GFS repeats as league champs

The Germantown Friends School Tigers pulled out a 9-7 win over always-tough Abington Friends School to secure their second Friends Schools League Championship in as many years. The win is the first back-to-back championship for GFS Baseball.

GFS senior co-captain Aaron Sommer came through with steady pitching, keeping the Kangaroos off balance. All seven of Abington’s runs were unearned as the Tigers were a bit tight defensively, committing a season high of five errors. After a couple of innings where each team had some runners in scoring position but were unable to capitalize, AFS got on the scoreboard first. With two outs, Abington used a walk, an error, and a couple of extra base hits to tally three runs in the third. The Tigers responded with a leadoff double by junior Brian Pepe-Mooney, who later stole third on a pick-off attempt and was plated by Aaron Sommer to put the Tigers on the scoreboard.

In the fourth, Abington scored two more on an error, an extra base hit, and a sacrifice fly to stretch their lead to four. This was enough to spark the potent Tiger offense who posted six runs of their own off Abington pitcher David Molotsky. Leadoff walks by GFS senior co-captain Jesse Weinstein-Gould and junior Nate Gemberling-Johnson were knocked in by John Sharrar and Pepe-Mooney’s second hit of the day. Pepe-Mooney capitalized again by stealing second and then third for good measure. Junior Marc Schwartz drove in both Brian and Nick Malinowski with a triple to right field. The ‘roos ended the inning on an acrobatic catch by centerfielder Drew Wallace on a 400+ foot smash to the fence by Weinstein-Gould. The six-run rally gave the Tigers a 7-5 lead.

The ‘roos posted single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 7. In the fifth, AFS brought in Gavin White in relief, who posted a 1-2-3 inning. In the sixth, GFS’s Pepe-Mooney capped his perfect day at the plate with his third hit. He went to third on a ground ball infield single by Malinowski that was called the other way by the umpire. Schwartz’s second hit of the day knocked in Pepe-Mooney for the go-ahead run. Schwartz then scored on a triple by sophomore Marek Loder.

GFS junior Sam Biddle, who had come on in relief in the middle of the sixth inning, came back out in the seventh. Abington’s leadoff batter poked a single into left field, but was thrown out by GFS catcher Gemberling-Johnson when he tried to steal second. That out, a strike out, and two tries at the final out finally ended a tough game with the Tigers wearing the medals.

GFS head coach Dean Graham reflected, “All year the coaches have been telling the team that it is not enough to just win, but to push themselves to be the best they can be every game. So even in a battle much closer than any we faced all year, they knew what to do.”