Upper Merion takes baseball title

By now, Upper Merion baseball coach Justin Darnell is getting used to his team's penchant for coming from behind even though it adds a few more gray hairs to his head.

In the PIAA District 1 Class AAA playoff semifinals last week, the Vikings spotted Upper Perkiomen a four-run lead, then roared back behind the bat of Matt Shannon to win by a run.

Yesterday, Shannon - with strong stick support from Ben Dworecki and Joel Paradis - helped the Vikings come from behind to beat fourth-seeded Kennett, 7-5, for the school's first District 1 championship.

With the seventh-seeded Vikings (13-7) trailing by 5-1, a five-run fifth inning did the trick this time.

Shannon struck the big blow, a bases-loaded triple that vaulted his team into the lead, 6-5. Paradis' solo homer and Greg McCuch's run-scoring single earlier in the fifth had gotten Upper Merion close.

Against Upper Perkiomen, Shannon laid down a perfect bunt for a pair of runs, drove home another run with a single, and then cut down the potential winning run in the seventh inning from center field.

"This all started with the Strath Haven game," a 6-4 Vikings win in the first round of the playoffs, Darnell said. "We like to work the pitcher and then jump on him. This is the most loose bunch of guys I've had. They really love playing, even when they're down."

After McCuch's single against Kennett made the score 5-3, losing pitcher Mike Kelly got into further trouble with consecutive walks to load the bases.

"I just wanted to put the ball in play," said Shannon, who bats ninth. "I definitely wasn't thinking triple."

Upper Merion padded its lead in the sixth inning when Dworecki doubled home another run.

Dworecki relieved started Chris Baker with one out and two on in the sixth. He got Justin Phillips on strikes, and Luke Alicknavitch lined out to right. Dworecki retired Kennett in order in the seventh inning for the save.

"I can throw strikes," said Dworecki, a 6-foot-1, 260-pound junior. "That's why I came in."

The Blue Demons (14-7) had taken a 4-0 lead on a pair of runs in the third and fourth innings.

The victory earned the Vikings a berth in the PIAA state playoffs, which open Monday.

They will play the third-place team from District 3 at a time and site to be determined.

Kennett 002 210 0 - 5 9 0

Upper Merion 000 151 x - 7 7 1

WP: Chris Baker. LP: Mike Kelly. 2B: UM-Ben Dworecki. 3B: UM-Matt Shannon. HR: Joel Paradis.