Check out Monday's SOL baseball results. To view photos of the North Penn/Pennridge game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
National Conference
NESHAMINY 5, PENNSBURY 2
The Redskins (11-3 league) locked up the outright title without needing any help by rolling past the Falcons, who fell to 7-7 and likely out of the playoff picture.
“It’s something to really be proud of,” said Neshaminy coach Chris Tenaglia, whose team jumped out to 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back.
While ace pitcher Justin Andrews (8-1) remained unbeaten in seven league decisions, Sean Udris carried the offense by going 3-for-3 with his first two home runs of the season and all five RBI.
PENNSBURY 010 001 0 – 2-6-1
NESHAMINY 300 020 X – 5-9-2
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 5, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1
The Golden Hawks rode the strong arm and bat of Ryan Fleming to earn the important win. Fleming threw a four-hit complete game, and with the win, Rock South upped its league record to 7-6 heading into Tuesday’s showdown against William Tennent.
“This was a playoff game for them,” said Rock North coach Matt Schram, whose team is now 9-5 in the league and done for the regular season.
“I think we’re in the playoffs,” he added. “It’s more about seeding now.”
Fleming fanned six in the win.
“He came out and threw a real nice game,” Schram said. “We didn’t have much offense today.”
Fleming also delivered the game’s key hit, an RBI double in the two-run first. The Golden Hawks “manufactured” two more runs in the second, and the Indians found themselves in an early 4-0 hole.
Matt Renck, who had given the Indians a pair of solid starts recently, took the loss.
“He really didn’t throw a bad at all,” said Schram. “They just came and jumped on him early with some timely hits in the first two innings. That’s just how things worked out.”
Steve Schonwolf was 2-for-3 with a double and drove in a run for the winners. Ryan Becker, with two hits, had the only multiple-hit game for the Indians.
Council Rock North 001 000 0 – 1-5-1
Council Rock South 220 000 X – 5-5-0
WILLIAM TENNENT 7, TRUMAN 1
Bill Shannon was a one-man wrecking for the Panthers, who improved to 8-5 and remained in the playoff picture.
Shannon was the winning pitcher, giving up no earned runs and five hits while going the distance. He walked three and struck out five.
He helped his own cause at the plate, going 3-for-4 while scoring two runs and driving in another.
The supporting cast was led by Vinny Case, who had a double and a triple and scored twice. Brandon DiBona was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base. James Lewicky drove in a run with a double and Mike Wasserleben had two RBI.
Unable to play the role of spoiler, Truman fell to 4-9 in the league.
Tennent 300 020 2 – 7-11-5
Truman 000 010 0 – 1-5-3
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 9, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2
The Patriots went under the lights at Central Bucks South and sealed the deal on the conference with an authoritive win.
They not only clinched the outright crown with a 12-2 mark in league play, but likely secured a bye in the first round of next week’s district playoffs.
The Titans, meanwhile, fell to 10-4 but also live to see another day.
“We had a core group of pitchers coming back but had some inexperience up the middle and in some other spots,” said Patriots’ coach Kyle Dennis. “But the kids had high expectations about winning the league and they went out and accomplished it.”
The battery of Robby Welhaf and Ben Hauser keyed the win. Welhaf went the distance, giving up five hits and no runs after the third inning. He fanned nine and improved to 5-1 overall and 5-0 in the league.
Hauser was 4-for-5 at the plate with a run scored and three RBI.
With the game knotted, 2-2, after four innings, the Patriots broke it open with seven runs in the fifth inning. The key hit was a bases-loaded triple from Ethan Rode.
“That was big,” reflected Dennis. “That really opened it up for us.”
CB East 002 070 – 9-12-2
CB South 011 000 X – 2-5-0
PENNRIDGE 18, NORTH PENN 8
Coach Tom Nuneviller knew his team could ill afford a loss when the Rams traveled to North Penn.
Complicating matters was the fact that the Knights were sending savvy ace Bryce Mengel to the hill on plenty of rest.
But the Rams scored early and often, plating 11 runs in the first two innings and sending Mengel to the bench in a rout.
The Rams, who are 14-5 overall, improved to 9-5 in the league. North Penn is also 9-5.
While nine different Rams drove in runs, Jake Gordon got the big hit early with a three-run homer.
Among the other standouts were Mike Kacergis (3-for-4, a double, two RBI) and Ben Morina (3-for-3, two RBI).
For North Penn, which hurts its cause with seven errors, Zillur Rahim had a three-run home run and finished with five RBI.
“It was a crazy game,” said Nuneviller. “Four years ago, when (Mengel) was a freshman, he pretty much shut us down. We came in today knowing we were going to be facing him.”
Although he won’t know for sure until the brackets are announced, Nuneviller feels his team has done all it could in a competitive division to earn a playoff berth.
“I would think so,” he said. “I came in thinking that if we won, we were in. If we lost, we would have been on the hump. We won so …
“To have this record, in this division, is a good year for us.”
Evan Myers was the winning pitcher. He is 5-3 on the season.
Pennridge 470 511 – 18 -13-1
North Penn 032 300 – 8-7-7
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CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 5, HATBORO-HORSHAM 3
The Bucks plated four runs in the sixth and a single run in the seventh to earn the come-from-behind win in a game that featured flawless defense by both teams. John Fitz earned the complete game win for the Bucks, scattering five hits while fanning five and walking one in seven solid innings.
The Hatters got on the board first as they scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning on back-to-back home runs by senior Ryan Kelly and sophomore Kevin Barron.
Senior starting pitcher Zach Prendergast sailed through the first five innings without allowing a run. However, with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, the Bucks had four consecutive hits to take a 4-3 lead. Sean Loughery got things started with an RBI single, and Brennan Snyder followed with his second hit of the day, a single. Then came the big hit of the game - a monstrous blast by Brandon Davis to deep center that scored both Loughery and Snyder. Cole Malinauskas, who pinch ran for Davis, scored on an RBI single by Will Taylor.
The Bucks added another run in the top of the seventh inning against reliever Tyler Markovic. Nick Martino was hit by a pitch, and Jason Peralta singled. Robert Phillips followed with an RBI single for the 5-3 final.
For the season, Grant Opalinsky led H-H in batting (.397) and RBI (14) while Ryan Kelly had a team-best two home runs.
On the mound, Zach Prendergast led the way with three wins and 54 strikeouts. David Brown posted a 0.91 earned run average.
The Hatters closed out their season with a 9-11 record overall (6-8 SOL Continental) while the Bucks finished the year with a 4-10 mark in the league.
Central Bucks West 000 004 1 5-9-0
Hatboro-Horsham 030 000 0 3-5-0
American Conference
CHELTENHAM 12, NORRISTOWN 2
It’s been quite a season for a Panther squad that lost its top three pitchers early in the year. Matt Lawlor and Jack O’Grady were out of commission because of injuries and a third left the team for of disciplinary reasons. Stepping up in their absence is Calvin Salazar, who upped his record to a perfect 6-0 after Monday’s win. He also has two saves on the season.
“He was the guy we were going to use in relief,” coach Frank Decembrino said ce. “He’s really a good second baseman, and we were trying to solidify our defense.
“When we got thrown all those curveballs, we made him a starter.”
Salazar, who pitched on Thursday, was not scheduled to start on Monday, but with both of the Panthers remaining starters taking an AP test, Salazar found himself on the mound.
“Calvin said he felt good enough to go,” Decembrino said.
Salazar threw four shutout innings and picked up the win.
Defensively, shortstop Rafael Fernandez gave the Panthers a lift.
“Rafael has been tremendous, and he turned another double play,” Decembrino said. “He has been so consistent, he has been our anchor on defense. We have been playing really good defense.”
Marshall Salem had a pair of hits and five RBIs while Max Perilstein had two hits and four RBIs to lead the Panthers. Matt Meyers had one hit and drove in the game’s first run in a five-run first that all but sealed the Eagles’ fate.
“I am so proud of them,” Decembrino said. “I told the boys this has been the best team in the team sense of the word that I have ever had.
“Even today with the AP testing, the only people that worried were me and my assistants. The kids are having fun, making great plays. I could say something good about every one of them. They’ve all contributed.”
David Randolph led the Eagles with a double and two hits. Conard Tomlinson had a triple.
While the Eagles fell to 7-7 in league play (7-9 overall), the Panthers improved to 10-4 in the league (12-6 overall).
Norristown 000 002 2-7-4
Cheltenham 502 023 12-9-0
WISSAHICKON 5, UPPER MORELAND 3
Save the quest to go unblemished in the league for the season, the Bears had less to play for Monday than did the Trojans, who were able to shock the world and hand the Bears their first league setback in 14 games.
Keying the win was Randy Frankenfield, who was able to keep the potent Bears’ attack off-balance. He went the distance, scattering six hits and striking out four.
Frankenfield also helped his own cause at the plate with a pair of hits and one RBI. Matt Oruch drove in two more runs for the Trojans, who improved to 8-6 in the league and could conceivably earn a playoff berth.
The Bears, meanwhile, made five errors.
Upper Moreland 000 102 0 – 3-6-5
Wissahickon 202 001 X – 5-6-0
SPRINGFIELD 3, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 2
Winning pitcher Ed Bacino helped his own cause by going 2-fo-3 with a double.
The Spartans (8-7 league), who have long-since had their tickets punched to Class AA District One playoffs, scored twice in the first inning and added another run in the fourth.
The Colonials, who mounted a rally with two runs in the top of the seventh inning, fell to 3-12 in the league.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0 00 00 0 2 - 2- 6- 0
Springfield 200 100 X – 3-7-0
UPPER DUBLIN 7, UPPER MERION 6
Bryn D’Andrea continued to be Mr. Clutch for the Cardinals, plating the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning.
In a game where the lead changed hands five times, D’Andrea (two doubles, three RBI) proved to be the difference-maker. Murray Hershgordon also had two doubles for the Cardinals (6-8 league), while leadoff man John drew three walks and stole two bases.
Christian Huckfeldt was the winning pitcher in relief.
Upper Merion fell to 2-12 in the league.
Upper Merion 001 220 1 – 6-7-2
Upper Dublin 004 200 1 – 7-11-3
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