Pennsbury won its resumed game with CR North on Saturday morning.
SOL Patriot Division
Pennsbury 8, Council Rock North 6 (10 innings)
Nine innings could not determine a winner on Friday, and the game was halted for darkness with the two teams deadlocked 5-5. Both teams returned Saturday morning, and the Falcons needed just one inning to bring an end to the contest, scoring three runs in the top of the 10th and then holding on for the win.
“I tell my guys – we need to learn how to finish games out because we’ve been scoring in the first five innings and then we’re not doing anything late, and we’re giving up runs,” Pennsbury coach Joe Pesci said. “I jokingly said to Ben Battiste, my assistant coach, that I was kind of excited that we were coming back because I knew we would score early. We’re getting a ton of base runners in the first handful of innings, and unfortunately, we’re leaving the bases loaded and only getting a run.”
Pesci’s premonition turned out to be spot on. With one out in the 10th, Alex Martin singled, stole second and then scored when Charlie Evans roped a two-out double to center. Ryan Zuckerman followed with a single that plated Evans, and he advanced to third when Callan Fang singled. Zuckerman scored on a passed ball, and the Falcons led 8-5.
“It was good because we were putting the ball in play,” Pesci said. “This is what happens – we’re getting base runners, and luckily, we were able to push three across. In previous games, we were leaving two or three guys on base.”
The Falcons didn’t make things easy for themselves, committing a pair of errors and allowing an unearned run in the bottom of the inning, but with the tying run on base, Martin came up with a big strikeout for the game’s final out.
Interestingly, Martin – who threw the ninth inning on Friday – was credited with both the win and the save.
“Alex Martin was scheduled to be our pitcher,” Pesci said. “Charlie Evans walked out, picked up the baseball and flipped it to Alex, and the umpire said, ‘Since you touched the baseball, you now have to be the pitcher.’
“I had to make Charlie Evans pitch at least one pitch, and I put Alex Martin in right field. He threw a ball, and then I brought Alex Martin back in because he never came out of the game. It was great because Alex had a very tough first inning when he pitched against Bensalem, and I think this is a great role for him because he’s a bulldog.”
Pennsbury’s pitchers did not allow an earned run in the 10-inning game.
“It’s tough because (Justin) Mitrovich, who started, threw an absolutely incredible game, but if we have an error here and there, that’s extra pitches, so we have to pull him after the fifth inning because he was in the 90s,” Pesci said. “Gavin Hawkes comes in, and it’s the same thing. He gives up three runs but no earned runs, and then Alex Martin comes in and it’s errors. I keep saying – we can be really dangerous if we put a complete game together. We’re missing a piece right now. That’s the biggest thing – not putting up a complete game together.”
In five strong innings, Metrovich allowed two hits and two runs (both unearned) while striking out nine and walking four.
“I feel bad because Justin Metrovich has thrown two incredible games,” Pesci said. “He had 10 strikeouts in his first game and nine in this game. It’s a shame because he’s getting no decisions, but it’s great to see we’re in a position where we’re still in striking distance.”
The Falcons didn’t exactly have momentum heading into Saturday’s resumed game after watching the Indians score three unearned runs in the seventh to knot the score.
Leor Kedar led off the seventh with a triple to right and scored on an error. With two outs, Pat Kusters singled, and Shane Anhalt’s two-out double brought home a pair and knotted the score.
“We’ve been shooting ourselves in the foot – we had the lead against Bensalem and we lost it, we had the lead against Neshaminy and lost it,” Pesci said. “Truman beat our socks off, but even in our wins, both games we had the lead and lost it and had to win it at the end.
“It’s a testament to our kids staying with it and overcoming adversity. The games are fun to coach, but I’d much rather have some easy wins, but I don’t think there’s going to be any easy wins because our next six games are against the SOL Colonial and then we come back with our league. It’s great because you don’t coach to win by 10. You coach because you enjoy the chess match.”
Leading the Falcons with two hits each were Evans (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 runs), Zuckerman (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 runs), Fang (2-for-5, 1 run) and Mitrovich (2-for-4).
For Rock North, Josh Huddy and Anhalt both had two RBIs.
Pennsbury (4-4, 2-3 SOL) will travel to North Penn on Tuesday, and Council Rock North (4-3, 2-3) will host Central Bucks South in a non-league game on Monday.
Pennsbury 100 400 000 8-12-4
Council Rock North 100 010 300 6-7-2
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