In some circles, it’s known as the ‘mother-in-law of sports’. For there is nothing quite as unforgiving as a single-elimination tournament.
On Monday evening, the Cedar Crest baseball team’s splendid 2010 season was short-circuited by a one-run loss. At Fredericksburg’s Earl Wenger Memorial Field, the Falcons fell to Downingtown East 4-3 in an opening round game of the PIAA Class AAAA postseason.
The loss ended the District Three champion Falcons’ campaign at 21-6. Downingtown East, the fifth-place finisher out of District One, moved to 19-6 and into Thursday’s quarterfinal round.
Ultimately, Cedar Crest was done in by Downingtown East’s three-run, top-of-the-fifth-inning, rally. In the frame, Downingtown East bunched three of their total of four hits and assumed a 4-2 advantage.
Downingtown East touched CC starter Logan Fullmer for a run in the top of the first, without the benefit of a hit. A walk, a stolen base and two successive ground outs produced a 1-0 edge for the visitors.
Cedar Crest answered with a run in the home half of the first, courtesy of a long solo homer to right field – a two-out, first-pitch fastball – by junior Derek Fisher. Then in the bottom of the third, Fisher hit a similar single bomb to right to give CC a 2-1 lead.
The Falcons pulled to within a run at 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth when Kyle Redinger scored on an error. But that was all the CC offense could muster.
Also enjoying a multiple-hit evening for the Falcons was shortstop Matt Walewski, who went three-for-three.
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