Southeastern PA rallied for a come-from-behind 8-4 win over Bux-Mont in Thursday’s opening round of the Carpenter Cup. Photos courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f215362536
SOUTHEASTERN PA 8, BUX-MONT 4
Southeastern PA found itself staring at a 4-0 deficit after one inning. They responded by silencing Bux-Mont’s bats the rest of the way while erupting for eight runs to earn the come-from-behind win in an opening round game of the Carpenter Cup Classic on Thursday.
Listening to SEPA assistant coach Matt Schram tell it, the players found a way to come together as a team despite limited practices and representing 14 different teams.
“They spend the whole year beating each other up,” said Schram, the coach of Council Rock North. “They just came together, and today you would have thought that they had played all year together. The chemistry and the energy were just second to none with these guys.”
The Bux-Mont – thanks to a four-run first – took a 4-0 lead into the third inning. In the first, Upper Moreland’s Shawn Townsend drew a leadoff walk and immediately stole second. The bases were loaded with none out after CB East’s Matthew Rowland was walked and East’s Ryan Zoulis was hit by a pitch.
A bases-loaded walk to North Penn’s Brady Dolder pushed a run across, and PW’s Johnny Giordano’s single down the left field line plated a pair. Dolder scored on a passed ball, and just like that, the Bux-Mont led 4-0.
In the top of the fourth, SEPA’s bats came to life. Pennsbury’s Ryan Zuckerman, who was safe on an error to lead off the inning, scored when Holy Ghost Prep’s Aiden Robbins tripled to right center. Donato Incollingo (Lower Moreland) was hit by a pitch and stole second. The bases were loaded with one out when Rock South’s John Mendola drew a walk. Abington’s Alex Dardaris picked up an RBI when was he was hit by a pitch. Incollingo scored on a wild pitch, and the bases were loaded yet again when Rock North’s Lukas Mullen drew a walk. Pennsbury’s James Schafer gave SEPA a 5-4 lead when his single to left center plated a pair.
“We had a rough first inning,” Schram said. “In the fourth inning, we started to come back. Aiden Robbins had a key triple that inning that really sparked our five-run rally. James Schafer also had a big hit – he had a big two-out, two-strike single that produced two RBIs.”
SEPA added three runs in the sixth inning. With one out, Truman’s Caleb Wright singled down the right field line, and Bristol’s Cole Guy doubled to left center to put runners on second and third. Wright scored on a groundout by Rock North’s Quinn Erlandsen. Neshaminy’s Joel Bonner drove in the inning’s second run with a double. Rock South’s Billy O’Neill singled through the right side, plating the game’s final run and giving SEPA an 8-4 lead that held until the final out.
O’Neill’s 2-for-2 effort with one RBI led SEPA’s 12-hit attack. Upper Dublin’s Eric Berman (2-for-3) accounted for two of Bux-Mont’s five hits.
Silencing the Bux-Mont’s bats were Rock North’s Matthew Herbert (3.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts), Holy Ghost Prep’s Matthew Goldenbaum (3.1 IP, 1H 0R, 4BB, 8K) and Truman’s Andrew Armstrong (2.1, 2H, 0R, 1BB, 7K).
“Kayden Faulcon struggled, and Matt Herbert came in and closed the door and threw two more innings,” Schram said. “The rest of our pitching shut those guys down.
“Herbert did a real nice job, stopping the bleeding in the first inning. Matt Goldenbaum from Holy Ghost Prep threw great innings. He was overpowering. The pitching was awesome.”
Quakertown’s Vinny Pellegrini threw two shutout innings for Bux-Mont, allowing three hits and striking out three.
New Hope-Solebury coach Tony Vlahovic is the head coach of SEPA, and he is assisted by Schram, CR South coach Greg Paprocki, Bristol coach Lou Persichetti, Truman coach Brian Sinkiewicz and Rock North assistant Zach Schram.
Upper Dublin’s Ed Wall is the head coach of the Bux-Mont squad, and he was assisted by CB East coach Kyle Dennis, PW coach Chris Manero, Quakertown coach Jon Pallone and CB West coach Brian Weaver.
According to the rules, starters must play five innings and the backups, four innings, requiring significant strategy by the coaches.
Southeastern PA doesn’t have a lot of time to celebrate, returning to action Friday at 9 a.m. at Dick Allen Field at FDR Park.
Southeastern PA 000 503 000 8-12-1
Bux-Mont 400 000 000 4-5-2
Southeastern PA (8) – James Schafer 2b 3-0-1-2; Cole Guy 2b 3-1-1-0; Ryan Zuckerman ss 3-1-0-0; Quiinn Erlandsen ss 2-0-0-1; Aiden Robbins cf 3-1-2-1; Joel Bonner cf 2-1-1-1; Joe Tiroly 3b 3-0-1-0; Billy O’Neill 3b 2-0-2-1; Donato Incollingo rf 2-1-1-0; Nick DiGiacomo lf 1-0-1-0; John Mendola 1b 2-1-0-0; Sam Lebreque 1b 2-0-0-0; Alex Dardaris dh 2-1-0-1; Julio Ybarra dh 1-0-0-0; Lukas Mullen c 1-0-0-0; Brooks Saft c 3-0-1-0; Jayden Gaines lf 2-0-0-0; Caleb Wright rf 3-1-1-0; Kayden Faulcon p 0-0-0-0; Matthew Herbert p 0-0-0-0; Matthew Goldenbaum p 0-0-0-0; Andrew Armstrong p 0-0-0-0; TOTALS 40-8-12-7.
Bux-Mont (4) – Shawn Townsend ss 2-1-0-0; Kevin Brace ss 1-0-1-0; Matthew Rowland lf 1-1-0-0; Paul Stoffel 2b 2-0-0-0; Ryan Zosulis 2-1-1-0; Joseph Santora c 0-0-0-0; Brady Dolder dh 1-1-0-1; Chase Olszyk dh 3-0-0-0; Johnny Giordano rf 2-0-1-2; Danny Qualteria 3b 2-0-0-0; Shane Henrick 3b 1-0-0-0; Eric Berman c 1-0-0-0; Aidan Eckley c 1-0-0-0; Jack Picozzi rf 2-0-0-0; Jack Mislan cf 1-0-0-0; Patrick Kilgus 1b 3-0-0-0; Caleb Everitt 2b 2-0-0-0; James Mangine lf 2-0-0-0; Xavier Sjostedt p 0-0-0-0; Matthew Marsten p 0-0-0-0; Cooper Jones p 0-0-0-0; Vincent Pellegrini p 0-0-0-0; TOTALS 31-4-5-3.
E – SEPA 1, Bux-Mont 2. DP – SEPA 2, Bux-Mont 1. LOB – SEPA 11, Bux-Mont 13. 2B – Cole Guy, Aiden Robbins, Joe Bonner. 3B – Aiden Robbins. HBP – Donata Incollingo, Alex Dardaris, Kevin Brace, Ryan Zosulis. SB – James Schafer, Joe Tiroly, Donato Incollingo, Shawn Townsend, Matthew Rowland, Eric Berman, Jack Picozzi.
Southeastern PA ip h r er bb so Bux-Mont ip h r er bb so
Kayden Faulcon 0.1 1 4 4 4 1 Xavier Sjostedt 3.0 1 0 0 0 2
Matthew Herbert (W) 3.0 1 0 0 2 5 Matthew Marsten (L) 2.1 6 7 4 2 4
Matthew Goldenbaum 3.1 1 0 0 4 8 Cooper Jones 1.2 2 1 1 2 0
Andrew Armstrong 2.1 2 0 0 1 7 Vincent Pellegrini 2.0 3 0 0 0 3
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