Threes were wild as Kennedy’s three home runs helped Coatesville claim it’s third win in 2012 over West
By Dave Conard Sports Editor, CoatesvilleTimes.com
Coatesville's Jake Kennedy is greeted by team mates following his grand slam
DOWNINGTOWN—There are a lot of things that high school students do theses day to occupy their free time.
Juggling a full class load, keeping up with the obligatory social demands of today’s world of Twitter, Facebook, Four Square, My Space and whatever other networking site is on the horizon, can be a daunting task for some.
For Coatesville junior Jake Kennedy that’s only the start of it, as not only has he been handling the pitching staff of the Red Raiders, he has led the team offensively all season long.
Red Raiders lefty Brian Brown struck out seven en route to his second playoff win
Kennedy has been spending time with coach Lance Zeigler on the weekends coaching youngsters in the art of hitting a baseball recently, which seems to be paying huge dividends.
On a day not unlike Tuesday’s PIAA District playoff match up with Downingtown West, Lance Zeigler set a school record in 1997 by hitting three home runs in a playoff game, as he paced the Red Raiders to an opening round win.
With Zeigler as a coach cheering him on, Kennedy equaled Zeiglers feat and came with a wind gust of setting a new mark as he blasted a home run in each of his first three official at bats, then crushed a ball to dead centerfield that rapped off the 12 foot fence for a stand up double in his final trip to the plate, fueling a 14-7 Coatesville win.
“I just came into the playoffs with a new attitude,” said Kennedy who had five round trippers in the regular season, which puts his total at eight for 2012. “No matter what happens we just have to keep our heads in the game and this team can beat anyone. I just wanted to have a good game today after the loss the other day.”
A “good day” doesn’t begin to describe the impact that Kennedy had on the outcome of the most important game of the year, as he went 4-for-4 with 4 runs scored, seven RBI and 14 totals bases and oh by the way a grand slam, propelling the Red Raiders (13-11) to a 12-0 edged after 4 1/2 innings.
“I actually hit two curve balls out, they kept giving me off speed stuff,” added Kennedy.
“I was never worried at all when they put up six runs on us, I knew Brownie (Brian Brown) had it in his pocket, he never lets one inning get to him.”
The Red Raiders pay tribute to fallen team mate C-Mac after every win
Brown, who improved to 2-0 in the post-season and had fanned seven thus far in the tilt, was cruising until the Whippets bats came to life in what could have been the final at bat of their season with Coatesville boasting a 12-0 bulge.
After five consecutive base hits the lead was cut in half as the hosts plated six run on six hit in the frame, to extend the game and their season.
The Red Raiders, who are now the only Ches-Mont team still in action, again responded immediately when Clint Leslie ripped a base hit down the line, scoring T.J Mayo and Chris O’Hagan who had both singled to start the sixth inning, giving the visitors a 14-6 lead heading into the final two innings.
“We knew that Jake was going to do something special this year when we held our first practices,” said coach Hal Zeigler. “Everybody was complaining about the bats and that’s all they were talking about until Jake stepped up a crushed one about 450 feet. After that it was like, hey this may be alright, these bats aren’t so bad.”
Jake Kennedy crushes a second inning bomb with the bases juiced
Lost in the hoopla surrounding Kennedy setting a new post season RBI in a single game mark as tying the three round trippers in a game record, were some of the little things that the Red Raiders executed to put them selves into position to take advantage of such a great offensive day.
Details like pitcher Brian Brown ( 2-0 overall with 17 strikeouts, 5 ER in 13 innings and a streak of 11 scoreless innings in the post season) working three walks out of the four trips he had to the plate.
Small things, like C.J Young busting it 110 percent and advancing from first to third on a single to left field, forcing West pitcher Dalton Reed to have no choice but to pitch to Kennedy even after he had taken him yard in his first trip.
Execution of details like plating all, but three men who reached scoring position as Coatesville managed to push across 14 runs, while stranding only four runners through the first five innings.
All signs that bode well for Coatesville as they head into Thursday’s State qualifier game with Central Buck West, with an opportunity to snag a berth in the Pennsylvania State championship tournament for the first time in eight years.
“When you look at the 18 out of 20 games that we didn’t hit, you had to figure that eventually we would be due,” added Zeigler. “We have just keep working all year, and the guys are starting to believe in them selves and confidence can be just as effective as any other skill. We have to play each game like it’s the biggest game, because at this level now there are no more second chances, if you lose your season is done from here on in.”
Coatesville 2 5 4 0 1 2 0 -14
Downingtown West 0 0 0 0 6 0 1 – 7
Coatesville (3-1)
| Pos | Player |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
| 2b | Young |
4 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
| Lf | Carras |
5 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| C | Kennedy |
4 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
| 3b | Hunt |
4 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
| Dh | Mayo |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Cf | O’Hagan |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Ss | Stumm |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
| 1b | Leslie |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| P | Brown |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Cr | Scaringi |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Totals |
33 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
|
Downingtown West (2-2)
| Pos | Player |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
| Cf | Fuhrman |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Ss | Perry |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
| 3b | Hash |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
| C | Jerminski |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| 1b | Doyle |
4 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
| Lf | Reed |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| 2b | Calamaro |
4 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Rf | Leister |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| 1b /p | Krall |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Totals |
33 |
7 |
12 |
7 |
