Bensalem, CB East, Upper Moreland and CR North were winners in SOL baseball action on Wednesday. Check out the recaps.
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0 (8 innings)
A contest that was dominated by pitching on both sides – in the end - came down to a walk. A bases-loaded walk to Grant Meiers brought home Matt Ernst with the game winner, giving the Patriots the walk-off win.
“I always say – any win in the Continental is a great win,” coach Kyle Dennis said. “If you can scratch one out against a good team like CB South, you’ll take it any way you can get it.
“Whether it’s a walk-off home run or a walk-off walk, you’ll take a win any way you can get it.”
Ernst led off the eighth with a single and, with one out, he stole second, putting himself in scoring position for CJ Gillmer, the Patriots’ top hitter. Gilmer singled to left to put runners on the corner with one out. An intentional walk to Collin Sheehan loaded the bases, setting the stage for Meiers, who worked a fullcount walk.
Tyler Quinlan – who allowed just three hits while striking out five and walking three in six innings - was the victim of a no-decision for the second time in as many outings.
“I feel kind of bad for Tyler Quinlan,” Dennis said. “He just really competed. He pitched out of a bases-loaded jam early in the game.
“He pitched against West as well last week where he took a no-hitter into the sixth. In his past two starts, he’s allowed four hits and no runs, so he’s been a real workhorse.”
Senior Jared Thompson, who earned the win, did not allow a hit in two scoreless inning in relief.
“He’s been our first in relief all year,” Dennis said. “He’s done a great job of competing and getting guys out.
“He had no walks and no Ks, he just forced them to put it in play and got guys out. Jared is phenomenal relief pitcher. He comes in and throws strikes and keeps us in games.”
Andrew Dietz, who was 2-for-3, accounted for two of his team’s three hits. Gillmer was 2-for-3 for the Patriots, who managed five hits.
“We hit a lot of balls hard today – we hit a couple balls deep in the outfield,” Dennis said. “Jimmy Parrish had an opportunity with a runner on third base, and he absolutely drilled the ball, and it was snared by the third baseman, so we hit a couple of balls hard today. They just didn’t fall in.”
Sam Thompson allowed four hits and was charged with one run in 7.1 innings. He struck out one and walked four before being relieved by Dietz with a runner on board in the eighth. Dietz absorbed the loss.
“Sammy Thompson did a great job of keeping us off balance,” Dennis said. “We couldn’t get things going on him too well.
“We had our opportunities, and he did a great job. Andrew Dietz came in and was the hard-luck loser, unfortunately. It was two teams that played pretty good defense, pitched really well, and the bats for both teams were kind of quiet.”
Central Bucks East (4-5, 2-3 SOL) will travel to Bishop McDevitt for a non-league game on Thursday, and Central Bucks South (6-4, 2-4) will host Souderton on Friday.
Central Bucks South 000 000 00 0-3-1
Central Bucks East 000 000 01 1-5-1
American Conference
UPPER MORELAND 1, UPPER DUBLIN 0
In one of those rare contests where neither team deserved to lose, it was the Golden Bears – behind the strong arm of Dawson Ruggles – edging the Flying Cardinals.
Ruggles fanned 13 and didn’t walk a batter while allowing eight hits. He was forced to leave with one out in the seventh after reaching the 100-pitch mark. Tommy Jacob closed it out, retiring the first two batters he faced.
“Dawson did a tremendous job on the mound today,” coach Dan Heiland said. “I’ve said it all season – he just did a great job of working ahead and not letting their batters get comfortable in the box.
“He did get in some tough situations today. They had the bases loaded with no outs, and he got out of it. Out of 101 pitches, he threw 79 strikes. He was dealing out there today. He was the key guy today.”
The Golden Bears plated the only run they would need in the top of the second. Kevin Walder drew a walk to open the inning and with two outs was on third base when Nick Pagano delivered a clutch RBI single.
That run stood the rest of the way.
Ryan Besachio pitched well enough to win on most days, allowing just four hits while walking three and striking out three.
“We didn’t hit the ball particularly well today, and you’ve got to give credit to their pitcher too,” Heiland said. “He did a nice job of keeping our guys in check today.
“We were putting the ball in play, and their defense did a great job of making the plays behind their pitcher.”
Neither team made an error, and neither team had an extra base hit. UD’s Max Weinberg, who was 2-for-3, was the only player with more than one hit.
“Both teams were pretty solid in the field,” Heiland said. “It came down to pitching.
“Their pitcher threw a great game. Dawson just out-pitched him today.”
Upper Moreland (8-3, 5-2 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Friday, and Upper Dublin (3-7, 2-6) will be on the road at Cheltenham on Friday.
Upper Moreland 010 000 0 1-4-0
Upper Dublin 000 000 0 0-8-0
HATBORO-HORSHAM 6, CHELTENHAM 1
Hatboro-Horsham was one of a handful of teams able to play a game on Wednesday afternoon, thanks in large part – according to coach Pete Moore - to groundskeeper Corey Snyder’s efforts.
In a contest that was moved from Cheltenham to Hatboro-Horsham due to field conditions, it was Brian Edgington once again stealing the spotlight. The St. Joseph’s bound senior earned the complete game victory, striking out eight while walking one and allowing just six hits.
With Wednesday’s effort, Edgington moved to 4-1 on the year with five complete games in five starts. He boasts a 0.42 ERA, and in 33 innings pitched, he has allowed 19 hits while striking out 44 and walking just two.
“Brian has been throwing on another level this year,” Moore said. “He had eight strikeouts and one walk, and when he walked the guy, you could hear the shock in our dugout.”
Edgington also led the Hatters’ offense, finishing the day 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Freshman shortstop Jake Bianchini was 1-for-3 with a walk and, according to Moore, played a strong game in the field. Drew Passerini and Ryan O’Donnell added doubles to the Hatters’ attack. O’Donnell also had a pair of RBIs. Passerini and Ryan Long each had one RBI.
For the Panthers, Kieran Versaw-Barnes was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Chad Johnson was 2-for-2. Jack McHugh had the Panthers’ lone RBI, and it came in the top of the first. The Hatters – sparked by O’Donnell’s RBI double and an RBI single by Edgington - answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. They never looked back.
Hatboro-Horsham (8-4, 6-2 SOL) will be on the road at Springfield Township on Thursday, and Cheltenham (1-10, 1-6) will travel to Upper Dublin on Friday.
“The great thing about our team is tomorrow we get to roll Colin Kennedy out there on the mound,” Moore said.
Cheltenham 100 000 0 1-6-3
Hatboro-Horsham 300 300 x 6-8-1
Non-league
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1
Gavin Ferrandino and Joe Preciado combined to allow just four hits and one run in a non-league crossover win that will count toward the district power rankings.
“Our pitchers did a great job,” said coach Matt Schram, whose team played error-free ball behind the duo.
The Bucks got on the scoreboard in the second when Matt Cooper hit an RBI single that plated Trevor D’Arcy. That 1-0 lead stood until the fifth inning when the Indians put a pair of runs on the board. Jason Walter, whose 2-for-3 effort led the Indians, drove in one of those runs with a single.
The Indians managed just six hits off a trio of West hurlers. Dom Dicicco threw 4.2 innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out five and walking three. Chris Haller, who absorbed the loss, gave up two hits and one run. Steven Gebre did not allow a hit in two scoreless innings to close out the game. He fanned two and walked a pair.
Ferrandino earned the win for the Indians, allowing three hits and one run while striking out three and walking three. Preciado allowed one hit and did not walk a batter while fanning four in 2.2 shutout innings in relief to earn the save.
Council Rock North (7-4, 5-2 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Friday, and Central Bucks West (3-6, 1-4) will host William Tennent on Friday.
Council Rock North 000 020 0 2-6-0
Central Bucks West 010 000 0 1-4-1
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