RADNOR >> It takes a little bit of time for Josh Rickards to mention all the places he’s played baseball.
Bryan Rubin has started to compile his own list of stops in his career, which hasn’t lasted nearly as long as that of Rickards.
Rickards got the job done on the pitcher’s mound and Rubin came up with the key hit as Wayne defeated the Concord Canes, 2-0, at Radnor High in the deciding game of a Delco Baseball League semifinal series Tuesday night.
Defending champion Wayne will face Narberth, which finished in first place in the regular-season standings, in the opener of the best-of-5 championship series at Narberth Playground Thursday night.
Game Two will be at Narberth Saturday afternoon, then Game Three takes place at Radnor High Sunday afternoon. Wayne has won a Delco League record 15 playoff championships.
Since graduating from Cardinal O’Hara High, Rickards, who works at All-Star Baseball Academy in Broomall, has played at Marist College (2006-09) as well as in Italy, Ireland, Australia and the Frontier League.
He spent time in the Delco League with the Collingdale Colts and Aston Valley Knights before joining Wayne this spring. He earned the decision in a win over Concord in the opening game of the semifinals.
“I know a little bit about their hitters,” he said. “And (catcher Chris) Cowell and I were on the same page tonight. He sees things that I might not see, and that really helps me.”
Rickards finished with eight strikeouts and gave up only three hits before John Bernhardt came out of the bullpen with two runners on and one out in the top of the seventh inning to nail down the win for Wayne.
Concord’s Connor Tom got the first of his two hits leading off the top of the third before Rickards got a pair of strikeouts. Nate Sides singled with two out before Rickards got Kyle Davis to end the biggest Canes threat in the game.
A half inning earlier, Rubin came through with a booming double to left field off Concord’s Matt Greskoff. Cowell walked, then LJ Biernbaum hit a smash off Greskoff on which Davis fielded the ball at second base but lost it trying to tag out courtesy runner Dave Splain.
Brandon Menchaca bunted the runners over, and Rubin fell behind in the count, 0-2, before taking three balls then driving a shot to deep left field to score Splain and Biernbaum.
“With two runners on I have to put something in play,” said Rubin, a Friends’ Central School product who played at Emory (Georgia) University for two years but will be transferring to Vassar College this fall. “I took those pitches instead of chasing them, then he hung a curveball and I went and got it.
“Rickards was really on today and threw a great game. He hit his spots and had great control.”
Sides, who threw Saturday, replaced Greskoff after a pair of walks to open the bottom of the third and did not allow a hit while fanning five in four innings.
Right fielder Jim Vankoski made a tough running catch in foul territory and center fielder Biernbaum ran down a couple of line drives to make things easier for Rickards.
“They made the plays behind him and he got his second win of the series,” Wayne manager Brian Fili said. “That team was all over us Sunday (when Wayne lost, 12-2), and we were sloppy in the field in that game.
“I guess the day off did us good. But we’re sure going to need more than one hit in the games against Narberth.”
