To view photos of the CR South/CR North game, visit the photo gallery at the following link: http://photos.suburbanonesports.com/
Saturday’s Council Rock North/Council Rock South game was an SOL Featured Game sponsored by Transcend Fitness. Check back to read about the Transcend Fitness Players of the Game.
RICHBORO – The celebration was subdued.
In truth, there really wasn’t much of a celebration at all after Council Rock North defeated archrival Council Rock South 13-4 to capture the Frank Mason Memorial Trophy and – more importantly – clinch sole possession of a National Conference title they owned.
“It’s pretty cool,” Rock North senior Darren Lauer said. “It’s our first step, but we have bigger goals.
“This feels good, and it’s a step, but what we want is states.”
Rock North coach Matt Schram echoed a similar sentiment.“As a teacher and as a coach, we want to give these kids as many opportunities as we can to be successful,” the Indians’ first-year coach said. “These guys have been successful long before I got here.
“Not that they have downplayed the award or accolade, but they’re pacing themselves. They know there’s a lot of baseball to be played yet. This was a great win for them, but they’re also taking it in stride. They want to play until the end – that’s their goal.”
Watching Rock North roll to Saturday’s big win, it’s easy to understand why the Indians have their sights set high.
There’s the not so little matter of pitching depth. The Indians displayed theirs when – after starter Pat O’Leary struggled to find the strike zone and allowed four first-inning runs – Lauer entered the game in the second inning and shut the Golden Hawks out the rest of the way.
“The difference was definitely (David) Pine behind the plate,” Lauer said of his batterymate. “Before I went out, he was talking to me, and we had a plan for every guy. Dave sees things with the batters, especially where they stand and some of the pitches they swing at, and he does a great job of calling pitches.
“I think that was really the difference. We had been through the lineup one time, and Dave saw what we needed to do, and we took care of business and played like it was a 0-0 game every inning.”While Lauer’s relief effort was impressive, the spotlight in Saturday’s win belonged to the Indians’ bats, or more specifically, to Dan Denton. The senior clean-up batter showed why he is one of the area’s most feared hitters, delivering a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the plate with one walk, two doubles, a home run and six RBIs.
That’s a career day for most players. For Denton, it was his second 4-for-4 performance in as many games, and while he wasn’t giving away any hitting secrets after Saturday’s brilliant performance, the senior power hitter acknowledged that he has been getting good swings.
None was better than the swing Denton – who had a 3-0 green light - took on a 3-1 pitch with a pair of runners on board in the second inning that wound up well beyond the bushes on the other side of the left field fence, giving the Indians a lead they would not lose at 6-4.“I have been trying to stay back,” Denton said. “We saw this pitcher the first time we played them, and he threw a lot of curveballs, but this game he was coming at us with more fastballs.
“I watched the batters in front of me, and I saw our number three hitter, (Ryan) Hartley, was getting fast balls, so I was up there thinking he would come with a fast ball. I had a good count, I got a good pitch, and I got a good swing on it.”
The Golden Hawks – who entered the game trailing the Indians by just one game - never recovered, but according to coach Greg Young, a play here and a play there could have made a big difference on Saturday.
And it was a play that won’t show up in the scorebook as an error that allowed Denton to step to the plate in the second inning.
It came with two outs, one run across and a pair of runners on board. Ryan Hartley lofted a high pop-up to shallow left that fell in for a base hit and also plated a run. “I think we just got a bad read off the bat,” Young said. “It was a big swing, and I think our guys thought the ball was hit a little bit better than it was. That ball needs to be caught.”
Hartley’s RBI single seemed harmless enough at the time, but it brought Denton to the plate with two outs, two on and the Golden Hawks clinging to a one-run lead.
After Denton’s blast, the Golden Hawks were never heard from again.
“I think the way we approached the game offensively – there were two dangerous lineups on the field today, there wasn’t just one,” said Young, whose team collected 11 hits. “But to go out and give the lead back up – I think defensively, we hurt ourselves more than anything else.
“It was kind of a shock to us because we play very well defensively.”
Everything seemed to be going the Golden Hawks’ way in the first inning.
After the Indians plated a single run in the top of the inning when Hartley – who roped a double to deep center – scored on Denton’s double into deep right center, the Hawks responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning.Billy Fleming lined a single to left to open the inning, and one out later, Justin Thomas and Ryan Downs drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Dan Callahan brought a pair home when he lofted a double to deep center, and after Zak Gross drew the third walk of the inning, Bret DeStefano singled to left, plating a pair and putting Rock South on top 4-1.
The Indians responded with six runs in the top of the second.
“I think everybody was feeling the same thing – everyone was getting pumped up,” Denton said. “We were all excited to get up there and hit. We’re a good hitting team, and we all know we can pick each other up if something happens.”
DeStefano retired the first batter he faced in the second, but Mike Tentilucci singled and then proceeded to create havoc on the base paths. He moved up to second when Mike Festa laid down a two-out bunt single, and then the Indians’ speedy centerfielder forced a balk.
Tentilucci raced home on a wild pitch, making it a 4-2 game, and it was a one-run game after Festa scored on Hartley’s bloop single. Then came Denton’s round tripper, but the Indians weren’t finished yet. Benn Parker doubled to deep center, and he scored when Alex Sable singled up the middle, and just like that the Indians led 7-4.
DeStefano worked a one-two-three third, and then Ryan Fleming threw three scoreless frames before the Indians tacked on six runs in the seventh – all unearned. Highlights of the inning were a bunt single by Sable, a two-run double into left center by Festa and a two run single by Denton.Lauer threw a one-two-three seventh, and the title-clinching win was in the books.
“It’s good to win, especially against South,” Denton said. “I think everybody just wants to keep working hard and keep getting better.
“We have all have played together for awhile, so we all have good chemistry, and we just all play well together.”
The Indians have never lost their focus during a season that has seen the defending district champs roll to a 11-1 league record with one game remaining.
“Coach Schram does a great job,” Lauer said. “Our goal is always the next game – the most important game is the next game.
“It has to do with thinking about the next pitch, the next step. Guys play their roles so well that you don’t have time to think of anything else.”
“Despite Saturday’s loss, the Golden Hawks (11-3 SOL) find themselves in a good position. They finished second behind only Rock North in the conference standings and have ensured themselves a berth in the upcoming district tournament.
“I like our chances,” Young said. “I like the way we play the game.
“We told our kids – offensively, we’re not going to see anybody better than those kids we saw. We need to tighten some things up defensively, our pitchers need to get back in the strike zone like they’ve done all year, and I think we’ll be okay.”
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 13,
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 4
Council Rock North (13) – Mike Festa 3b 4 2 2 2; David Pine c 3 2 0 0; Ryan Hartley ss 4 2 2 1; Dan Denton lf 4 1 4 6; Benn Parker rf 4 2 1 0; Alex Sable 1b 4 1 2 1; Phil Marks dh 3 0 0 0; Kevin Teta ph 1 1 0 0; Mike Tentilucci cf 3 1 1 1; Ryan Hernitzy 2b 4 1 0 1. TOTALS 34 13 12 12.
Council Rock South (4) – Billy Fleming ss 4 1 2 0; Zach Fitzgerald 3 0 1 0; Justin Thomas 3b 3 1 1 0; Ryan Downs 1b 3 1 1 0; Dan Callahan c 4 1 2 2; Zak Gross rf 2 0 0 0; Chase Coleman ph 1 0 0 0; Bret DeStefano p 3 0 2 2; Ryan Fleming 1 0 1 0; Kane Price lf 3 0 0 0; Brian Donnelly cf 2 0 1 0; Bishop rf 0 0-0 0; Wright ph 1 0 0 0 0. TOTALS 30 4 11 4.
Council Rock North 160 000 6 13-12-1
Council Rock South 400
000 0 4-11-3
E-CR South 3, CR North 1. LOB-CR North 7, CR South 8. 2B-Callahan, Denton 2, Hartley, Festa, Parker. HR-Denton. SAC-Fitzgerald.
IP H R ER BB SO
Council Rock North
O’Leary 1 4 4 4 3 1
Lauer (W) 6 7 0 0 0 6
Council Rock South
DeStefano (L) 3 8 7 7 2 0
Fleming 3 2/3
4 6 0 4 2
Rifkand 1/3 0 0 0 0 0
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