ZZZ is 3-for-3 in Germantown Academy's win

ON A NASTY-weather afternoon when taking a nap would have made much more sense than playing baseball, one of Germantown Academy's heroes was a young man with the perfect initials.

ZZZ.

We kid you not.

Playing centerfield and batting third for the visiting Patriots in what evolved into an Inter-Ac League classic at Haverford School was a 6-1, 190-pound junior named Zeke Z Zabinski.

Notice the link to a former president? Just like the S in the middle of Harry Truman's name, Zabinski's Z stands for nothing . . . except to complete one of the world's best-ever names.

"My mom [Gina] decided on this. She thinks it's cool," Zabinski said. "Do I? Definitely. I love having this name. I've always loved it."

Let's flash ahead maybe 10 years. Zeke is now married and the proud father of a baby boy.

"I've thought about that. Would I make him a junior?" he said. "It might be cool to give him the three Zs initials."

Pause. Smile. "But that might be something I'll have to think about a little more."

Maybe Zeke will reach a decision with help from his brothers - Zane Jake, better known as ZJ, is a freshman at GA; Zak Alec is a fifth-grader.

In case you're wondering, dad's name isn't Zeke or Zane or Zak or even Zebediah.

"It's Donald," Zeke reported. "It's just that my mom and dad really like the Z's."

And in this one, Zeke really enjoyed reaching base. He went 3-for-3 (all singles), suffered a hit-by-pitch and scored a pair of runs as GA triumphed, 8-7.

Aside from nippy temps, much of the game was played in light to medium mist. It had rained hard all morning into midafternoon, but Haverford's field is one of those all-turf jobs, except for the mound.

"I'm so glad to be right here!" Zabinski said. "To be part of a team that got a win like that! There's nowhere I'd rather be!

"I knew about this turf field. I knew we were going to play. I had double free periods in the middle of the day and I went to our field house to stretch and take some BP. If we'd wound up not playing, I would have been really disappointed."

If the home seventh had gone a shade differently, he would have been devastated.

GA's pitcher was freshman Emmett Harkins, who'd replaced sophomore Ryan DeWalt to start the fifth. Steve Fitzgerald cracked a home run to right-center. Kevin McGowan walked. Drew Field doubled into the rightfield corner. Starting pitcher Matt Galetta, idle since the third inning, strolled to the plate via the re-entry rule and inside-outed a blast down the leftfield line that came within inches of being a game-tying, three-run homer. Two runs did score, advancing the Fords within 8-7.

Reliever Connor Burke got plunked. Frank Cresta managed an infield single, loading the bases with - have you been following along? - nobody out. James "Mac" McConnon looked at a third strike. With the infield up, Chris Sukonik hit a shot that shortstop John Aiello was not quite able to catch. The ball stayed nearby, though, and he gunned home for the force. Harkins then struck out Steve Scornajenghi to complete the amazing sequence.

As Scornajenghi missed the ball, the bat went flying out of his hands . . . and the Patriots rushed to Harkins for a major-joy moment.

So, what was it like to be in centerfield for that half-inning?

"I was anxious, and it was nerve-wracking, but I had faith in [Harkins]," Zabinski said. "The momentum had been in our favor all day. It shifted a little, but I still knew the whole time he was going to get the job done."

Of his at-bats, Zabinski said, "I just wanted to put the ball in play, and help us get some baserunners. They were giving me some good fastballs, up in the zone. On a short field like this, it's hard not to think about trying for homers. I disciplined myself. 'Just make good contact.'

"We've been struggling a little bit of late. We just wanted to put runs on the board and get a win."

The Patriots scored four in the first (big blow: Mike Hanamirian's two-run single) and two apiece in the second and third. The highlight of that latter outburst was a two-run homer to dead center, out onto Lancaster Avenue, by Aiello, a sophomore who's already drawing national recruiting attention.

The Fords' early highlight was a two-run shot by Scornajenghi. A low liner to right, it cleared the fence just as Robert Gorman was thinking he might have a chance to catch it.

Now, we know you have no chance to guess in what other sport Zeke Z Zabinski participates at GA.

Water polo!

"I'm actually going to be the captain next fall," the Blue Bell resident said. "It's great for staying in shape without a high risk for injury. It makes your legs stronger.

"It's kind of like wrestling in the water. Drowning people. It's crazy."

If anyone can relate to off-the-wall stuff, it's good, ol' Triple Z.