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By Scott Huff
HORSHAM – Hatboro-Horsham had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and trailed visiting Souderton 2-1. Hatter cleanup hitter Matt Hollenbeck was at the plate and was facing Indian ace Keith Moyer.Hollenbeck hit a soaring infield fly ball to the right side of the Souderton infield. A TOWERING fly ball into a high sky that would have won the game for the Hatters if it were misplayed. However, Indian second baseman Brett Moyer staggered under the ball and caught it as he tumbled back on the seat of his pants.
“The ball was hit really high, and to be honest, I lost sight of it for a while,” said Brett Moyer. “I had enough time to adjust, and I just wanted to make sure that I caught it.”
The Moyer catch for the final out made final a brilliant outing by the other Moyer – Keith – who struck out a career high 14 Hatters in throwing a complete game five-hitter.
“This first league win feels awesome,” said Keith Moyer. “We wanted to show everyone that we are still the champions. We wanted to give a message to the rest of the league.”
Souderton has won five consecutive SOL Continental Conference championships, but with the realignment of the league and the loss of 12 seniors, not many outside the team felt that the Indians would be serious contenders this year.
“I told these kids that you have to earn respect,” said Souderton coach Mike Childs. “We have won our league five times in a row, and we take a lot of pride in that.
“With the addition of North Penn and Pennridge into our league, the league is stronger,” added Childs. “And with the loss of the 12 seniors, we are putting a whole new team out on the field.”Keith Moyer threw 110 pitches in picking up the victory. And of the 14 strikeouts, nine came on called third strikes.
“Keith had his own pitch count – and it was over 110 pitches,” said Childs. “He knows that I was looking out for him, but there was no way that he wanted out of this game.”
“Moyer threw a tremendous game for them,” said Hatboro-Horsham head coach Pete Moore. “But I thought Nick (Hinkson) threw a tremendous game as well.”
Hinkson was indeed a tough luck loser. He threw six innings and recorded 11 strikeouts and permitted just a pair of unearned runs.
“I really believe that this is one of the top leagues in the state,” said Moore. “The games on Monday and Tuesday – when the teams in our league can throw their best pitchers – are going to be great.
“Every team in this league has a top pitcher that is going to give them a chance to win every time out,” added Moore. “We saw that today.”Souderton scored a couple of unearned runs in the sixth inning to take a 2-0 lead.
With one out, Brett Moyer singled and was replaced on the bases by Dylan Derstine. Derstine scampered to third as Cory Capaldi was safe on an outfield error putting runners on first and third.
With Clint Yoder at the plate, Capaldi appeared to run a delayed steal to second base. Hatboro-Horsham failed to take the bait and appeared to have Derstine out at the plate as he broke on the throw to second.
However, an error by the catcher permitted the sliding Derstine to score the first run of the game.
“We really messed up the signs,” said Childs. “But it turned out all right.”
“We have not made an error all season,” said Moore as the Hatters entered the game with a 3-0 record. “And we make two in the same inning.”
The inning was not over, however, as Erik Schmidt singled and drove home Capaldi home with what proved to be the winning run.
Moyer was dominant through the middle innings and had retired nine batters in a row – until Nick Vitelli came to the plate in the sixth inning. Vitelli – who doubled in the second inning – crushed a Moyer fastball over the left field fence for a homerun.
“I got behind in the count and came in with a fast ball,” said Moyer. “If we had a one-run lead, I might have pitched him a little different.”
The Hatboro-Horsham seventh inning started harmlessly enough as Moyer struck out the first two hitters looking.
But Brett Saverio – who had walked twice and stolen a base – singled to keep the game alive. Nick Riccione singled and sent Saverio to third, and Mike Spahits walked to load the bases with two outs.
And then Hollenbeck skied to Brett Moyer – and that’s where this story all started – with Moyer on his backside with the ball in his glove.
Souderton 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 2 6 1
Hatboro-Horsham 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 5 2
Souderton: Sean Leo cf 3 0 0 0; Brian Falencki lf 3 0 0 0; Denis Passarella ph 1 0 0 0; Tim Maloney rf 3 0 0 0; Brett Moyer 2b 3 0 2 0; Dylan Derstine pr 0 1 0 0; Cory Capaldi ss 3 1 0 0; Clint Yoder dh 3 0 0 0; Erik Schimdt 3 0 2 1; Branden Barnes 1b 3 0 2 0. Totals 25 2 6 1
Hatboro-Horsham: Brett Saverio ss 2 0 1 0; Nick Riccione 2b 4 0 2 0; Mike Spahits cf 3 0 0 0; Matt Hollenbeck 1b 3 0 0 0; Nick Vitelli 3b 3 1 2 1; Tyler Zingle dh 2 0 0 0; Vince Paone rf 3 0 0 0; Matt Schoettle c 3 0 0 0; Eric Bahmueller lf 3 0 0 0. Totals 26 1 5 1
D- (HH) Vitelli HR – (HH) Vitelli SB – (S) Derstine, Moyer, Schmidt, Capaldi (HH) Saverio, Piccione. LOB – (S) – 6 (HH) – 9.
INN H R ER W K
S- Moyer (W) 7 5 1 1 5 14
Hinkson (L) 6 6 2 0 2 11
Schoettle 1 0 0 0 0 2
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