Hatboro-Horsham surprises Rustin

Hatboro-Horsham's Pete Moore says outfielder Casey Saverio is pretty much a human sponge.

"He soaks everything up," the coach said. "His baseball instincts are phenomenal."

Saverio, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior, is the latest in his family to star on the diamond. His brothers, Sean and Brett, played at La Salle and Hatboro-Horsham, respectively.

The boys' father, Lee, is an assistant for the Hatters. Previously, he was head coach at Cheltenham High, La Salle University, and St. Joseph's University. He was also an associate scout for the New York Mets and New York Yankees.

On Wednesday, with Casey Saverio going 3 for 3 from the No. 3 spot in the order, Hatboro-Horsham scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to stun West Chester Rustin, 5-4, in a PIAA District 1 Class AAAA second-round playoff.

"I've been playing baseball since I was a year old," Saverio said. "My father forced me to be a lefthanded hitter. I'll always remember that."

But the four-year starter said his father is not the overbearing type.

"He's always positive," Casey Saverio said. "He never jumps down my throat. If I have a bad game, he'll just go out and work on my hitting."

Ahead by 4-1, the Golden Knights imploded with a fielding error, four walks, a hit batsman, and a dropped third strike that allowed the tying run to score.

"This team has a lot of heart," Saverio said. "No matter what the score is, we battle right to the end. There's no quit in us."

Said Moore: "I remember telling the guys before our last at-bat, 'We've done this before.' We had a similar game earlier in the year against Pennridge. I love the way they hang in there. They're unbelievable."

In the seventh, Saverio singled to left field and scored, making it 4-3, before Zach Crim was plunked with a pitch. The deciding run came when, with the bases jammed and two outs, sophomore reserve Brad Humski walked on four pitches.

Hatboro-Horsham's only run through six innings had come on Tyler Zingle's first-inning, leadoff home run to right.

On Friday, the Hatters will host Downingtown West, a 10-0 winner Wednesday over Bensalem, in a quarterfinal matchup. Because it is the day of Hatboro-Horsham's senior prom, the game's start time is up in the air.

Sean Saverio, 23, played catcher at La Salle and Widener. Brett Saverio, 20, is a defensive back for Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

Casey Saverio, a safety in football, is headed to Monmouth.

"It's right on the beach," he said. "It's an awesome campus. And the baseball team is a consistent winner."

In two weeks, Sean Saverio, who recently wrapped up his career at Widener, will travel to Detroit for a tryout to play in the independent Frontier League.

West Chester Rustin   0001030 - 4 10 1

Hatboro-Horsham   1000004 - 5 9 0

WP: Conner Crookham. LP: Nick Miller. 2B: W-Kevin Jewitt. HR: HH-Tyler Zingle.