High school baseball: Coatesville clinches Ches-Mont National division title
UWCHLAN - The Coatesville baseball team has plenty of goals this season, winning a first-ever PIAA championship being the main target. The first step of that journey took place Friday afternoon at Downingtown East, as they captured the Ches-Mont League National Division title with a 5-1 victory over the Cougars.
Coatesville (16-2 Ches-Mont National, 18-2 overall) received a strong pitching outing from senior Zach Daller. Sophomore John Clark was the hitting star as they rolled to its 11th straight win to clinch the title. They haven't allowed more than two runs since an 8-7 loss to Great Valley on April 8. The Red Raiders came into the day ranked second in the District 1 3A rankings.
Daller went six innings and allowed the Cougars (11-7, 12-7) just seven hits with eight strike outs and no walks.
"My fastball was strong and I was trying to keep it on the outside part of the plate today," Daller said. "The umpire was giving the outside corner and it took me a while to figure out my offspeed stuff, but that came on in the later innings. It feels great to win the Ches-Mont. This is the first step.
We just have to keep winning to get to where we want to go and that is a state title."
They struck first against East starter Rob Propsner. Shane Monaghan led off by drawing a walk,
After advancing to second on a ground ball, he scored on a single from Jayden Guiseppe to make it 1-0 Coatesville.
Meanwhile, Daller was stranding runners on base in the second and third innings. Daller struck out the dangerous Caleb Miles with a runner on in the third.
Coatesville broke the game open in the top of the fourth. With one out, Guiseppe stayed hot by singling to center. Dylan Jeffers doubled, sending Guiseppe to third.
Propsner got the second out by striking out JT Taylor, then loaded the bases by walking AJ Rubincam. Up stepped John Clark, who hit a frozen rope to the bases for a 4-1 lead.
"I hit a fastball up and on the outside part of the plate," Clark said. "This is a great feeling to win the league. It seemed like we have been chasing Downingtown West most of the season, and we came and beat them yesterday (Thursday) and won it today. We don't just want the Ches-Mont. We want the whole thing. Districts, and then a state title."
The Cougars scored their only run in the sixth when Miles led off with a double and then came around on two ground balls. Coatesville got the run back in the seventh against reliever Noah MacNeal.
Rubincam started things off with a single to left. Clark also singled to put two men on. After Chase Charron struck out, the Red Raiders perfectly executed a double steal as the runners moved up to second and third. Monaghan then hit a sacrifice fly to plate Rubincam for a 5-1 lead.
Brendan DiGuiseppe came in relief of Daller, who threw 100 pitches in his six inning. The first East batter reached on an infield error. DiGuiseppe then struck out Mac Neal, but walked Chris Murray.
Coach Hal Ziegler brought in Monaghan from shortstop to pitch. He got the final two outs to seal the win.
"Zach threw really well today," Ziegler said. "It is no secret we want more, but we took the first step today on where we want to go and it feels real good. You have to win the league first and I am real proud of the kids."
Coatesville 5, Downingtown East 1Coatesville 100 300 1 – 5Downingtown East 000 001 0 – 1WP - Daller. LP - Propsner.2B - Jeffers, Roth, Miles.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.