Four SOL teams were winners in Monday’s District One Quad A opening round. To view photos of the Pennridge/Great Valley and Council Rock North/Penncrest games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Four of the seven SOL baseball teams in action in Monday’s opening round of the District One Quad A Tournament advanced to Wednesday’s second round. Council Rock North, North Penn, Central Bucks South and Pennridge all moved on while Council Rock South, Cheltenham and Wissahickon saw their seasons come to an end.
On Tuesday, Upper Moreland begins play in the District One Class AAA Tournament when the Golden Bears will host Marple Newtown.
First Round District One Class AAA Game
Tuesday – May 21, 2013
#6 Marple Newtown @ #3 Upper Moreland
- Winner Gets: The winner of #7 Pottstown at #2 Interboro.
- Season Resume: Upper Moreland finished the season in 1st place in the SOL American Conference with a 13-1 record while Marple Newtown, which competes out of the Central League, was 11-8.
Golden Bears coach Ernie Rehr says: “Finishing 13-1 and getting Marple Newtown in the first round is by no means ideal. That said this team is up for the challenge. We will be relying on our pitching, Charlie Hooker, and our defense to lead the way. Seniors Matt Kohn and Robert Knox will do what they have done for four years – play hard and lead from the front. Fellow senior Nick Corbett will look to drive in runs and keep playing solid defense. Juniors Pat Driscoll, Kyle Irwin, Eddie Decker, Mike Cavanaugh and Tommy Robinson will do whatever the team needs to win the game. Sophomore Colton Hooker is swinging a solid bat heading to the post season.”
[N-12] NORTH PENN 9, [S-5] CONESTOGA 3
The Knights, by coach Kevin Manero’s own admission, are not a home run-hitting offense. In Monday’s opening round upset of the Pioneers, it was the long ball that jumpstarted the Knights when – after a costly Conestoga error opened the floodgates – Bobby Scott delivered a three-run home run that put the Knights on top 4-0 in the top of the first inning.
“When you can get somebody to connect on one like that, especially early in the game to give you a big lead, we do feel that’s a big key to success,” Manero said. “You have to take an early lead.
“(Scott) turned what would have been a nice first inning into a great first inning.”
As important as Scott’s early blast was to the eventual outcome, it was not what pleased the Knights’ coach the most.
“I have been lucky enough to coach a lot of players over the years who have a lot of talent,” Manero said. “We have had some big-time hitters in the past.
“I don’t know that we have the best hitters that we’ve ever had this year, but our offensive approach today and the way we put innings together today is maybe the best I have been part of. We scored early, and we kept scoring.
“In past games where our offense hasn’t been as good, we’ve had guys go up there and try to do too much, but this time – whether it was bunts, sacrifices, two-strike hits, putting the ball in play and putting pressure on the defense, we found ways to get runs in almost every inning.
“Conestoga was a good team. They had some big hitters. They had some strong kids, and if we would have stopped at four, I just don’t think we would have won that game 4-3. You have to keep tacking runs on, and I think it was important for us to do that because when they would score and we would come back and score again, it made it very difficult for them to catch us.”
It was Brady West – who had three hits, including two doubles, out of the leadoff spot – getting things started in the first inning with a base hit to left.
“Any time you get your leadoff runner on, a lot of good things can happen,” Manero said. “He had a huge game for us.”
Senior Brian Maher threw five innings to earn the win on the mound, allowing three hits and three runs (one earned) while walking one.
“Brian Maher did not have his best stuff today,” Manero said. “He did struggle with some of his off-speed stuff, but he did throw a ton of strikes.
“He pounded the zone with fastballs and used both parts of the plate. I believe in high school if you can throw fastballs for strikes on both sides of the plate at will, you’re going to get a lot of outs, and he did that. He pounded that inside corner, and he didn’t give them many opportunities.
“We talked about the free 90-foot war – they have enough good hitters that if you give them opportunities, they will definitely take advantage of them, but we did a good job of not doing that.”
Dylan Borawski threw two scoreless innings in relief of Maher to earn the save. Kris Akins was inserted in the lineup for his defense and came up with a nice catch in left field for the game’s final out.
“It was a lot of little things,” Manero said. “We came today with a very high level of energy.
“The guys are playing great as a team right now. The chemistry is good, and the intensity is good. I think they believe they can win, and they’re channeling some ability we haven’t seen all season. I know we have a tough road ahead. We have just as tough a game on Wednesday, but I just feel very good about what these guys are bringing to the table right now, and I think it’s translating into better swings and more confident play.”
The Knights will take on fourth-seeded Perkiomen Valley in a second round game on Wednesday.
North Penn 411 100 2 9-6-1
Conestoga 001 200 0 3-7-2
[N-7] COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 9, [S-10] PENNCREST 8
Sometimes, despite doing all the things you’re not supposed to do in a playoff game, the Baseball Gods are on your side.
Such was the fate of the visiting Indians, who used a five-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to send yesterday’s clash with the Lions into extra frames before rallying once more and winning it all on a hit by freshman Brandon McIwaine in the bottom of the ninth, earning a trip to face second-seeded Unionville.
“It was a great game,” said Indians’ coach Matt Schram, whose son, Zach Schram, scored the winning run, after drawing a walk after a 10-pitch at-bat. “But we had no business winning this game. We gave them 13 base runners (by issuing nine walks and making four errors).”
But perseverance was the fuel that drove the Indians’ engine across the finish line.
Penncrest scored three times in the top of the sixth, taking a 7-2 lead, but Schram sensed a vibe in the bottom of the seventh.
“There was this feeling that we had life,” he explained.
Max German, who was 3-for-4 on the day with four RBI, drove in two runs. With two outs and the bases loaded, Brett Newman sent a line drive down the first-base line to tie the game.
Penncrest promptly scored in the top of the eighth, on a two-out double, but the Indians knotted it back up again on a sacrifice fly from German.
In the bottom of the ninth, after eventual winning pitcher Nate English kept the Lions off the board, Schram drew his walk.
Coach Schram then advised to McIlwaine to bunt, but not until he had a strike. The first two pitches were balls. The third, he launched deep into the gap.
Game, set, match.
“Now, it’s off to Unionville,” said Schram, who plans to start Matt Renck Wednesday, despite having worked a pair of innings Monday.
Penncrest 030 103 010 – 8-10-0
CR North 002 000 511 – 9-10-4
[S-9] RADNOR 8, [N-8] CHELTENHAM 7 (9 innings)
The Panthers turned in a gutsy performance but saw their season come to an end in Monday’s opening round.
“We fought hard,” coach Frank Decembrino said. “We had a great effort. We had some things happen that didn’t go our way.
“We made a couple of mistakes we couldn’t bounce back from.”
The Panthers led 7-5 heading into the sixth inning when Radnor plated a pair of runs to knot the score, setting the stage for extra innings.
“We couldn’t end innings,” Decembrino said. “We couldn’t make outs when we needed to, and it continued to snowball. It just wasn’t our game.”
The Panthers were led by the two-hit performances of Mark Heimann (2 RBIs) and Brett Bernstein. Marshall Salem had a pair of RBIs.
When the dust had settled on Monday’s season-ending loss, Decembrino took time to laud the efforts of his players in the face of adversity this season.
“It was outstanding,” the Panthers’ coach said. “They were so resilient. They had so many obstacles, and so many adjustments had to be made in our lineup.
“Almost every game we played we had to use the entire roster because we were short. Even today, Kevin Graham, our three hitter, broke his nose after hitting a double. It was like the snake just kept biting us.
“But you know, Kevin went out, and Matt Lawlor, who could barely throw, came back in, and he played well in the innings he got. When we face obstacles, it’s like it doesn’t register with these kids, and I told them that they’re going to be better men later in life for the lessons they learned this year. Not too many kids their age stand up like that and continue on.”
Lawlor, an all-league selection as a junior, was projected to be the team’s number one pitcher this season, but he underwent labrum surgery. Myers was limited to filling the role of designated hitter after suffering a labrum tear. Jack O’Grady, who was projected to be the team’s closer, was sidelined for the last month-and-a-half with tendonitis in his elbow.
“We literally lost our top three pitchers plus a reliever,” said Decembrino, who also removed a player for disciplinary reasons.
One of the players who stepped up in the absence of experienced starting pitchers was second baseman Calvin Salazar.
“He was phenomenal for us, and he was good again today,” Decembrino said. “He left the game tied. We just couldn't finish it for him.”
The Panthers closed out the season with a 13-7 mark overall (10-4 SOL).
“I can’t complain,” Decembrino said. “We were playing with house money.
“They left everything on the field. There’s nothing to be regretful about.”
Radnor 011 122 001 8-16
Cheltenham 010 330 000 7-8
[N-10] PENNRIDGE 7, [S-7] GREAT VALLEY 3
The 10th-seeded Rams jumped out to a 4-0 lead, saw that lead chiseled to a run and then earned breathing room with three runs in the top of the seventh inning and held on to advance to the second round for a meeting with Neshaminy.
For the Rams, who helped themselves by catching a Great Valley runner in a rundown in the bottom of the sixth, it is a triumphant return to the postseason after placing third in the Continental Conference.
The Patriots had placed second in the Ches-Mont Conference with a record of 13-6.
“It’s a playoff game, and you don’t really know what to expect, going in against a team from another league,” said Pennridge skipper Tom Nuneviller. “But we knew we were coming from a competitive league, and we went in with a lot of confidence.
“(Winning pitcher) Evan Myers pitched very well for us. He was perfect through three innings and pitched five and two-thirds before we took him out.”
The Rams were paced by leadoff hitter Danny Shane, who was 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs.
“He had a real good game for us,” said Nuneviller, who was not sure who he was going to send to the mound Wednesday against Neshaminy.
Mike Kacergis continued swinging a hot bat for the Rams, collecting a pair of hits and driving in two runs.
“He had a couple more hits,” said Nuneviller. “He has had a real good year.”
A.J. Molettiere was 2-for-3. Dave Tatoian and Jake Gordon both each had an RBI. Joe Unangst contributed a double for the Rams.
Myers improved to 6-3 on the season while Tatoian picked up his fourth save.
Pennridge 201 001 3 – 7-12-1
Great Valley 000 102 0 -3-4-3
[N-5] CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 7, [S-12]WEST CHESTER RUSTIN 4
The fifth-seeded Titans played opportunistic baseball, taking advantage of passed balls and fielding miscues, en route to advancing to a second-round meeting at Coatesville.
“We drew three walks and only struck four times,” said Titan coach Mike Schaefer, who received at least one hit from seven of his nine starters. “We kept the ball in play and put pressure on their defense.
“Overall, it was a good day to go out and get a win.”
Schaefer points to a two-run, two-run hit from Mike Kuypers in the bottom of the fourth inning as the key hit. The hit turned a 3-1 South lead into a 5-1 lead.
“That was nice, right there,” said the coach, who also received two hits and a run scored from Tom Shields and an RBI-double from Will Foy. “That gave us some breathing room.”
Winning pitcher Bobby Witteman scattered eight hits and walked just two while fanning eight. According to Schaefer, his winning pitcher displayed senior poise in some sticky situations.
“He was very good with runners in scoring position, and with less than two outs or when he was behind in the count, ” said Schaefer, who plans to send Ricky Dennis to the hill Wednesday against the fourth-seeded Red Raiders.
WC Rustin 000 110 3 – 4-8-2
CB South 021 220 – 7-8-1
GARNET VALLEY 1, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0
Touted Jaguar shortstop Andrew Bechtold, a signee at the University of Maryland, quickly lived up to his advance billing Monday, as his home run – on a 3-2 pitch -- to lead off the game proved to be the difference.
Winning pitcher Dalton Mayberry did the rest, holding the Golden Hawks to two hits – from sophomores Connor Macauley and Nick Ponente -- while striking out six.
“We played a solid game, but this is playoff baseball,” said Golden Hawk coach Ted Kirner, who received a strong outing in defeat from Ryan Fleming (four hits, nine strikeouts).
“This was indicative of our whole season,” the Golden Hawks’ coach continued. “We could have been 4-10 or 10-4. We had to manufacture runs and rely on our defense.
“In the first inning, we had second and third with nobody out, and then (Mayberry) struck out three in a row. Later, we have second and third with one out, but we couldn’t get it done. But I’m proud of the way they handled themselves – all season, and today.”
Kirner admitted his first year was difficult, with injuries and other distractions, but he felt the season was a success.
“It stings, and it’s bittersweet for these seniors,” he said. “These guys have overcome a ton of adversity, on and off the field.”
CR South 000 000 0 – 0-2-0
Garnet Valley 100 000 X – 1-4-1
DOWNINGTOWN WEST 2, WISSAHICKON 0
It wasn’t so much that the 11th-seededTrojans lost in the first round of districts Monday, but how they lost.
The sixth-seeded Whippets used a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the third inning when the ball was overthrown on a bunt and subsequent throw clanked off a baserunner’s helmet.
“In a playoff game, that can’t happen,” said Wissahickon coach Shannon Gunby. “We gave up (two runs) without them doing anything.”
From that point on, the game was a tense pitcher’s duel between Wissahickon senior Randy Frankenfield and the Whippets’ Sean Esch, each of whom fanned 10 batters.
“(Frankenfield) pitched very well,” said Gunby. “(Esch) really kept us off-balance. We didn’t hit too many balls square and he tied up our right-handed hitters.
“We didn’t get a runner to second base until the fifth inning. That was our best opportunity.”
While Wissahickon will return most of its infield, along with two outfielders and its catcher, the team will lose all-league outfielder Greg McDonough (.427) and Frankenfield and Billy McFarland on the mound.
“What we lose most is pitching,” said Gunby. “I’m proud of these seniors. They made the playoffs three of the last four years.
“I’m disappointed with the way we lost. We had an opportunity to win in the first round again and couldn’t get it done, but these kids played hard all year. They persevered.”
Wissahickon 000 000 0 – 0-3-2
Downingtown West 002 000 X – 2-3-1
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