SOL National/BAL Earns Trip to Citizens Bank Park

The SOL National/BAL squad defeated Tri-Cape 13-9 in a second round Carpenter Cup game at Richie Ashburn Field on Tuesday. Check back for a game story and photos of Thursday’s semifinal game against Burlington County at Citizens Bank Park. Follow the game on Twitter @SOLsports.

By Mary Jane Souder

Brett Koslowski undoubtedly feels as though he’s living a dream.

Small wonder.

The William Tennent senior and his teammates on the SOL National/Bicentennial League squad will be playing Burlington County in a Carpenter Cup semifinal final game at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, thanks to Tuesday’s 13-9 win over Tri-Cape at Richie Ashburn Field.

“This whole experience has been amazing because I thought my last high school game was our game against Truman,” Koslowski said. “We didn’t make it to the playoffs, so it was kind of a bummer for me.

“I made the Carpenter Cup (team). I didn’t know how far we’d get, but we started hitting, and everyone is making the plays and doing what they have to do, and it’s just amazing to be able to win and play at Citizens Bank Park.

“After the game, all everyone on the team was saying was we’re playing on the same field as the Philadelphia Phillies. Since I’m playing second, I just keep thinking how I’m going to be standing in the same position as Chase Utley. I can’t get over that fact.”

Koslowski was in the middle of the action in Tuesday’s win, going 2-for-3 with an RBI out of the leadoff spot. Jordan Pocrass, who entered the game in the fifth inning, was 1-for-3 out of the leadoff spot with three RBIs.

“Yesterday we started Pocrass and brought Koslowski in, and we flip flopped that today just for defense,” said Pennsbury coach Joe Pesci, an assistant for the SOL National/BAL squad. “It really sets the tone when you get that leadoff guy on to start the game.

“You’re looking at three at-bats apiece for those two kids. A lot of teams have a really solid nine, but then their second halves aren’t great. I feel like we have 18 solid kids that we can rotate either way.”

Thirteen players contributed hits in a game that saw the SOL National/BAL collect 17 hits, a showing that came on the heels of their 13-hit effort one day earlier. That’s 30 hits in two games for the SOL National/BAL.

“You can’t lose that often when you’re hitting like that,” Koslowski said.

Also contributing two hits were Holy Ghost Prep’s Ryan Malloy (2-for-3, double, RBI), Pennsbury senior Brendan Campbell (2-for-2, RBI), Holy Ghost Prep’s Jeff Tallman (2-for-2) while Bensalem senior Jay Mulvey added three RBIs.

“I have played with a lot of kids on this team in AAU, so we have a good chemistry together,” Mulvey said. “We started off really good as a team, and the chemistry worked out really good.

“We faced good pitchers, and we were just confident at the plate. We’re proving we can hit the ball and we can play defense. It’s going to help us out and show teams we’re not an easy target.”

For the second time in as many days, the SOL National/BAL struck early and often. In the second, Jack Seibert (Holy Ghost) singled through the right side to open the inning. One out later, Tallman doubled to left. Seibert scored on Mulvey’s groundout, and the SOL National/BAL led 1-0.

In the third, the SOL National/SOL blew the game open with a seven-run outburst. Dylan Evert (Bristol) led off with a single, and after Sean Phelan (Devon Prep) was safe on an error, Malloy doubled down the right field line, plating a run. Pennsbury’s Justin Jacko was hit by a pitch. One out later, Colin Smeraglio (Holy Ghost) singled home a pair. An error on Mulvey’s single allowed three more runs to cross the plate.

“He’s so fast – I think he gets a double out of it,” Pesci said of Mulvey’s two-RBI single.

Koslowski got into the act with an RBI single to left, and by the time the inning had ended, the SOL National/BAL led 8-0.

“It was like that yesterday,” Pesci said. “We scored all our runs in the second, third and fourth. We scored some late today, but having a seven-run inning just takes the starch out of team.

“We as a group have really meshed chemistry-wise. The respect the kids have for each other – it brings us together, and it takes the life out of a team when you put up seven runs. Our fourth through ninth hitters all scored that inning in a row. It was just an onslaught. They made a couple of errors, and we took advantage of them.”

Tri-Cape plated a pair of runs in the top of the fourth and added a single run in the sixth to make it an 8-3 game. The SOL National/BAL added four runs in the bottom of the sixth.  

With one out, Campbell singled to center, and Abington’s Nick Bein followed with a single through the left side. Tennent’s Paul McElroy walked, and Pennsbury senior Ryan Sheaffer’s bases-loaded walk with two outs pushed a run across. A double to center by Pocrass plated three runs, and the SOL National/BAL led 12-3.

The two teams exchanged runs in the seventh. Pennsbury’s DJ Endler, who doubled, scored on Campbell’s RBI single to give the SOL National/BAL a 13-4 lead.

“For us, Campbell played first, second and DH, and we put him in left field because he’s athletic – he was a safety in football,” Pesci said. “We put him in left field yesterday just to get his bat in the lineup.

“He and Pocrass started for us yesterday but didn’t start today, so it would give us a stronger defense. They came in in the sixth, and Pocrass had the big three-RBI double, and Campbell was 2-for-2 with an RBI. From top to bottom, we hit.”

Endler, who also is contributing, was a late addition to the roster.

“We had a kid back out because of final exams, so we put DJ on,” Pesci said. “At 6:30 in the morning on Monday, I called him up and said, ‘Get your butt down to Philadelphia. We need you.’

“He doubled yesterday and doubled today.”

Tri-Cape scored two runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough.

The SOL National/BAL squad had punched its ticket to Citizens Bank Park.

“Confidence is definitely a huge part because a lot of kids have just been playing legion, and they’ve been working for the Carpenter Cup – that’s the main reason they keep playing to get to Citizens Bank and hopefully get the championship,” Koslowski said. “I graduate Friday and what better way to end my high school career than playing at Citizens Bank in the Carpenter Cup.”

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Mulvey. “It was always my dream as a little kid to play there, and I finally get to play there and play on the field the Phillies play on.”

On the mound for the SOL National/BAL, Spencer Tinkel (New Hope-Solebury) started and threw three scoreless innings to earn the win. Tennent’s Steve Hatala, Pennsbury’s Broday McFadden and Holy Ghost Prep’s Luke Duris combined to throw 5.2 innings. Prep’s Tim Brennan came in to collect the game’s final out.

“Offensively, we’re doing something right,” Pesci said. “Pitching-wise we struck out 15 yesterday, and we struck out 11 today.”

So far, the SOL National and BAL have been a winning combination.

“It’s fun,” Mulvey said. “For Bensalem, it was fun to play with my friends I’ve known for a long time, but this is just a bonus. I can’t express how much it means to play for this team. It’s an honor.”

 “We play Ghost and we scrimmage Bristol,” Pesci said. “Those are the only two BAL teams that we see. You don’t know these kids besides what you read in the paper.

“You see these kids and their approach – they’re all competitors. It’s unfortunate we don’t see them more throughout the year, but it’s nice to see the talent level and the competitiveness. Honestly, it feels like we’ve been playing together all season with the chemistry that we have between the coaches and the players. It’s fun, and winning helps too.”

The SOL National/BAL will face Burlington County at Citizens Bank Park Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

TRI-CAPE       000 201 123   9  14  4
SOL NATIONAL/BAL017 004 10X   13  17  4

E-M.Rios, T.Henry, D.Burdsall, D.Tolbert, Z.Szumigala, R.Malloy, J.Vesling 2. DP - Tri-Cape 1. LOB-Tri-Cape 14, SOL N-B 11. 2B-J.Smith, J. Pocrass, Endler, R. Malloy, J. Tallman 2. SF-Phelan. SB-D.Tolbert, R.Sheaffer.