PERKY LEAGUE: Joe Rauscher throws gem as Collegeville sweeps Conshohocken

PLYMOUTH — Collegeville’s Joe Rauscher didn’t get off to the best start in Game 3 of the Perkiomen Valley Twilight League quarterfinals against Conshohocken. After two strikeouts to open the game, the right-hander surrendered back-to-back hits, the second an RBI double to give the Commodores an early lead.

After that, Rauscher was lights out. He retired 16 of the next 18 batters as the third-seeded White Sox picked up a 7-1 win to complete a three-game sweep over No. 6 Consohocken and advance to the semifinals.

Rauscher, a 2021 Plymouth Whitemarsh grad, threw six innings. He struck out six batters to one walk. He retired the final seven batters he faced before exiting the game due to pitch count.

“I was pretty fastball heavy,” Rauscher said. “They couldn’t really catch up to it. They were late on it. A couple off-speeds I threw they were hitting, so I was sticking with the fastball pretty much the whole game.

“Once I got in the groove in that second inning I felt good.”

Rauscher is in his first season in the Perky League. He appeared in eight games with five starts during the regular season, going 3-3 with a 2.96 ERA. He struck out 39 batters to 11 walks and allowed 25 hits in 26 innings. His best start came in his debut against Ambler on May 20. He threw five shutout innings and struck out 12 batters.

“I’m liking (this league) so far,” he said. “It’s laid back, everyone on the team is cool, it’s good competition.”

Rauscher is part of one of the best pitching staffs in the league. Collegeville allowed the fewest runs during the regular season – 95 runs across 26 games. Pat Carney, Tyler Strechay and Bret Clarke joined Rauscher as the regular starters. Carney won Game 1 against Conshohocken with a complete-game performance while Strechay threw six innings in Game 2. Clarke pitched the seventh inning to close out Game 3.

Rauscher went 9-0 during the collegiate season this spring at Harford Community College. He came back from Tommy John surgery and posted a 3.20 ERA in 12 appearances with 11 starts. In 64 2/3 innings, Rauscher struck out 62 batters to 19 walks.

“I was at Immaculata (University) my first year and didn’t play,” Rauscher, who will attend Barton College next year, said. “This was really my first full college season. It went great.

“I don’t really think I lost anything (from Tommy John). I gained a couple miles per hour, like three to four.”

Mike Hutchinson tied the game in the bottom of the second inning with a sacrifice fly. Austin Edgette, who went 3-for-4, put Collegeville ahead with an RBI single in the third. Andrew McGowan and Kyle Feaster added insurance runs with RBIs in the fourth, extending the White Sox lead to 4-1. Feaster added another RBI single in the sixth inning before Edgette’s two-run single made it 7-1.

Collegeville will face Lansdale, the three-time defending champions, in the semifinals next week. Lansdale, the No. 2 seed, swept No. 7 Trooper in the quarterfinals.

Nikolas Rubendall’s RBI double gave Conshohocken its 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Ian Diaz and Cole Kriger also recorded hits for the Commodores.

Collegeville 7, Conshohocken 1

Conshohocken 100 000 0 – 1

Collegeville 011 203 x – 7

WP: Joe Rauscher 6 IP 6 K 1 BB 2 H 1 R

LP: Kade Breisblatt 5 IP 5 K 3 BB 5 H 4 R

2B: Con: Nikolas Rubendall. Col: Mitchell Balint, Nick Todero.