Skip to content
Rally High School Sports
Link copied to clipboard

SCH tops Episcopal, keeps pace in Inter-Ac race

After getting crushed by first-place Malvern Prep in its previous Inter-Ac League outing, Springside Chestnut Hill realized the importance of a strong turnaround Friday afternoon against Episcopal Academy.

After getting crushed by first-place Malvern Prep in its previous Inter-Ac League outing, Springside Chestnut Hill realized the importance of a strong turnaround Friday afternoon against Episcopal Academy.

Boosted by a rookie hurler's flirtation with a perfect game and a senior backstop's gutsy defensive play in the late going, the host Blue Devils responded with a nail-biting 1-0 victory over the Churchmen and stayed on the heels of Malvern.

Promising freshman righthander Aidan Frye, who was perfect through 5 2/3 innings, yielded three hits in the shutout.

In the seventh, with EA baserunners at second and third and one out, catcher Mike Melady skillfully blocked the plate and tagged out pinch-runner Alex McLaughlin on a fielder's choice grounder to shortstop Chris Alleyne.

Melady suffered an upper left-leg injury, had to be helped off the field, and could be lost for the remainder of the season.

"This group of seniors is incredibly selfless," SCH second-year coach Joe Ishikawa. "They put the team first. For Mike to stand in there and make that play, it's reflective of the type of leader he is."

Frye retired 17 consecutive batters, with eight fly-ball outs and three strikeouts, before Kyle Virbitsky spoiled things with a single to right field. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder from Harleysville mixes a fastball, slider, sinker, and change-up.

"It was in the back of our minds," Blue Devils senior first baseman and Rider recruit Riley Mihalik said of Frye's perfect-game bid, "but no one said anything."

SCH's run came on Anthony LaBella's RBI double to left-center, plating Alleyne from first, in the first. EA sophomore lefthander Cameron Van Hoorebeke allowed five hits over six innings. "He pitched just as well, threw hard," Ishikawa said.

The Churchmen (2-6 league) threatened in the seventh with back-to-back singles from Alex and Ben Burman.

The Blue Devils (5-1) kept place with Malvern (6-1) and Haverford School (5-2) in the race for the Inter-Ac crown.

Episcopal Academy 000 000 0 - 0 3 0

Springside Chestnut Hill 100 000 x - 1 5 0

WP: Aidan Frye. LP: Cameron Van Hoorebeke. 2B: SCH-Anthony LaBella, Ian Diaz.

robrien@phillynews.com

@ozoneinq

www.philly.com/ozone