Harriton Hammered by Haverford High

Tuesday's game between the varsity Harriton High School Rams and the Haverford Senior High School Fords ended after just four and a half innings. On the strength of an impressive offensive display, Haverford blasted the Rams for 14 runs, invoking the 10-run “mercy” rule.

Haverford's lineup terrorized the Rams pitching, racking up 11 hits and working six walks. Showing patience and pop at the plate, the Fords didn't strike out once.

Leadoff man Chris Pokorny paced the Haverford attack, going 3 for 4 and knocking in five runs. Starting pitcher John Esher-Hagel turned in a solid performance, scattering five hits while striking out four over four innings worth of work.

Harriton struck first in the top half of the first inning, working in a run off of a groundout. The Rams put two more men into scoring position before Esher-Hagel notched his first K of the afternoon to end the inning and strand the Harriton runners on base.

Haverford retaliated in a big way in the bottom half of the frame. Following a single, walk, and a double steal, Matt Scherer sacrificed in the Ford's first run of the game. Eric Falasco followed up with an RBI single. Haverford continued to put men on base, eventually batting around in the inning. A Justin Meier sac groundout and a two-run double from Jesse Hart swelled the Fords' lead to four runs after the first inning.

Esher-Hagel got into a bases-loaded jam in the third, but smart fielding bailed him out. Following a Harriton sacrifice fly, Fords right fielder Tom Carey hung on to the ball, tricking the Rams baserunner on third into an attempt to take home. Carey fired a frozen rope to the catcher Matt Valenti, and one run-down later, the inning was over.

Haverford answered once again in the bottom of the third, loading the bases for Pokorny, who came through with a 3-RBI double.

After a blank top of the fourth, the Fords finished off Harriton in the bottom half of the frame. Behind RBIs from Hart and Tom Fior, and Valenti and Pokorny driving in two apiece, Haverford bolstered their lead to a healthy 12 runs.

Pitcher Greg Rotzell would enter the game in the top of the fifth, and would strike out one Ram while allowing no runs, ensuring that the mercy rule would stay in effect.