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DOYLSTOWN – When a headline that included the words ‘North Penn’ and ‘state title’ came out in mid-March, North Penn coach Bob McCreary had a simple piece of advice for his players.
“Our coach said after that state title article came out – we have to come out every day and work hard and ignore all the press and stuff,” Knight senior Matt Albaugh said.
The Knights heeded their coach’s advice, winning seven of their first eight games, but then came a rough stretch that saw them lose three straight.
“We lost a couple of close games,” Albaugh said. “It was basically our hitting. Our pitching – Mike (Bradstreet) and Eric (Ruth) have done a great job all year.
“We just had to get our hits, and we had to start getting runs for our pitchers.”
Just when it looked as though the Knights had recaptured their stride after notching a pair of wins and scoring 16 runs in those two wins, the rains began to fall, and one game after another was postponed.
The big news on Wednesday was that it wasn’t raining, and baseball was back.
At least for the Knights.
Riding the strong arm of Eric Ruth, North Penn celebrated its return to the diamond with a convincing 9-0 win over Central Bucks West.
“The biggest thing is you want the guys to be ready to play,” McCreary said. “We were able to get a lot of guys into the game today, and they all went up there swinging the bats and making contact, and those are the things that can suffer – your timing and location of pitches.
“Our guys threw well, and the hitters swung their bats, so we’re very happy.”
Ruth fanned nine and allowed five hits in six strong innings on the mound.
“He threw strikes,” said Albaugh, Ruth’s batterymate. “That’s the main thing. Against C.B. West, we just wanted him to throw strikes and let his fastball do the work.”
The Knights’ Winthrop-bound senior got stronger as the game progressed. After fanning four in the first four innings, Ruth struck out five in his final two.
“I felt good today,” he said. “Taking time off for the weather and not being able to be outside – it felt good to come out for the first time in a while.
“The first few innings I was a little shaky, but then I got command of my curveball, and I was throwing strikes with that.”
The Bucks, who fell to 1-10, committed a costly error in the first that opened the floodgates for a five-run uprising.
After retiring the first two batters he faced, West mound ace Pat Welsh was victimized when Robbie Zinsmeister’s routine ground ball was booted. The Knights’ speedy shortstop immediately stole second and moved all the way to third when the throw sailed into center field. He scored when Scott Christy collected his first of three hits on the day – this one a wicked shot that ricocheted off Welsh.
Albaugh, who reached base on all four trips to the plate, drew a walk, and designated hitter Craig Lepre brought Christy home with a bad hop single. Christian Radick hit a frozen rope over third for a double that plated another run, and the Knights led 3-0.
A costly error on Jimmy Smith’s grounder to short sent two more runs across the plate, and the Knights led 5-0 before the Bucks ever came to bat.
According to coach Jim Ertel, giving up the big inning early has been a recurring theme this season.
“We did it against Souderton, we did it against North Penn the first time we played them, and we did it when we played Pennridge,” he said. “Just go through our season – every first, second inning is the same way.
“It’s the ability to make a play under pressure, and we haven’t done that all year.”
The Bucks had a golden opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the second. R.J. Grant reached first on a one-out error, and Welsh roped a two-out double to left center, but that’s where the rally ended as Ruth coaxed a grounder to first out of the next batter he faced.
In the fourth inning, the Knights added another unearned run when – after another errant throw allowed Justin Davey to advance to third on a stolen base – Zinsmeister delivered a two-out RBI single to right.
The Bucks put their leadoff runners on board in both the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Gabe Hurtado lined a single to right to open the frame but was gunned down by Albaugh attempting to steal second.
In the fifth Dan Seitzinger, who accounted for two of his team’s five hits, ripped a double to deep center. Ruth calmly struck out the next two batters he faced. After issuing his only walk of the day to Matt Hanson, Ruth collected a strikeout for the inning’s final out.
“He’s been tough all year,” McCreary said of Ruth. “After the layoff, it’s going to be tough for pitchers to have command, so it was good to see him come out and be around the strike zone and keep the game close.”
The Knights put the finishing touches on the decisive win with a three-run uprising off reliever Dean Dierenbach in the sixth. Mark Gassie opened the inning with a double to deep right, and he scored on Davey’s line single to center. Jake Dunn followed with a bloop single to right.
Christy grounded an RBI single through the drawn-in infield, and Albaugh followed with an RBI single to right to put the Knights on top 9-0.
Albaugh – who was 2-for-2 - has been coming on strong for the Knights in recent outings.
“I went through a little slump,” he said. “I was working on a bunch of different stuff.
“I just had to relax. I was stressed out. It (hitting) is a confidence thing for me.”
Dean Kenniff worked a scoreless seventh for the Knights. In the inning, third baseman Jimmy Smith delivered the game’s defensive gem when he turned a backhand stop of a sharp grounder into a double play.
“Jimmy’s been doing well at third base,” McCreary said. “That’s why he’s there – to make the routine plays.”
The Knights pounded out 12 hits off a quartet of West hurlers. Throw in a superb outing by Ruth and a solid defensive effort, and it added up to a big win after a seven-day layoff.
“Coach McCreary always stresses staying mentally (focused), giving 110 percent at every practice,” Albaugh said. “I think we’re starting to get into a rhythm the last couple of games.”
NORTH PENN 9, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0
North Penn: Justin Davey cf 3 2 1 1; Jake Dunn lf 4 0 2 0; Robbie Zinsmeister ss 5 2 1 1; Scott Christy 1b 5 1 3 2; Greg Fasick pr 0 0 0 0; Matt Albaugh 2 0 2 1; Brendon Martinez cr 0 1 0 0; Craig Lepre dh 4 1 1 1; Eric Ruth p 0 0 0 0; Christian Radick rf 4 1 1 1; Jimmy Smith 3b 3 0 0 0; Andrew Ball ph 1 0 0 0; Mark Grassie 2b 3 1 1 0. TOTALS 34 9 12 7.
Central Bucks West: Buzz Lis ss 4 0 0 0, Matt Hanson 3b 3 0 1 0, Vinny D’Agostino rf 3 0 0 0; Gabe Hurtado 1b 3 0 1 0; R.J. Grant dh 3 0 1 0; Pat Furst lf 3 0 0 0; Pat Welsh p 1 0 1 0; Nick Heller p 1 0 0 0; Dean Dierenbach p 1 0 1 0; Dan Seitzinger 2b 3 0 2 0; J.P. Grove cf 3 0 0 0; Ryan Walton c 0 0 0 0; Stella c 0 0 0 0. TOTALS 29 0 7 0.
North Penn 500 103 0-9
CB West 000 000 0-0
E-CBW 5, NP 1. DP NP 1, CBW 2. LOB-NP 10, CBW 7. 2B-Seitzinger, Welsh, Radick, Grassie. SB-Zinsmeister, Davey, Grant.
IP H R ER BB SO
North Penn
Ruth (W) 6 5 0 0 1 9
Kenniff 1 2 0 0 0 1
Central Bucks West
Welsh (L) 3 6 5 0 1 1
Heller 2 1/3 6 4 3 3 0
Dierenbach 2/3 0 0 0 2 1
Ehlo 1 0 0 0 2 0
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