North Penn defeated Pennridge to earn a spot in Friday’s PIAA District One AAAA title game. To view game action photos, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Scott Huff
ROYERSFORD – Henry Chadwick knew what he was talking about in the 1860’s when he coined the baseball phrase battery in regard to the combined effectiveness of the pitcher and catcher – the cohesive single unit of a team within a team.
North Penn utilized the powerful charge of its battery – pitcher Brian Maher and catcher Eddie Posavec - as the Knights will advance to the PIAA Quad-A state finals with a masterful 3-0 PIAA Quad-A semifinal victory over Pennridge. North Penn will play Lower Dauphin in the championship game to be played Friday (6/14/13) at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on the campus of Penn State University – 6 pm. Lower Dauphin edged North Allegheny 1-0 in its PIAA Quad-A semifinal game.
Maher was marvelous with a four-hit shutout performance – issued no walks – and fired just 73 pitches to defeat the hard-hitting Rams. Maher threw just 60 pitches to defeat Strath Haven (5-0) and only 78 pitches to whitewash Parkland (1-0) in his previous two starts.
“Really, that is a little hard to believe,” said North Penn head coach Kevin Manero in regard to Maher’s pitch count. “That is the way you can be effective in high school baseball – that is high school pitching at its best. Let them swing the bats and make sure that you make the plays behind him. He doesn’t throw hard, and his stuff isn’t really nasty.
“I have known Brian ever since he was a little kid,” added Manero. “The biggest thing about him is to calm him down on game day. He was calm today.”
“There is never a question that he is going to come right after you,” said Pennridge head coach Tom Nuneviller. “We knew coming into the game that he was going to throw strikes. He did – and we were never able to string any hits together.”
“I really try to go out there and throw first pitch strikes to get ahead of the hitter,” said Maher. “Pennridge has a lineup from top to bottom where everyone can hit. Teams know that I am going to throw strikes – it’s up to them to hit them.”
“Brian was fantastic today,” said Posavec who has caught Maher all season. “I would set up and he would hit his spots the entire game.”
Maher – with the assistance of the savvy Posavec behind the plate – kept the explosive Pennridge offense off the scoreboard. And all it took a three-run third inning by North Penn to secure the win.
With one out, Anthony Cameron was hit by a pitch by Ram senior starter Evan Myers. Cameron moved to second base on a single by Brady West and scored on a sharp single to left field by Brad Bertucci. Both West and Bertucci – who had both advanced on a throw to the plate - scored moments later when Posavec lofted a 2-RBI triple into the jet stream in right center field.
“I have been struggling some at the plate, and getting that hit was like a huge weight being taken off my shoulders,” smiled Posavec. “At first, I thought it was just going to be a sacrifice fly for a run, but the ball just took off.”
“Eddie hit the ball real well at the beginning of the season,” said Manero. “Then he began to hit the ball hard, but right at people. He was struggling a little bit, but there is no way that he isn’t the third hitter in our lineup. He gets in that batting cage and works harder than anyone – and that hit was a huge on for us today.”
Forgotten – somewhat – was the fact that coming into the game Pennridge had beaten North Penn three times over the course of the season. The Rams –who collected wins of 4-0, 18-8, and 4-3 - would not win a fourth straight contest.
“We won three of four games against a very good North Penn team, but they won the game that counted the most,” said Nuneviller. “We have to tip our cap to them today – they won the game.”
“We knew that if we won this game we would get to the state championship game,” said Maher. “But it was in the back of our minds that we weren’t able to beat Pennridge this year. Coach Manero reminds us that we play in the best conference in the state (Suburban One League Continental Conference), and Pennridge is one of the best teams in that conference.”
North Penn – the last team to make the PIAA District One playoffs as a #12 seed – and the lowest team to advance from District One as a #4 seed - will make the trek to University Park with hopes of being the #1 team in the state.
“At this point, we come into every game expecting to win,” said Manero. “And now we want to win just one more game.”
And the Knights will no doubt recharge that potent Maher-Posavec battery in State College.
Pennridge Rams 000 000 0 - 0 4 0
North Penn Knights 003 000 x - 3 5 1
Pennridge – Danny Shane (cf) – 3010; Brad Misialek (ss) 3000; Mike Kacergis (c) 3000; AJ Molettierre (lf) 3000; Jake Gordon (1b) 3020; Tyler Schoultes (dh) 3010; Joe Unangst (rf) 2000; David Tatoian (ph) 1000; Ben Morina (3b) 2000; Aaron Herndon (ph) 1000; Dan Long (2b) 2000. Totals 26 0 4 0.
North Penn – Brady West (rf) 3110; Brad Bertucci (3b) 2121; Eddie Posavec (c) 3012; Chris Kersey (ss) 3010; Jerod Melone (1b) 2000; Bobby Scott (dh) 3000; Zillar Rahim (cf) 3000; Mason Nadeau (lf) 3000; Anthony Cameron 1100. Totals 23 3 5 3.
WP – Brian Maher 7-innings 0-Runs 0-Earned Runs 4-Strikeouts 0-walks
LP – Evan Myers 6-innings 3-Runs 3-Earned Runs 1-Strikeout 3-walks
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