Spike Island rallies to defeat Howard, advance to County League championship series
During their manager’s postgame speech Sunday, the Spike Island Pirates erupted when the name of Sam Plafcan — the extra hitter who smacked the game-winning single — was first mentioned: “If anyone can, ‘Plaf’ can!” and “Yeah, Plafcan!”
One teammate even playfully somersaulted near the dugout after the game, when Plafcan’s hit sealed a 3-2 win against Howard in the Centre County Baseball League semifinal. With the hit, the Pirates clinched the series Sunday — three games to one — and advanced to the championship, where they’ll take on the Clarence Mounties in a five-game series that starts 6 p.m. Tuesday at Clarence.
“Sam came through in the clutch,” Spike Island center fielder Matt McCamley said. “He’s always the guy you want up there because you know he’s going to do anything in his power to help the team.”
With the score tied at 2 in the top of the seventh, Plafcan at first failed to lay down a sacrifice bunt. The leadoff runner, Parker Watson, ended up stealing second anyway and, with a 2-2 count, Plafcan was just hoping to advance the runner by hitting something — anything — to the right side of the field.
It didn’t work out that way. But Plafcan wasn’t complaining after he sent a screaming ball that jumped over second base and into the outfield, driving Watson home from second. In a familiar refrain, the away dugout shouted, “If anyone can, ‘Plaf’ can!” while a smattering of Philipsburg fans hollered at the first-year Pirate for coming through in the clutch.
“It’s just cool now to play in the championship series,” Plafcan said afterward.
Added teammate Brandon Myers, who had two hits: “We had a lot of faith that he would come through there for us, and he did.”
For Spike Island, the win proved to be revenge for last season’s semifinal series — when the Howard Hawks got the better of it and advanced to the championship. But the team preferred to dwell on Sunday’s result rather than the past. It was a memorable rally, after all.
Howard, which had just nine players available Sunday, sprinted out to a 2-0 lead. And Hawks pitcher Brian Pelka frustrated opposing batters with a long windup and by, at one point, retiring 17 of 18 batters in a row. It wasn’t until the sixth inning — with two outs — that Spike Island began to rally.
The Pirates’ Matt Curtis and Drew Bryan both singled, and McCamley walked to load the bases. The next batter, the bearded Myers, fell behind in the count 0-2 before he sent a line drive through the gap near the shortstop to drive in a game-tying two runs.
From there, Spike Island pitcher Parker Watson relied on his defense to hold the Hawks scoreless in the final two innings. He helped force a double-play in the sixth to end the inning and, after an error to the open the seventh, he retired three straight batters — on a pop out, fly out and ground out — to end the game.
“Parker kept us in it the whole game,” Myers said. “You can’t say enough about him.”
Watson scattered four hits in his complete game, striking out five and walking five. Pelka was strong, as well, allowing eight hits and one walk while fanning four in seven innings of work.
The Pirates didn’t struggle getting contact Sunday because, in the first five innings, 11 of 15 outs came on flys and grounders. At one point, one Spike Island player shouted, “Hey guys, stop hitting the ball to them! OK?” In the next inning, that was no longer an issue.
Still, Hawks third baseman Tyler Womer was pleased with his team’s performance — especially considering the players missing due to injury, work or vacation. About half the roster was available in Sunday’s Game 4.
“We put up a good fight with what we had today,” said Womer, who had a triple. “We put up a good fight.”
But, in the end, the Hawks couldn’t overcome a strong finish by the Pirates. Plafcan could — and did. And now the County League championship series is set.
“He’s contributed a lot since I’ve been here, and you can’t really ask more from him,” Myers said of Plafacan.
“It really means a lot to get to this point. It should be a really good series.”
This story was originally published July 30, 2017 at 7:09 PM with the headline "Spike Island rallies to defeat Howard, advance to County League championship series."