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Eustace falls to Malvern Prep in Heinkel title game

Chris Jones couldn't say that something was wrong from the first pitch, since he hit it over the fence for another home run.

Chris Jones of Bishop Eustace. (Phil Anastasia/Staff)
Chris Jones of Bishop Eustace. (Phil Anastasia/Staff)Read more

Chris Jones couldn't say that something was wrong from the first pitch, since he hit it over the fence for another home run.

But the Bishop Eustace Prep senior sensed that something wasn't quite right with his team Saturday from the start of the championship game of the 34th annual Tom Heinkel Memorial Tournament.

"We were flat," Jones said. "When you're flat in baseball, you're going to lose."

Jones, a senior shortstop, continued his torrid hitting during the sun-splashed action at the Crusaders' baseball complex.

Jones rapped three home runs and drove in five runs for the day, but Bishop Eustace fell to Malvern (Pa.) Prep, 7-5, in the championship game.

"We're struggling," Bishop Eustace coach Sam Tropiano said after the title game on a warm afternoon. "We're still finding ourselves. We don't have a Eustace baseball team identity yet."

Junior Sean Flynn of Malvern Prep was named the tournament's most valuable player.

Flynn drove in the winning run with a single in the bottom of the eighth inning in a wild, 13-12 victory over St. Augustine Prep in the semifinals and was the winning pitcher in the title game.

"Our mantra was, 'Never give up,' " Malvern Prep coach Freddie Hilliard said of his team's remarkable rally in the semifinals.

St. Augustine Prep got a grand slam from Matt McCourt and a two-run home run and two-run double from Sean Carew in building leads of 8-0 and 12-5 over Malvern Prep in the semifinals.

But Malvern Prep scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh, capped by Chris Butera's two-out, three-run double, to send the game into extra innings.

"We come over here, we know we need to bring our 'A' game," Hilliard said. "We have so much respect for these two programs [Bishop Eustace and St. Augustine]."

Jones' two home runs sparked Bishop Eustace to a 6-2 victory over Episcopal Academy in the semifinals. Jones opened the title game with another home run on the first pitch, driving the ball over the right-field fence.

"Up the middle and right-center, that's where I live," Jones said.

Jones also hit a home run in Bishop Eustace's 4-2 win over Seneca on Friday, giving him four in two days.

"He's carrying us," Tropiano said. "It's a good thing he's as hot as he is."

Bishop Eustace (8-2) committed seven errors in the title game.

"The fielding betrayed the pitching," Tropiano said.

Jones said the Crusaders lacked their usual focus when they took the field after a long delay between games.

"It's baseball," Jones said. "It happens. We're going to be OK."

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Bishop Eustace 200 200 1 - 5 7 7

Malvern Prep 020 500 x - 7 8 4

WP: Sean Flynn. LP: Kurt Elmer. 2B: MP-Jake Mullan, Chance DiFebbo. HR: BE-Chris Jones.

SEMIFINALS

Episcopal Academy 002 000 0 - 2 6 0

Bishop Eustace 050 010 x - 6 6 0

WP: Justin Hagenman. LP: Joe Chambers. 2B: EA-Ben Burman; BE-Nate Steele, Kevin Lammers. HR: BE-Chris Jones 2.

St. Augustine 002 060 40 - 12 11 0

Malvern Prep 000 050 71 - 13 9 2

WP: Jalen Wade. LP: Avy Bermudez. 2B: SA-Anthony Meduri, Sean Carew; MP-Chris Butera, Jake Mullan, Dave Rodgers, Parker Abate. HR: SA-Sean Carew, Matt McCourt.