s a 300 hitter and he has pop in that bat,” said Haas of his No. 5 hitter. “He’s a force to be reckoned with when he’s going good. Today he just capitalized on some mistakes and as a hitter you have to be ready hit the mistakes and he did.”
And while Darville had his day at the plate, so too did Waller on the mound.
Making his third start of the season, the left-hander allowed just three hits – all in the third inning – while striking out seven and walking just one.
“He pitched out of two jams in the second and third innings and didn’t allow a run,” said Haas of Waller. “Once that happened the momentum switched towards us and we were able to capitalize with two runs in the fourth and two runs today felt more like five.”
In the bottom of the third inning, the Trojans got singles Phil Schoch and Jeremy Piatkiewicz and a bunt single from Barthol to load the bases with no outs. But Waller composed himself well and was able to get out of the inning unscathed as he got Jared Kucharczuk to fly out to Matt Madigan to short center field, and then got Matt Ervolina, Parkland’s No.3 hitter, to fly out to Jude Negron to short right, who then fired a strike home to catcher Sam Dietz to nail Schoch at the plate and end the inning.
Waller, who’s pitched well this season despite a 4-3 overall mark, wound up retiring the last 14 batters he faced, including retiring the Trojans in order from the fourth through seven innings.
And now, he and the Hornets suddenly have new life and hopefully, a lot more baseball to play.
“This is a little bit what we’re capable of,” said Haas of his team’s overall effort yesterday. “I still think there’s more for us to do.”
“For them (the players) there was a lot of naysayers out there, people telling us our season should be over and how ugly we were playing and that kind of galvanized us as a team. We kinda took the us versus the world mentality.”
It worked, coach.
Emmaus – 000 200 1 – 3-2-0
Parkland – 000 000 0 – 0-3-2
Braden Waller and Sam Dietz; Adam Smith and George Jenkins
Em – Nytz 2b 0-3, Negron rf 0-3, Henseler ss 0-2, R; Robinson 3b 0-3, R; Darville lf 2-3, 2B, HR; Ritter dh 0-3, Madigan cf 0-3, O’Brien 0-3, Waller p 0-2
Park – Barthol 3b 1-3, Kucharczuk 1b 0-3, Ervolina ss 0-3, Webber cf 0-2, Oliver lf 0-3, Giovenco dh 0-3, Jenkins c 0-2, Schoch rf 1-2, Piatkiewicz 2b 1-2