HS Baseball: Karinch sparks stunning Nativity comeback over Marian
Nativity's Ryan Grabowski makes a play from shortstop against Minersville (Photo by Kelly Wiley).
HOMETOWN — Marian’s baseball team was sitting in the catbird seat for a Schuylkill League Division II postseason spot.
Until Tuesday when Nativity pulled off a sobering come-from-behind 10-8 victory in a Schuylkill League Division II game.
It was a crucial loss for the Colts, who controlled their own destiny heading into the matchup with Nativity. Marian held the trump card in the fight for one of three playoff spots in the division, boasting a 7-3 record in Division II.
Now, after the loss, the Colts fall to 7-4 — and suddenly Shenandoah Valley and Minersville are in the mix, sniffing out second and third place. Schuylkill Haven, with a divisional win, is all but a lock for the top seed.
Nativity entered Tuesday’s game just 4-6 in D-II and hadn’t been setting the league on fire. But after falling behind 8-0, the Hilltoppers played like champions — thanks in large part to sophomore southpaw Stephen Karinch, who came out of the bullpen and changed the game.
Karinch was sensational. He leaned on a sneaky two-seam fastball to set up a sharp, sinking curveball.
“My fastball was in the zone,” Karinch said. “Once it was working, I started throwing the curve. I felt comfortable. I had good spin on the breaking pitch, and my fastball had some pop on it.”
Nativity head coach Ben Kreiger agreed.
“It’s got tail,” Kreiger said. “And from the left side, it’s a different look for hitters. He’s got some pop, and he looks very confident.”
Marian looked like a team on a mission early, scoring six runs in the first inning on four hits — including a booming two-run double by Brandon Grant and singles from Noah Bauder, Alex Diaz and Rocco Griguoli. The Colts added two more in the second, appearing to be in complete control. Even though Karinch entered to start the second, a Cole Jordan hit and a Jimmy Cannon RBI single made it seem like more of the same.
But then Karinch settled in. His rhythm, fastball and breaking pitch silenced Marian’s bats.
“I just wanted to throw strikes and keep them off the bases,” Karinch said. “My stuff was working, and I knew if I hit my spots, they wouldn’t make solid contact.”
They didn’t. Marian managed just two hits after Cannon’s single.
Meanwhile, Nativity chipped away — led by junior third baseman Ryan Grabowski, who went 4-for-4 with a double.
“I just wanted to put it in play,” Grabowski said. “The last time we played, they did it to us.”
In that previous meeting, Marian scored 10 late runs to win 12-3.
This time, it was Nativity’s turn. The Hilltoppers strung together three consecutive three-run rallies, pounding out nine hits. Tommy Bartashus had three of them. Starting pitcher Ryan Examitis drove in two runs with a double and a single, while Andrew Verchick chipped in with an RBI knock.
Trailing 8-6 entering the top of the fifth, Nativity sent seven batters to the plate. A walk, an error, an RBI single by Karinch and a two-run hit from Nick Wagner vaulted the Hilltoppers ahead 9-8. They added an insurance run in the seventh, with hits from Mateo Ariaudo and Grabowski before Examitis drove in the final run.
“Down 8-0, to battle back the way we did — you can’t ask for much more,” Kreiger said. “We’ve had some struggles this season, but a win like this shows that we’ve got kids who want to battle until the final out. I’ll tell you — that’s a darn good team we beat. You’ve got to be impressed with them.”
It was a result Marian didn’t see coming.
“We had a lead like that and let it get away — that’s what hurts the most,” Marian coach John Petrilyak said. “Their kid comes in relief and does a darn good job. He throws nearly 100 pitches (98) and really kept us off-balance. He’s impressive.”
