Wilson leads way as Radnor keeps rolling in PIAA tournament

CHESTER >> Radnor made believers out of Bishop McDevitt Monday, the Raiders delivering knockout blows early in their 13-4 victory in the first round of the PIAA Class AAA state baseball tournament. Leadoff batter Connor Wilson was on base in all six plate appearances, winning pitcher Andrew Austen went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and Charlie Connolly, sidelined close to two months with a shoulder issue, hurled two shutout innings to close it out.

The District One champion Raiders (14-10) were disappointed they didn’t end it in the bottom of the fifth inning in steamy 91-degree heat at Widener University. Matt Schaefer was thrown out at the plate although the call, if you asked anyone in the press box, would have been overruled by replay. No matter. It was clear the Raiders weren’t going home without a triumph, 10-run-rule or otherwise, no matter how frustrated the Crusaders (15-9), seeded fourth in District 3, felt about the long ride from Harrisburg through rush hour, Blue Route traffic.

“To get our first-ever state playoff win, we’re excited, we’re happy and we’ll go wherever they send us Thursday afternoon,” said Radnor coach Mark Jordan.

The Raiders oppose District 2 champion, North Pocono, a 3-2 winner over District 4’s Selinsgrove, Thursday at a site and time to be determined. While that could be tough for Austen’s growing fan club to get there, you can be sure Jill Smith, her 7-year-old son Keoni of Springfield and the young woman who plays goalie for the field hockey team at Springfield High are checking their GPS monitors and the weather forecast, just in case. Austen and the youths have congenital limb differences. Said Jil Smith, “We all stick together, right?”

It’s the same thing with the Radnor baseball team. If you want to make Jordan grin, mention something about the play Will Hoysgaard made in the first inning. The junior beat out a throw that cost the Crusaders mightily.

“The throw was a little bit high,” Jordan said. “The first baseman went off the bag by three inches. Instead of a double play to end the inning he’s at first base. Seven batters later there’s seven runs up there on the scoreboard for us. Little plays make baseball games. They came back and scored three runs in that third inning. We came back and scored four in the bottom of the third. It was punch, counterpunch the whole time.”

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Radnor’s Connor Wilson slides into third base ahead of the throw to Bishop McDevitt’s Brett Bitting during the Raiders’ 13-4 win in the PIAA Class AAA tournament first round Monday. (Digital First Media/Robert J. Gurecki)