Vikings stage seventh inning rally to edge Cougars

UWCHLAN – Yankees’ great Yogi Berra once said ‘It ain’t over till it’s over.’

Monday afternoon at Downingtown East, that axiom really applied to the West Chester East baseball team.

The Vikings were trailing the Cougars by four runs heading to the top of the seventh inning. But the Vikings staged a five-run rally that was highlighted by Owen Rozzi’s monstrous grand slam home run that easily cleared the center field fence, and the Vikings held off the Cougars in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a thrilling, 7-6, Ches-Mont League win.

“I hit a fastball that was little up and down the middle,” Rozzi said. “And a win like this I feel can get us going. We had a four-game winning streak a couple of weeks ago and hopefully this will start another run for us.

“And the energy from the guys on the bench was incredible. We never feel we are out of a game. And these guys on the bench give us energy and that is what happened today for us.”

The Cougars (7-5 Ches-Mont, 8-6 overall) led for most of the game, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-1 lead.

The Cougars rode a stellar pitching performance from Will Roth to take a 6-2 lead after six innings. Roth allowed just three Vikings’ (6-5, 6-6) hits in six innings of work.

The Vikings, however, rallied in the top of the seventh inning. James Kernicky led off and reached on an error. Josh Houston — who hit a solo homer in the fifth inning – then walked to put men on first and second with no one out.

That was all for Roth and Cougars coach Pete Susi went to his bullpen for Andrew Sardella. He got Chris Byrnes out on a fielder’s choice for the first out of the inning and it looked like the Cougars would hang on for the win. But Dan Zytkowicz singled to score a Vikings’ run and the Cougars’ lead was 6-3. Kevin Byrnes walked to load the bases with one out, bringing up Rozzi. Rozzi then took an 0-2 pitch high over the center field fence, and incredibly the Vikings had a 7-6 lead.

Adam Price, the Vikings third pitcher of the game, headed to the mound for the bottom of the seventh inning and Price found trouble right away. Roth led off the Cougars inning by working a four-pitch walk. Ryan McGowan laid down a bunt that was misplayed and the Cougars’ had runners on first and second with no one out.

Matt DiAddezio came up and attempted to bunt the runners over. But the bunt went back to Price, who wheeled and threw Roth out at third base, leaving men on first and second with one out.

Price reared back and struck out Ben Steppke, and then ended the game when he got Rob Propsner to bounce back to the mound to complete a very big come from behind win.

“I am the closer so I have been in these kind of spots a lot,” Price said. “We never feel we are out of a game and the energy today from the dugout was tremendous. It really spurred the guys on the field on.”

The win puts West Chester East back in the District 1 5A playoff race as the Vikings came into the game in the 11th position in the district rankings, with 12 team qualifying for the 5A playoffs.

“Early in the season the energy from the bench was not what I would have envisioned,” Vikings coach Corey Webb said. “But then we talked it out and the guys are very positive towards our players. And today, Owen picked out a fastball and he let it rip. He has been scuffling a little lately but I told him to just go up there and take a cut and he is the guy you want up in situations like that.”

West Chester East 7, Downingtown East 6

West Chester East                          100 010 5 – 7

Downingtown East                         302 001 0 – 6

2B — Ferguson. HR — Houston. Rozzi.

WP — Galczyk. LP — Sardella.