Check out the results for SOL baseball teams in action Monday.
National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, NESHAMINY 0
Matt Hand has been something close to untouchable this season.
That trend didn’t change on Monday as the Indians’ senior mound ace allowed just two hits while striking out 12 and walking none in an overpowering performance. In three outings so far this spring, Hand has walked just one batter.
For those who wondered what the Indians would do without Brandon McIlwain, Hand is answering those questions.
“Now the question is can you imagine if we had (McIlwain),” coach Matt Schram said. “I guess you could say Matt’s on fire.
“This was a typical SOL National battle between two heavyweights. For Matt to come out and dominate a really good team like Neshaminy speaks at the level he’s pitching at right now. He was in double-digits in first pitch strikes today. His command was just off the wall today.”
Hand needed to be on top of his game to earn a win in a classic pitcher’s duel with the Redskins’ Billy Meyer, who tossed a gem of his own. The Indians managed just four hits and one earned run.
“He’s one of the top pitchers in our league,” Schram said of Meyer. “He had real good command of his off-speed, and his fastball was good. He’s going to Mercer next year, which is a big-time program, and I can see why.”
The Indians plated the only run Hand would need on a passed ball in the second inning. They added an insurance run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Nowmos.
Jared Schram was a perfect 2-for-2 to account for two of the Indians’ four hits. Hand and Chase D’Arcangelo each had one hit. Mike Burns and Bill Ritchey each singled for the Redskins.
Council Rock North (7-0, 4-0 SOL) is off until next Monday when the Indians will travel to Neumann-Goretti for a non-league contest. Neshaminy (3-5, 2-2) will host Pennsbury on Thursday.
Neshaminy 000 000 0 0-2-0
Council Rock North 010 100 x 2-4-0
WILLIAM TENNENT 5, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1
Paul McElroy’s three-run double in the fourth inning put the Panthers on top 5-0. That was more than enough for Ryan Lucas and Tristan Kresz, who combined to allow just one hit and no earned runs.
“It was a good game,” Tennent coach Rick Penecale said. “I thought their pitchers threw real well.
“It was a good win for us. In this league, every game is a big game.”
Lucas, who earned the win, was lifted after walking a batter with one out in the sixth. He did not allow a hit in 5.1 innings but issued six walks while fanning four. Tristan Kresz closed it out, allowing one hit in 1.2 innings while striking out one.
“Ryan was up to about 90 pitches and I thought he was getting tired,” Penecale said. “One thing I like about us is we have a lot of pitching depth.
“Six walks is not what we expect, but it’s early in the season. A lot of these guys are still finding their zone – he’ll be fine. He made the pitches when he needed to. When you don’t give up any hits, you’re not going to complain.”
Gregory Delgado’s RBI single put the Panthers on top 1-0 in the first, and that lead grew to 2-0 in the third. McElroy’s bases-clearing double in the fourth gave the Panthers a 5-0 lead. The Golden Hawks broke up the Panthers’ shutout bid with an unearned run in the sixth, benefitting from a walk, the Hawks’ lone single by Evan Fisher, a passed ball, and a fielder’s choice RBI by Nick Crane.
For the Panthers, Delgado was 2-for-3 with one RBI while Nick Cataldi was 2-for-2.
Brendan Carter was charged with the loss, allowing four hits and four runs – only one earned – in 3.2 innings while fanning three and walking three. Noah Davidson threw the final 2.1 innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out five and walking two.
William Tennent (3-3, 2-2 SOL) will be on the road at Abington on Thursday. Council Rock South (1-3, 0-3) will host Pennsbury next Tuesday.
Council Rock South 000 001 0 1-1-2
William Tennent 1001 300 x 5-6-0
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 4, PENNRIDGE 0
Dan Klepchick tossed a complete game two-hit shutout, leading the Titans to the important conference road win and continuing his string of impressive outings this spring. The Titans’ mound ace fanned seven and walked one.
“Dan did a very good job of getting ahead in the count,” coach Brian Klumpp said. “He didn’t have his best off-speed stuff early on, but he worked the knees and corners with the fastball effectively.
“As the game went on, he got stronger, and the off-speed pitches had a lot more life to them. He did a great job of never letting a good hitting team like Pennridge in the game after we jumped out to a 3-0 lead.”
The Titans scored three runs in the top of the first to give Klepchick some immediate breathing room. Casey 
Sloms delivered an RBI single that plated Tyler Rossi, and Andrew Dietz’s two-run double spotted the Titans a 3-0 lead, which was more than enough for Klepchick.
In the sixth, the Titans tacked on an insurance run when Eric Gross delivered a two-out RBI single.
Will Moller was 2-for-3 and scored a pair of runs for the Titans. Dietz was 1-for-3 with two RBIs while Gross (2-for-3, one run) and Mike Goldsworthy (2-for-2) both had two hits out of the eight and nine holes.
“The lower half of our order did a great job of getting on base all game,” Klumpp said. “Andrew Dietz and Casey Sloms came up with big RBIs once again when we needed them.
“Eric Gross had a nice day hitting with two hits and a nice RBI single.”
Neither team committed an error in a well-played game.
“I told our guys pitching and defense will win you baseball games, and right now we’re doing both very well,” Klumpp said. “It’s a big week with four games and three league games, so we will have to dig deeper in our rotation.
“We have to keep the energy focus where it is at as we know CB East will be up and ready to play tomorrow. We continue to tell our guys – no let up, the league is too good to let up.”
Danny Long and Andrew Horne accounted for the Rams’ lone hits.
Ian Kacergis absorbed the loss, allowing seven hits and three runs in five innings while fanning four and walking one. Brendan Knouse threw a scoreless inning to close it out for the Rams.
Central Bucks South (4-1, 3-0 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Tuesday, and Pennridge (4-3, 2-1) will host Souderton on Tuesday.
Central Bucks South 300 001 0 4-9-0
Pennridge 000 000 0 0-2-0
Non-league
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 10, WISSAHICKON 5
In a non-league game that saw both teams use four pitchers, the Patriots collected eight runs in the first three innings, and that was enough to defeat the visiting Trojans.
The Trojans put three runs on the board in the top of the first. Blake Rapoport opened the inning with a double to center, and he scored one out later on Matt Shilling’s double. Alex Tappen singled, and Shilling scored on a steal of home. A two-out error allowed the third run to cross the plate
East answered with five runs in the second, benefitting from three walks and a hit batsman as well as singles by PJ Harris, Cameron Komanchak (RBI) and Collin Sheehan (RBI).
The Trojans knotted the score with a pair of runs in the third, but the Patriots took a lead they would not lose with four runs in the fourth. A two-run double by Grant Meiers highlighted the frame that also included singles by Matt Ernst and Andrew Collins as well as a sacrifice fly by Aaron Holland. A solo home run to right by Komanchak in the fifth closed out the scoring for both teams.
Komancheck (2-for-3, 3 RBIs, 3 runs scored) had the only multi-hit game. Sheehan and Meiers each added a pair of RBIs.
For the Trojans, David Kovacs (1-for-2) had a pair of RBIs.
Tyler Quinlan was credited with the win, tossing a scoreless fourth inning that included a pair of strikeouts, one walk and no hits. Art Silverstein did not allow a hit in a scoreless inning for the Patriots, and Kyle Feasby did not allow a hit in two scoreless innings to close out the game, fanning three and walking one.
Central Bucks East (2-3, 0-3 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Tuesday, and Wissahickon (2-4, 2-1) will host Upper Merion on Tuesday.
Wissahickon 302 000 0 5-5-3
Central Bucks East 050 410 x 10-7-5
NORRISTOWN 8, QUAKERTOWN 5
In a contest that featured 20 hits – six for doubles, it was the Eagles earning the come-from-behind win, thanks to three-run uprisings in both the fifth and sixth innings.
There were offensive heroes galore for both sides. For the Eagles, leadoff batter Tyler Pastella was 1-for-3 with three runs scored. Tom Detwiler was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Terell Dale was 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Dom Proietto was 2-for-4 with a double and game-high four RBIs, and Nick Falco was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Tyler Gorman also was 2-for-4 with one run scored.
On the Panthers’ side, Jake Reed was a perfect 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, one RBI and two runs scored. Lake Friday was 2-for-3 with two doubles, one RBI and one run scored, and Sam Pacella was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Both teams scored two runs in the first inning, and the Panthers added single runs in the third and fourth. The Eagles erased that lead with three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Proietto’s two-run single highlighted the three-run sixth that proved to be the difference in the game.
Norristown (3-2, 2-1 SOL) will be on the road at Cheltenham Tuesday, and Quakertown (2-4, 1-2) will host Hatboro-Horsham.
Norristown 200 033 0 8-11-0
Quakertown 201 110 0 5-9-2
About the Author
