Check out the results for SOL baseball teams in action on Tuesday. To view photos of the Pennsbury/Neshaminy and CB South/CB East games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
CONTINENTAL CONFERENCE
North Penn 6, Pennridge 4
With the regular-season league title on the line, the lead changed hands several times before the defending state-champion Knights (10-4) broke a 4-4 tie with a run the fourth and a controversial insurance run in the seventh to come out on top.
While conceding his team has bigger mountains to climb, North Penn coach Kevin Manero was more than satisfied with clearing the first hurdle.
“It’s great for the guys and for the program,” he said. “It’s tough to win a title in this league. It’s a nice accomplishment.”
Manero shrugged off the notion that it was more gratifying because teams were gunning for his team this year, marking the dates on the schedules and saving their best pitchers. With the rough winter and early-season rain truncating the season, and with league-wide parity, any such targeting had to be limited.
“The teams are all so evenly matched, so it’s not like they can be gunning for one team,” he said. “Today’s game was like the whole season. It was just two teams trying their best to grind it out.”
The Knights were buoyed by No. 9 hitter Kris Akins (3-for-4, RBI), leadoff hitter Chris Kersey (3-for-5, run) and two-hole hitter Alex Peterson (two runs, RBI).
While North Penn ace Colin Healy was removed in the fourth inning with a 5-4 lead, James Witmer came on in relief and allowed no hits or runs to earn the save.
“We have been using that combination,” said Manero, who is hopeful for a first-round bye in the upcoming district playoffs. “Witner did a great job, putting up zeroes the rest of the way.”
The Knights tacked an insurance run in the seventh when what would have been an inning-ending force play at second base was nullified with the base umpire ruled the Ram shortstop didn’t touch the bag.
Tom Nuneviller drove in two runs for Pennridge (9-5), a virtual shoo-in for a wildcard berth in the upcoming playoffs. Joe Ungangst had a pair of hits on a day that saw the Knights hold a 12-5 advantage in hits.
North Penn 211 100 1 – 6
Pennridge 310 000 0 – 4
Central Bucks East 8, Central Bucks South 5
Brandon Birkhead was the vital cog in an outcome that had reverberations all the way to the American Conference and beyond, as the Patriots improved to 8-6 and put other playoff hopes on skid row.
Birkhead was 3-for-3, including a double, at the plate and added a sacrifice fly in another at-bat. He drove in two runs, as did Thomas Prato (double) and Jake Warren (2 runs). Nick Chimera added a hit, a run and two stolen bases.
Dan Morrin took the win while Dalton Smoot earned the save.
The Titans, meanwhile, fell out of the playoff picture.
“Our season is complete,” said coach Mike Schaefer, adding that his team needed a victory over the Patriots, along with a Pennridge win over North Penn and a Plymouth Whitemarsh loss to Springfield, to say in the conversation.
None of that happened, but he said it was not about Tuesday’s turn of events.
“We sealed our fate last week,” he said. “I wish the other teams in our league luck in the postseason.”
Steve Trachtenberg had a run scored and two RBI for the Titans while Mike Anastasia had two runs and scored a run. Matt Radwanski took the loss.
CB East 300 005 0 – 8
CB South 100 004 0 – 5
Souderton 9, Quakertown 3
Smelling a shot at the .500 mark in league, the Indians erased a 2-1 deficit in the top of the seventh inning in style, posting eight runs.
Leading the rally for the Indians (7-7) were Jason Smith (3 hits), Micah Plank (2 hits, 2 RBI), Dan Heilemann (2 RBI) and Brad Stoltzfus (RBI).
For Quakertown, which could only respond with a run in last at-bat, Matt Stoneback had two hits. Vinny La Cava, who was nearly flawless most of the way, took loss.
The Panthers finished 2-12 in the league.
Souderton 000 010 8 – 9
Quakertown 000 00 1 – 3
Central Bucks West 4, Hatboro-Horsham 2 (Monday, May 12)
The Bucks celebrated Senior Day by picking up the big win in their league finale Monday. Four senior pitchers combined to limit the Hatters to just six hits and two runs over seven innings. John Fitz started and picked up the win in 2.1 innings. Cole Malinauskas came in and threw 2.2 innings. Then Will Taylor threw a scoreless sixth, and Patrick Kelley closed out the game with a scoreless seventh, striking out two of the three batters he faced.
Patrick Kelley also had a big day at the plate, hitting a grand slam in the first inning to account for all of West’s run. He finished the day 2-for-3. Senior first baseman Sean Loughery also had a pair of hits on the day with one of those a booming double to center. Senior utilityman Buddy Zanolini was 1-for-2 on the day and also had a double in the third inning.
For the Hatters, Colin Kennedy threw four shutout innings, giving the Hatters a chance to come back. He allowed three hits and no walks while striking out three.
Ryan Murphy was 1-for-3 with a double, walk, run scored and RBI.
The Hatters closed out the regular season with an 8-6 mark in league play (11-9 overall) while the Bucks closed out the league season 6-8 (7-10 overall).
Hatboro-Horsham 002 000 0-2
Central Bucks West 400 000 x-4
Central Bucks East 3, Souderton 2 (Monday, May 22)
The Patriots scored all the runs they would need in a three-run first. The Indians scored two in the third, but that’s as close as they would get. Brandon Birkhead earned the win on the mound, allowing five hits and two runs in four innings. Dalton Smoot was credited with the save, scattering four hits in three shutout innings of relief. He did not walk a batter and fanned four.
The Indians, who held a 9-5 advantage in hits, were led by the two hits performances of Jason Smith, Brad Stoltzfus (two doubles) and Blake Gular. Dan Heilemann absorbed the loss on the mound, allowing five hits and three runs in six innings.
Souderton 002 000 0-2
Central Bucks East 300 000 x-3
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Council Rock South 4, Council Rock North 1
It may not be a miracle of the magnitude of the US Olympic ice hockey team capturing gold in the 1980 Winter Olympics, but the Golden Hawks (10-3) are feeling a great sense of accomplishment after claiming the division title with a win over their crosstown rival Tuesday.
Every team in the league begins with winning the league on its to-do list, but it could be said that only those close to the program thought it possible.
“It was a bold statement,” said coach Ted Kirner. “We said, ‘How are we going to do it?’ We broke it down, and we did it.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the entire team.”
In typical script, the Golden Hawks found themselves down, 1-0, after one inning but ace Greg Paprocki kept the Indians’ bats silent the rest of the way.
Two runs were plated in the home fourth, and two more in a seventh-inning surge that featured a lead-off double by Dan Ng, a sacrifice fly from Will Faccenda and a two-out double by Dean Obarowski to score Nick Ponente.
Paprocki went the distance, allowing just two hits and no earned runs. He walked four and struck out seven.
“He has been our horse,” said Kirner. “He led us to this point, and he led us again.”
CR South 000 200 2 – 4
CR North 100 000 0 – 1
Pennsbury 3, Neshaminy 2
Timely hitting and the arm of Connor Ward helped the Falcons (11-8, 9-5) fly into the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.
“This is a big step for us, this is huge,” said coach Joe Pesci, who is hopeful of a No. 7 or 8 seed, which would translate into home playoff game.
On the mound, Ward yielded one earned run. While he hit four batters and walked another two, he allowed just four hits and struck out six.
“He is our big-game pitcher,” said Pesci, adding that Ward had run into some tough luck, losing games through lack of run support and defensive lapses.
“In his last four or five outings, though, he has been great.”
The Falcons took a 2-0 lead in the home first by virtue of a two-run triple by D.J. Endler. The Redskins (8-6) answered with a pair of runs in the fifth, by virtue of an error and a passed ball, but the Falcons reclaimed the lead in the sixth when Matt Kaiser tripled and scored on Zach Szumigala’s single.
Justin Jacko added a double to the winning cause while Shaughn Wright was 2-for-3 with a double.
Neshaminy 000 020 0 – 2
Pennsbury 200 001 X – 3
Abington 5, Bensalem 2
The Ghosts used a complete-game from Conor Breslin to end their season on a high note and just a game under .500 in league play at 6-8.
Breslin scattered nine hits and struck out three. Jack Larini and Brendan Gallagher each had two hits while Justin Stokes and Dave Hopkins each drove in a run.
For the Owls (4-8), Nick Mulvey had two hits and Ben Anderson drove in a run.
Abington 000 014 0 – 5
Bensalem 100 010 0 - 2
William Tennent 5, Harry S Truman 4
No further information available.
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Plymouth Whitemarsh 7, Springfield 2
It’s wait-and-see time for the Colonials after they improved to 9-5 in the league and 12-6 in the league Tuesday.
Will they or won’t they slip into the District One Class AAAA playoffs?
Right now, while doing a lot of scoreboard watching to see if PW’s 9-5 league mark will not be trumped by three 8-6 finishers in the league’s larger conferences, coach Chris Manero’s message going into Wednesday’s non-league game against Radnor is simple.
“A year ago, we were 5-15,” he said. “We have a chance to be 13-6. That’s all they can control. At the same time, just hang tight. Right now, unfortunately, it is probably a longshot.
“CB East winning today hurt us. We have been saying all along that 10-4 is what we needed to get in. we are 9-5 and it looks like three other teams, all at 8-6, have a good chance of getting in ahead of us.”
If the season does end against Radnor, it was a stellar last outing by senior ace Mike Whalon, who kept his composure after the Colonials fell into a quick 2-0 hole in the first inning by way of some defensive miscues.
“Mike Whalon threw his fifth complete game to finish off an incredible season for him,” said Manero. “It was really great to see him finish it off on a strong note.”
The Colonials got five hits from five hitters, all at key times.
“All our hits were impactful,” said Manero.
Zach Metz and Brett Highland each contributed a two-base hit on the day, and Evan Bischoff and Dylan Ensslin each knocked in a pair of runs to lead Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Springfield 200 000 0 – 2
PW 100 222 X – 7
Upper Dublin 9, Upper Merion 0
Christian Huckfeldt silenced the potential dangerous Vikings’ lineup, fanning 10 while scattering four hits, en route to a complete-game shutout.
The Cardinals (6-7) were led at the plate by John Lee (2 hits, including a double, 2 RBI), Cole Swiger (2 hits, RBI, stolen bases) and Thomas Juelke (double, 2 RBI). Huckfeldt helped himself at the plate with a hit and a run scored.
The Vikings, trying to make a case for AAA playoff field, fell to 3-8 in league play.
Upper Dublin 216 000 0 – 9
Upper Merion 000 000 X – 0
Upper Moreland 10, Wissahickon 1
The Golden Bears (11-3) broke open a 1-1 deadlock with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and held on from there to dash any last playoff hopes for the Trojans (7-7).
Tommy Robinson led the bat attack with three hits while winning pitcher Charlie Hooker and Pat Driscoll (3 RBI) each had two. Mike Cavanugh added two RBI.
Wissahickon 100 000 0 – 1
Upper Moreland 000 172 X – 10
Cheltenham 9, Norristown 8
The last-place Eagles (1-11) gave the first-place Panthers (13-1) all they could handle, forcing extra innings Tuesday.
Cheltenham scored twice in the top of the extra frame and the Eagles, after scoring four times in the bottom of the seventh, could only counter with one in their final at-bat.
The teams had a combined 29 hits, but Norristown’s four errors proved costly.
Mark Heinmann and Max Perilstein each drove in two runs for Cheltenham. Dave Randolph, Chris Curll and Tommy Piccari had four hits each for the Eagles. Curll also drove in three runs.
Cheltenham 002 000 52 – 9
Norristown 002 100 41 - 8
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