Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action. Truman/CR South photos provided courtesy of Diana Leferovich. Wissahickon/UD photos provided by Keith Clemens Photography. CLICK HERE for photo galleries of both games.
SOL National Conference
Bensalem 7, Council Rock North 5
Nicholas Dean’s two-run double highlighted a five-run fourth inning as Bensalem rallied for a 7-5 victory over Council Rock North in a battle between the top two teams in the SOL National Conference. A Brian Swentkowski sacrifice fly and a Keith Parrish RBI single also brought runners across the plate in the fourth frame.
With the win, the Owls (8-1 SOL) extended their conference lead to two games over the second place Indians, who dropped to 6-3 in National Conference play.
Earlier, Council Rock North jumped out to a 5-2 lead after two innings.
North scored one in the top of the first when a Jason Walter double scored Cavan Tully, who reached base after getting hit by a pitch to start the game. Bensalem responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame on a Scott Rooney RBI triple followed by a Stephen Aldrich RBI single.
In the top of the second, Tully blasted a grand slam to right field to claim the lead for the Indians.
Aldrich earned the win in relief for the Owls, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out seven over five innings.
Bensalem pounded 11 hits on the afternoon, with Damon Lavender adding two hits and Keith Parrish (run, RBI), Jon Revell, Dominic Grady (run), and Nick Fossile (run, RBI) each adding one.
For the Indians, Tully went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI. Matt Shennot also notched a two-hit game and Ryan Stalker added a double.
Bensalem (11-1, 8-1 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Thursday, and Council Rock North (9-4, 6-3) will travel to Abington Thursday.
CR North 140 000 0 5-6-2
Bensalem 200 500 X 7-10-1
Harry S Truman 3, Council Rock South 2
In a pitchers’ duel that saw both teams combine for just six hits, Dylan Jackson – with a 1-2 count and two outs in the bottom of the seventh – came through with a ground single to right field to give the Tigers the walk-off victory.
Pinch runner Jackson Sutton scored from second on the play.
“Jackson got a good jump on it and was able to beat the throw,” said Truman coach Tim Monaghan. “It was a huge win. We talk about trying to take one game at a time, try not to look ahead, all those clichés, but our division is very competitive, and it’s very difficult to get a win.
“(South is) a good team. They played well today, too. It was the kind of game where someone unfortunately was going to walk away a loser. Fortunately, it wasn’t us this time."
Mike Finsel tossed five solid innings for Truman, fanning six and walking two while allowing two hits and two runs. Cam Culver pitched two scoreless innings in relief to earn the win, striking out three.
For South, Mike Rabayda struck out five and allowed 2 hits and 2 runs over 4 1/3 innings.
“Their starting pitcher threw well,” Monaghan said of Rabayda. “He threw strikes, and Mike Finsel was the same way. We were fortunate enough get those two across in the fifth and give ourselves a chance to win it in the bottom of the seventh.”
The Golden Hawks took a 2-0 lead on Nick Gallo’s two-run home run in the third inning. The Tigers knotted the score at 2-2 in the fifth on a passed ball with bases loaded and a bases-loaded walk.
Harry S Truman (5-9, 4-4 SOL) will travel to Bensalem on Thursday, and Council Rock South (5-7, 3-5) will host North Penn in a cross-over game Thursday.
Council Rock South 002 000 0 2-2-2
Harry S Truman 000 020 1 3-4-0
Neshaminy 3, Abington 2
In a tightly contested conference battle, Jake Fehrle notched the complete game win for the Redskins, scattering four hits and allowing two runs (both unearned). He struck out three and issued only one walk in a 97-pitch outing.
The Redskins got on the scoreboard in the second inning when Dalton Turner scored on a Harold Landman single. Abington took a 2-1 lead on Steven Vogl’s two-run double in the fourth.The Redskins answered with a pair of runs in the fifth. Corey Joyce scored on a Joe Kaleck groundout, and a Dalton Turner single plated Brian Nicolas with a run that turned out to be the game winner.
Turner finished the game 2-for-2 with a double, walk, RBI and run scored. Joyce was 2-for-3 with a double and run, and Nicholas also was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Landman was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Chris Cavallaro added the Redskins’ other hit.
JP Nolan absorbed the loss for the Ghosts, despite striking out four and allowing no earned runs over 5.1 innings. Joe DiMaria, Nick McClay, and Jacob joined Vogl with hits for Abington.
Neshaminy (7-7, 4-4 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Thursday, and Abington (2-12, 0-9) will host Council Rock North Thursday.
Abington 000 200 0 2-4-3
Neshaminy 010 020 X 3-7-3
SOL Continental Conference
North Penn 15, William Tennent 7
Joe Picozzi, Billy Collins, and Hunter Hamlin each drilled a home run as the Knights’ offense exploded en route to a 15-7 win over the Panthers.
Hamlin finished 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a two-run double. Collins’ three-run home run in the seventh contributed to his four RBI night.
The Knights’ bats came alive to the tune of eight runs in the fifth inning, including four straight doubles from Hamlin, Ryan Bealer, Robbie Weiss, and Tyler Siddal.
“Top to bottom our lineup competed today and put good swings on the ball,” said North Penn coach Kevin Manero. “A lot of guys are maturing as hitters and that’s been exciting to see.
“We need to be a little cleaner and consistent on the other side of the ball, but we will keep working on that. We need to keep getting one day better in all facets of the game each day we go out there."
Jake Drelick went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, and Zach Miles doubled and scored as part of the Knights’ 15-run afternoon.
“Offensively, we are staying in our swings and driving the ball gap to gap,” Manero said.
The Panthers scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-1 lead. The Panthers also plated a pair in the fourth on Armando Delgado’s two-run home run. In addition, Xavier Delgado hit a triple and Greg Delgado doubled for Tennent.
North Penn (12-2, 9-0 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South for a cross-over game on Thursday, and William Tennent (6-6, 3-5) will host Central Bucks South on Thursday.
North Penn 121 080 3—15
William Tennent 301 210 0—7
Central Bucks East 10, Pennridge 5
Central Bucks East rallied from a 5-1 deficit with nine runs over the final four innings to pull away with a 10-5 victory.
“Any win in the conference is a good win,” East coach Kyle Dennis said. “Our guys are battling, and we’re hoping to make a little run at the end here.”
Trailing 5-1 after three innings, the Patriots put a run on the board in the fourth, capitalizing on a double by James Pello, a wild pitch and Tyler Young’s RBI single from the nine hole.
“To get it back to 5-2 and get production from the bottom your order, that’s a good thing,” Dennis said.
The Patriots knotted the score with three runs in the fifth inning. Sean E’Nama singled and a hit batter and walk loaded the bases for Jimmy Parrish.
“Jimmy Parrish, who had a home run earlier in the game, came through with a single that scored a couple of runs,” Dennis said.
A double down the right field line by PJ Harris plated the tying run. In the top of the sixth, Nick Bitsko led off with a single and moved up to second on E’Nama’s sacrifice bunt. Grant Meiers delivered a single that plated Bitsko with the go-ahead run. The Patriots put the game out of reach with a four-run seventh.
Parrish led the way for East with a home run and a single with 3 RBI. Pello went 2-for-4 with a double, a single; and Harris went 2-for-4 with a double, a single, and two RBI.
Junior Anthony Yermolov started for the Patriots, and in 4.1 innings, he allowed seven hits and five runs (two earned).
“He competed today,” Dennis said. “He gave up some hits, he didn’t get a lot of defense behind him, but he shut them down in the fourth inning.”
Senior Chris Cassini, who earned the win, did not allow a hit in 1.2 shutout innings.
“Chris Cassini went three up, three down in the bottom of the sixth, and that’s important when you get a lead,” Dennis said. “To get a shutdown inning the next inning, that’s huge.”
Bitsko threw a scoreless seventh to close it out for the Patriots.
For Pennridge, Eddie Kerrigan and Ray Knight each went 2-for-4 with two singles. Jimmy Petrik, John Komieczny, and Mike Simpson each had one RBI for the Rams.
Central Bucks East (8-8, 4-6 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Thursday, and Pennridge (4-7, 2-6) will travel to Souderton.
Central Bucks East 010 131 4 10-10-2
Pennridge 032 000 0 5-8-4
Central Bucks South 10, Central Bucks West 7
After spotting the Bucks six runs in the first two innings, the Titans clawed their way back and posted four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to complete a wild comeback and earn a 10-7 victory in a Continental Conference and neighborhood rivalry.
Jake Trachtenberg’s three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth broke a 7-7 tie and put the Titans ahead for good. Two batters earlier, South had knotted the game when Ben Berger scored on a Jake McKeown sacrifice fly. The Titans had also posted four runs in the third, highlighted by a Joey Loynd solo homer.
Trachtenberg finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and a run scored. Bryan Rossi had a pair of hits and scored four runs for the Titans. Berger was 2-for-4 with a double, triple and two runs scored.
Central Bucks West scored four in the top of the first on a pair of two-run home runs. Matt Cooper put the Bucks up 2-0, followed in short order by Rhys Nicholas’s two-run blast. Cooper finished the day 2-for-4 with a double, home run, three RBI and one run scored. Blaise Heacox was 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
Central Bucks South (8-5, 6-2 SOL) will travel to William Tennent on Thursday, and Central Bucks West (8-8, 4-6) will be on the road at Central Buck East on Thursday.
Central Bucks West 420 001 0 7-8-4
Central Bucks South 014 014 X 10-7-2
SOL American Conference
Quakertown 5, Hatboro-Horsham 2
In the bottom of the third inning, Quakertown pitcher Justin Guidos hit a Hatboro-Horsham batter with a pitch.
That’s about the only thing that didn’t go Guidos’ way in a stellar outing, as the senior hurler worked his magic both on the mound and at the plate to lead the Panthers to the win.
“Justin Guidos had a great day, probably the best day of his career,” said Quakertown coach Jon Pallone. “When you’re a strikeout pitcher like he’s been for us, that takes a lot of pitches, and there’s a 100 pitch count. To strike a lot of guys out and go a complete game, you look at some of the top pitchers in the league, they have a tough time getting complete games in because they strike a lot of guys out. For Justin to be efficient and effective like that was huge.”
Quakertown scored first in the first inning when Sean Brennan and Justin Guidos led off the game with walks. Brennan eventually scored on Brian Robison’s sacrifice fly to centerfield.
The Hatters knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning when sophomore catcher Benny Wilson reached on an error. Courtesy runner Ryley Robinson scored after consecutive singles by senior designated hitter Matt Johnson and senior centerfielder Jake Mayson.
The Panthers took the lead again in the top of the third inning. Bradley Bryan reached via hit by pitch to lead off the inning. He later scored on a single to centerfield by Dennis Pierce.
The Hatters answered back in the bottom of the third to tie the game again, at 2-2. Freshmen leftfielder Jimmy Tooley led off the inning with a single. After stealing second, Tooley advanced to third on a dropped fly ball. He then scored on a sac fly by senior rightfielder Shane Carpenter.
The Panthers took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning when Pierce reached on a fielder’s choice, advanced to second when Robison walked and then scored on J.J. Paul’s single to right field. Quakertown extended the lead in the top of the fifth to 5-2 on a two-run single by Guidos.
Guidos reached double-digits in strikeouts, whiffing 11 Hatboro-Horsham batters. He allowed just five hits and two runs (none earned) in the complete-game victory.
At the plate, Guidos went 2-for-2 with two RBI and two walks. Paul also cracked a pair of hits. Brennan scored twice for the Panthers, who also got hits from Pierce, Nathaniel Barnes, and Nolan Byrnes.
“Today the bottom of our lineup got on, and the top of our lineup hit them in,” Pallone said. “It’s different guys sharing the load. Each guy is picking each other up in the lineup, and that’s a positive thing."
Mayson led the Hatters with two hits and an RBI.
“Hatboro was much better than they were the first time we saw them, and that was a close game the first time (a 2-0 Quakertown win),” Pallone said. “They’re a young team, and they’re getting better. They’re well coached, and they do a lot of small things correctly.”
Quakertown (9-2, 8-1 SOL) will be on the road at Upper Moreland on Wednesday, and Hatboro-Horsham (4-10, 4-6) will travel to Wissahickon.
Quakertown 101 012 0 5-7-3
Hatboro-Horsham 011 000 0 2-5-1
Springfield Township 12, Plymouth Whitemarsh 4
Springfield coach Dennis Primavera has been waiting for Brian Murphy to have a big game at the plate.
Murphy couldn’t have picked a better time. The Springfield catcher belted three doubles among his four hits and drove in an eye-popping six runs as the Spartans rebounded from a tough loss on Monday and picked up a big 12-4 victory over the Colonials in Tuesday’s American Conference clash.
“Obviously, the big highlight was our catcher, Brian Murphy,” Primavera said. “He’s a notorious late starter, and that’s what he did. He had three doubles, six RBIs … you can’t have a better game than that.”
The Spartans plated seven runs in the second inning, which Primavera called the team’s best inning of the season. Tim Dahme—who pitched 5 2/3 innings and struck out eight—helped his own cause and capped the inning with a base-clearing triple.
“We needed a good game from Tim Dahme, and we got one,” Primavera said. “He pitched six really good innings.”
Mitchell McCann singled, and Murphy and Macleod Farley doubled in the seven-run second inning.
McCann finished with three hits, one RBI and one run scored as part of the effort that saw seven different players pick up hits. For Plymouth Whitemarsh, Stephen Longo and Matt Mitchell each had a pair of hits.
The win was important for the Spartans, who were coming off a tough 4-3 league loss to Wissahickon on Monday.
“That is still in my craw,” Primavera said. “We had an error in one inning which opened the gates, but we played a really good team tough. That’s what we’ve been doing. We’ve been in every game. The kids are starting to learn how to win, but it takes time. Today was a good win. We needed the comeback.”
Springfield Township (5-6, 5-4 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Thursday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (8-6, 5-5) will travel to Upper Dublin Thursday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh001 012 0 4-7-2
Springfield Township 072 021 X 12-12-1
Upper Moreland 2, Cheltenham 1
Upper Moreland honored its three seniors in style with a walk-off 2-1 victory over American Conference opponent Cheltenham in a night game at Masons Mill Park.
All three seniors were integral to the win. John Reice drew a leadoff walk in the seventh inning and scored the game-winning run. Kevin Walder notched an RBI single, and Dawson Ruggles was stellar at shortstop and earned the win in relief.
“Every ball hit to him, he ate it up and made the play,” said Golden Bears’ coach Dan Heiland. “All three guys that were playing tonight were key contributors."
Walder’s RBI single put the Golden Bears on top 1-0 in the fifth inning. Cheltenham answered in the top of the seventh and tied the score, leading to the dramatic final frame.
Reice walked to lead off the inning and advanced on Jack Dombroski’s sacrifice bunt. After the Panthers loaded the bases, Reice scored the game-winning run on a passed ball on the first pitch to Connor O’Donnell.
Colin Bates threw six strong innings, allowing one hit and one run (unearned), while striking out three for Upper Moreland.
Upper Moreland (4-6, 3-5 SOL) will host Quakertown on Wednesday, and Cheltenham (4-10, 1-8) will host Quakertown on Thursday.
Cheltenham 000 000 1 1
Upper Moreland 000 010 1 2
Wissahickon 13, Upper Dublin 3
(By Michael Steitz, Wissahickon baseball)
The Trojans continued a solid run of play with a 13-3 win over Upper Dublin on Tuesday. Quinn Rovner had the ball for Wissahickon, and after tossing a scoreless first, the Trojan bats took over the game. Jared Lamberg was in opposition of Rovner in Tuesday's contest, and allowed a seven-run outburst in the bottom half of the first. An error in the infield, a hit batsmen, and a bunt hit loaded up the bases for the Trojans, and they made sure to cash in. JT Culp and Michael Steitz combined for six RBIs on the day. Wissahickon took a commanding 10-run lead after three innings; however, the Cardinals wouldn't go quietly. Riley Brink tagged a pair of hits, and the Cardinals were able to pull out three runs on five hits. The Trojans continued to pound however, and 13 runs proved enough to end the game in the fifth. Rovner grabbed another win, and the Trojans will aim to stay hot when they host Hatboro Horsham on Thursday. Upper Dublin looks to bounce back against Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday as well.
********
Michael Steitz went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored, and JT Culp drove in three runs on a 2-for-3 effort as Wissahickon scored seven runs in the first inning on its way to a 13-3 rout of neighborhood rival Upper Dublin.
The Trojans pounded out eight hits and took advantage of three Upper Dublin errors to jump out to a 10-0 lead after three innings. Joel Bjordammen went 1-for-1 with a pair of RBI.
Three Trojan pitchers combined on the five-hitter, with Quinn Rovner pitching the first three innings and striking out two while allowing no runs.
Riley Brink accounted for two of the Cardinals’ five hits. Brink, Jake Womelsdorf, and Brian McPeak each had one RBI for Upper Dublin.
Wissahickon (10-3, 8-2 SOL) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday, and Upper Dublin (3-6, 2-5) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh that same day.
Upper Dublin 000 12X X 3-5-3
Wissahickon 703 3XX X 13-8-0
Non-league
Souderton 4, Pennsbury 1
Jordan Morales brought his A game on Tuesday.
Morales struck out 12 while allowing just one run on three hits over 6.2 innings as Souderton topped Pennsbury, 4-1, in Tuesday’s cross-over game to get back on the winning track after three tough losses last week.
“Jordan on the mound responded big time,” said Souderton coach Mike Childs. “He’s done well all year, it’s just we haven’t played defense behind him, and we haven’t scored runs. He came out and struck out six in the first two innings. He gave us some good fire, and when the guys have confidence behind their pitcher, it eases things up a little bit.”
Souderton scored all four of its runs in the fifth inning to overcome a 1-0 deficit. Luke Taylor gave the Indians an early man on base after getting hit by a pitch. An overthrow of first base on Ryan Dalton’s bunt put runners on second and third, and then Morales was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A Conlan Wall single drove in two runs. Luke Shank drove in a run on a fielder’s choice grounder. Wall completed the scoring on a wild pitch.
“(This win) was huge,” Childs said. “Last week was a rough week, and it was games we thought we should have won. We had some kids that were struggling a little bit. We sat down and had a little talk and had some motivational stuff. Little things were bothering different individuals, and we said, ‘Bounce back, today is a good game to bounce back,’ and the kids responded.
“We blew some opportunities, but at the end, guys stepped up. We made things happen, and we took advantage of their mistakes."
The Falcons plated their lone run in the third when Jake Martell doubled in Zach Demarchis. Martell had two of Pennsbury’s hits on the day, with John Tesarck’s double accounting for the other. Shane Ostrowsky took the loss for the Falcons.
Taylor finished with a pair of hits for the Indians. David Gulibon doubled and Blaise Sclafani singled in the winning effort. Andrew Curran earned a one-pitch save to close out the game for Souderton.
Souderton (8-5, 4-3 SOL) will host Pennridge on Thursday, and Pennsbury (8-6, 4-4) will host Neshaminy on Thursday.
Pennsbury 001 000 0 1-3-1
Souderton 000 040 X 4-5-0
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