Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Tuesday.
Non-league
Souderton 2, Abington 0
It’s been almost two years since Souderton won the Class 6A state championship in 2019. On Tuesday, the Indians played their first game since their state title win, opening the season with a 2-0 win over visiting Abington.
The story of the game was pitching, as Jacob Horton and Will McCausland combined for a two-hit shutout and 15 strikeouts.
“When we lost (Erik) Ritchie, who would have been our number one pitcher, to an injury, it forced some other guys to step up,” said Souderton coach Mike Childs. “Horton was probably going to be our No. 2; he’s now our No. 1. McCausland was battling with some other pitchers for the No. 2, No. 3 spot. Today, they showed what they both can do.”
Horton allowed two hits and walked three in four innings, but struck out eight, before giving way to McCausland, who whiffed seven and retired all nine hitters he faced.
“McCausland was lights out to finish the game, kept his pitch count down,” Childs said. “Horton, I think he did good. Knowing how competitive he is, he probably didn’t think he was as good as he could be for himself, which we need the competitive edge to do well. Especially with the league. You hear about these kids hitting 90 and 90-plus. We don’t have those kind of arms, but we have crafty pitchers, and today that showed with them pitching. They both did a phenomenal job to get a shutout the first game.”
Abington’s Anthony Ehly and Luke Sydowski were strong on the mound as well. Ehly pitched four shutout innings, striking out eight.
The game was still scoreless going into the sixth. Matt Benner and Luke DeSpain led off with back-to-back singles, and Horton then walked to load the bases. Then, with one out, a fielder’s choice grounder by Hunter Weitzel scored Benner and DeSpain beat the throw to the plate for the second run.
Charles Pollock went 2-for-2 for Souderton.
“It’s tough when you lose a No. 1 of (Ritchie’s) ability,” Childs said. “I believe the other guys are going to step up. We’re going to play some defense. I keep telling these guys, ‘Put the ball in play, that’s all we’re asking you to do.’ That’s what happened today.
“We didn’t hit super great. Pollock had two hits. Benner starts off the sixth inning with a bunt for a hit, and we moved some guys. Then DeSpain lays down an opposite field hit between third and short which got Benner to third. We steal second, so we have second and third. We put the ball in play and two runs score.
“That’s what we have to do – put the pressure on them. I keep preaching, ‘All you have to do is put the ball in play and put the pressure on them.’ We put the pressure on them and they made mistakes late in the game. That’s what we have to keep trying to do and see what happens, not beat ourselves.
“Everyone has had a year off. I don’t care what you say or how much baseball you played -there’s something about bonding with the group of guys you’re playing with, and nobody has that across the board. We have a team that is bonding very well already. They believe in each other.”
Souderton (1-0) hosts Lansdale Catholic in a nonleague game on Wednesday.
Abington (0-2) is back in action Wednesday against Central Bucks West at home.
Abington 000 000 0 – 0 2 0
Souderton 000 002 x – 2 5 0
Neshaminy 3, Upper Moreland 1
The long-awaited season opener for Neshaminy featured a pitchers’ duel, and Justus Agosto and Liam DelGuerico were terrific, combining on a one-hitter to lead the Redskins to the nonleague victory over the host Golden Bears.
Agosto, a senior who has committed to the University of New Orleans, allowed just one run on one hit over four innings, and struck out eight to pick up the win. DelGuerico, a junior who has committed to attend the U.S. Military Academy, threw three perfect innings, not allowing a hit or walk, while striking out eight.
“It was great to play an official game after having to cancel a few last week,” said Neshaminy coach Dan Toner. “Pitching and defense did a nice job in controlling the game today. Agosto and DelGuerico each had an impressive day on the mound, only allowing one hit, one run and combining for 16 strikeouts. It was also nice to see multiple players contribute in multiple offensive categories.”
Upper Moreland had solid pitching efforts from pitchers Greg Wiley, John Bozzola and Jimmy Torpey, as well.
Both teams did score in the first.
Chris James led off the game with a double for Neshaminy, and he came around to score on a Josh Martoccio RBI single.
UM’s Sean McAfee led off with a walk and then Shawn Townsend singled. Wiley’s RBI fielder’s choice grounder tied it up, but for the Bears that was it.
An RBI sac fly in the second by Jake Kozlowski put Neshaminy back out in front, and then in the third, back-to-back doubles by Jake Oberholtzer and Mike Donato made it 3-1.
Six different Neshaminy hitters had hits, including two by Gaige Ryan, who went 2-for-3.
Neshaminy (1-0) opens league play at April 7 at Council Rock South. Upper Moreland (0-2) kicks off its league schedule on April 7 at home against Lower Moreland.
Neshaminy 111 000 0 – 3 7 1
Upper Moreland 100 000 0 – 1 1 2
New Hope-Solebury 8, Harry S. Truman 5 (8 innings)
One day after a 17-1 loss to Pennsbury, New Hope-Solebury bounced back in a big way with three runs in the top of the eighth for the extra-inning win over host Truman.
The extra-inning heroics came after the Lions watched a 5-1 lead disappear as Truman forced extra innings with four runs in the bottom of the seventh.
New Hope pounded out eight runs on 14 hits and got the scoring started with a pair of runs in the top of the third, taking advantage of a one-out error.
Truman’s Mike Burns cut the lead to one with an RBI single in the bottom of the third, and the game stayed at 2-1 through four innings.
In the fifth, four straight singles – by Justin Lehman, Kyle Campbell, Josh Shiller and Liam Griffin – to lead off the inning for New Hope resulted in two more runs and that looked like all of the offense the Lions, who led 4-1, would need.
But in the seventh, Truman finally broke open, starting with a single by Burns, and then a RBI single by Wil Brennan. After an error made it 5-3, pinch hitter Gabe Marrero – a sophomore – delivered two-run home run tied it up at 5.
The Tigers had the winning run on second later in the inning, but couldn’t get it home, setting the stage for New Hope in the eighth.
Saft broke the tie with a RBI double, and both Campbell and Shiller later had RBI singles to make it 8-5.
Campbell was 5-for-5 with three runs scored and one RBI. Shiller was 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Griffin was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
Griffin also pitched the first 6 1/3 innings, throwing 100 pitches before being pulled in the seventh. Saul Carmenini picked up the win, not allowing a run in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
“Liam Griffith and Saul Carmenini pitched ahead and made clutch pitches when we needed them,” said New Hope coach Tony Vlahovic. “Defense was excellent with two putouts at the plate. Kyle Campbell had five hits and Brooks Saft had an eighth inning double that solidified the win.
“Great high school game with the web gems for both teams. Truman is a well coached team with a lot of talent.”
Truman was led by Burns and Christian Culver with two hits each.
Sophomore Ryan Cavanaugh threw four solid innings for the Tigers, allowing two hits, two earned runs while striking out eight and walking four.
New Hope (1-1) is back in action on April 7, opening its first season in the SOL Freedom at Springfield. Truman (0-2) opens Patriot Division action Monday at home against Bensalem.
New Hope-Solebury 8, Harry S. Truman 5
New Hope 002 020 13 – 8 14 4
Truman 001 000 40 – 5 10 2
Central Bucks East 13, Wissahickon 3
A bases loaded triple by Jack Nugent got the Patriots started in the bottom of the second and they never looked back on the way to their second lopsided win the week.
In wins over Abington and Wissahickon, East (2-0) has scored 20 runs and picked up a pair of mercy-rule victories.
In all, the Patriots totals 13 runs on 10 hits, led by Tony Rossi, who went 3-for-4 with a home run, double, three RBIs and three runs scored.
“Tony Rossi is just demolishing baseballs right now,” East coach Kyle Dennis said. “He had a home run, and his double was a foot shy of being his second home run of the day.”
Max McGrady was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a RBI.
On the mound, four pitchers combined for the win, including Xavier Sjostedt for 2 1/3 innings, Grant Marshall, who was the winning pitcher with 1 2/3 shutout innings, Aiden Weaver and Jack Hamilton. The East pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts, allowing just one earned run on three hits and four walks.
After East’s four-run second, Wissahickon came right back with three runs in the third. Jake Tappen had a double to left in the inning, two runs scored on bases loaded walks, and another on a sac fly by Mike Fath.
Jack Mislan had an RBI single in the third to make it 5-3 East, and then the Patriots followed with a four-run fourth inning.
McGrady’s RBI double scored one run, and then Rossi hit a three-run blast to center field to blow the game wide open.
East finished the game with four in the bottom of the sixth, which included a Rossi double, an RBI single by Dillon Mandes, a bases-loaded walk and a two-run double by Brett Young to finish off the game.
East (2-0) is now off until an April 7 road game at Pennridge.Wissahickon (0-2) plays at Hatboro-Horsham on April 7.
Wissahickon 003 000 – 3 3 1
CB East 041 404 – 13 10 1
Central Bucks South 7, Hatboro-Horsham 6
Six runs in the top of the fifth inning erased a five-run deficit as Central Bucks South rallied to open its season with the one-run win over the Hatters.
In the critical fifth inning, a pair of walks and a single by Carter Hinds loaded the bases with one out for the Titans. Josh Yang drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and then a double by Colin Mitchell drove in two runs and pulled South to within 6-4.
Matt Boyce followed with a double to score Mitchell, and then the team took the lead for the first time with a two-run double by JT Anderosky.
“The inning before we got some base runners on, didn’t cash in all the way,” South coach Kevin Bray said of the fourth inning that saw the Titans get on the scoreboard with a single run. “We were able to get some runs across the board. We came up with some timely hitting, and it was just guys being patient at the plate – just changing their approach and just being a little more patient. “
Seven different pitchers threw one inning for the Titans, including winning pitcher Marraccini, and then Noah Collier, Joe Rooney and Robby Porco, who tossed shutout innings to close out the Hatters.
Hatboro-Horsham jumped up 2-0 in the bottom of the first with a two-run single by Logan Fischer. Matt Boyce’s sacrifice fly put the Titans on the board in the top of the fourth.
The Hatters went on top 6-1 with four in the bottom of the inning. A single by Ryan Toporowski and a pair of walks loaded the bases. One run scored on a wild pitch, another on a sac fly by Cole Fisher, and Nick Katherine and Jack Elwell then each had RBI singles.
Jimmy Tooley went 2-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the Hatters, while he also threw 2 1/3 innings of hitless and scoreless relief, with four strikeouts. Fisher started the game and allowed just one run on one hit over four innings.
Mitchell’s 2-for-4 day at the plate with a double and two RBIs led the Titans.
CB South (1-0) next plays April 7 at Souderton, while H-H (1-2) hosts Wissahickon on April 7.
CB South 000 160 0 – 7 5 1
Hatboro-Horsham 200 400 0 – 6 7 1
Council Rock North 12, Central Bucks West 6
CR North pounded 12 runs on nine hits, and overcame an early four-run deficit to post the win over visiting CB West Tuesday.
The Indians have now scored 24 runs in two games.
“It was great to see our guys not get rattled while down 4-0,” said CR North coach Matt Schram. “They chipped away and got some timely hits, especially with two outs in our innings that we scored.
“As everyone else this year, we are mixing and matching and trying to see what we have with a young inexperienced varsity team. So far, they are working together on the same page.”
This one was back-and-forth through four innings.
Most of West’s damage came in the first with two outs, including a RBI single by James Carbone, a RBI double by Mike Bukowski, and after an error scored the third run, Robb Watson made it 4-0 with a RBI single.
“We spotted CB West four runs in the top of the first,” Schram said. “They had some well-timed hits, as well as we had some bad timing for walks and errors. It was a tough start for my starter, sophomore Quinn Erlandsen. Senior pitcher Alex Chase relieved Erlandsen and really held West’s bats at bay.”
North answered right back, as a walk and an error put the first two batters on in the second, and Lukas Mullen then drove in a run with a sac fly. After another error, Leor Kedar scored a run with a RBI ground out, and then the Indians drew four straight walks to tie the game at 4.
Kedar picked up two more RBIs with a two-run single in the third to give the Indians their first lead at 6-4, only to see the Bucks answer with a RBI double by Watson and a RBI single by Boyle.
The rest of the game belonged to CR North. Josh Huddy had a RBI single in the fourth, Austin Stalker had a RBI double in the fifth and later scored on a passed ball. The Indians finished the scoring with three more runs in the sixth, on an RBI single by Huddy and a two-run single by Jadon Tang.
“North did a heck of a job at the plate,” West coach Brian Weaver said. “After the first, they scored every single inning. They were disciplined and drew a lot of walks, and once our pitchers settled down and started throwing strikes they hit us pretty hard. Every inning they just kept adding pressure. It was an impressive display.”
For the Indians, Collin Manel, Huddy and Kedar each finished with two hits.
On the mound, Alex Chase picked up the win, allowing just two runs in three innings with four strikeouts, while Alex Estrada closed out the game with three shutout innings.
Mike Boyle and Watson had two hits each for CB West.
“In the first, we made great contact on the ball, but after that their pitching shut us down,” Weaver said. “Their last pitcher (Estrada) kept us off-balance for three innings.
“We dug ourselves a deep hole. Our bats have the potential to keep us in games, but at the high school level, you can’t outhit walks and errors. We had more than our share of each today, and North seemed to take advantage of each one.”
CR North (2-0) is off until April 7 when it opens league play at Harry S. Truman. CB West (0-2) looks for its first win on Wednesday, when it plays at Abington.
CB West 400 200 0 – 6 9 2
CR North 042 123 x – 12 9 1
North Penn 9, Springfield 8
Ethan Cohen went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, as North Penn built a 6-0 lead in this one and then held off a late rally by visiting Springfield.
The Knights opened the scoring with a Cohen RBI single in the first. Then in the third, four straight hits, including singles by RJ Agriss, Cohen and Steve Corrado and a Pat Breen RBI double made it a 6-0 game.
After Springfield rallied to tie the game at 6 with five in the fourth and one in the fifth, North Penn retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a leadoff double by Cohen, a single by Corrado and a RBI double by Colin Orndoff.
Sean Brennan picked up the win on the mound for the Knights (2-0), who opens SOL Patriot Division play on April 7 vs. Central Bucks West. Springfield (0-1) is also off until April 7, when it hosts New Hope-Solebury.
Springfield 000 510 2 – 8 8 1
North Penn 105 030 x – 9 9 0
About the Author
