Pa. Boys: Wed. Pa. boys: Straff sparks Strath Haven win

Senior Rob Straff has been "all over" Strath Haven's batting order this season, baseball coach Brian Fili said Wednesday.

Against Marple Newtown, he was eighth. And for the centerfielder, it had no impact on his performance as he drove home the winning run an inning after scoring the tying run as Strath Haven won, 4-3, in an eight-inning Central League game.

Straff singled in the seventh, moved to third on a sacrifice and a fly out, and scored on Dave Splain's single. In the eighth, pinch-runner Mike Viggiano waltzed home on Straff's triple to center field.

Sophomore Ashton Raines pitched a perfect eighth for the save. Donovan Davis struck out seven in seven innings for the win.

Fili said Straff is a scrappy player and team leader after starting the last two seasons. But will he move up in the order Thursday at Radnor?

"Possibly," Fili said.

Also in the Central League:

Host Radnor walked off with a 3-2 win over Lower Merion when Josh Katz delivered an RBI single. Sean Corelli struck out three to pick up his fourth win of the season.

Brian Gross and Troy Everley had two RBIs each, and Dalton Mayberry struck out 10 in five innings as Garnet Valley topped Penncrest, 12-7.

Andrew Born went 2 for 3 with two runs scored, and Austin Shirley had three RBIs as Conestoga eased past visiting Upper Darby, 13-3.

Chris Morris had three doubles and six RBIs as Harriton knocked off Springfield (Delco), 10-3.

Bicentennial. Sophomore righthander Curtis Staropoli won his sixth game of the year as Holy Ghost Prep downed Devon Prep, 4-1. He pitched six innings and struck out five before sophomore Tim Brennan earned his eighth save of the season.

"We didn't know it before the year, but [Staropoli] sure turned into an ace," Firebirds coach Keith Smeraglio said.

Catholic. Shane Smith hit a two-out double in the bottom of the sixth to break a 3-3 tie, and Archbishop Ryan edged Father Judge, 5-4. Connor Golden pitched a complete game and struck out seven for the win.

Joe Mangano pitched the first three innings, and Dan Volpe worked the last four as Roman Catholic pieced together a 4-2 win over visiting Cardinal O'Hara. Mangano had four strikeouts, and Volpe fanned six. Matt Simon went 2 for 3, and Joe Myers had two RBIs.

Inter-Ac. Connor Burke went 1 for 3 with two RBIs and also struck out the side in the seventh to earn the save as Haverford School topped host Germantown Academy, 5-4.

Suburban One. Ed Bacino struck out seven in five innings as Springfield (Montco) blanked Upper Merion, 5-0. He also went 2 for 4 with three RBIs.

Public. Abbel Garcia hit a two-run single in the seventh as Esperanza downed host Central, 4-2.

Nonleague. Tommy Nardini, a sophomore catcher, went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored as Neumann-Goretti downed visiting Interboro, 14-7.

Michael Major's three goals and three assists helped Holy Ghost Prep edge nonleague foe Kennett, 11-10. Bennett Zaba and Sean MacDonald added three goals each.

Pioneer. Aidan Denecke and Keith White scored three times each to lead Methacton past visiting Perkiomen Valley, 10-9.