PHILADELPHIA - Anthony Caringi knew his first Carpenter Cup experience would also be his last, and the Cheltenham senior wanted to make the most of it.
In Monday morning’s must-win quarterfinal contest against the Philadelphia Catholic League, Caringi worked three scoreless innings, combining with five other pitchers to toss a six-hit gem as the SOL American-Continental squad earned an impressive 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Catholic League.
“I’m just psyched to be here – playing with great guys, pitching against great guys,” Caringi said. “They’re an all-star team, but you can’t really get engrossed in stuff like that. You just really have to stay with what you know and what you practice every day.”
The win vaulted the SOL American-Continental into Monday’s semifinal contest at Citizen’s Bank Park against the SOL National-Bicentennial Athletic League.
“I knew I only had one shot at this coming into it,” Caringi said of going to the Bank. “I’m just ecstatic.
“You watch the Phillies play there every night, and to know you’re going to be playing there next week – it’s crazy.”
Caringi was one of many players who stepped up for the SOL American-Continental, and certainly one of the game’s most unlikely heroes was North Penn junior Ryan King, an alternate who received a spot when Wissahickon’s Ryan McDonough was injured.
“It’s very exciting,” King said. “It’s the best players in the league. You know most of them, and to actually play with them is exciting.”
King missed a day of school to play in Monday’s game since North Penn – as the result of its teacher’s strike – is in session until June 29. He made the most of his opportunity, finishing the day a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with one RBI and a run scored.
“He swung great today,” Wissahickon coach Shannon Gunby said of King. “He just flat out got it done.
“It’s not like he didn’t know the guys, but he was new to this whole thing, and getting the signs today for the first time and a jersey with no name on it – he just goes out there and mashes the ball and did a great job for us in the outfield also.”
Methacton’s Mark Romano also had a perfect 2-for-2 day at the plate, which included a solo home run to lead off the second that knotted the score 1-1. Romano’s blast over the right field fence came on the first pitch of the inning, and the SOL American-Continental wasn’t finished yet.
Cheltenham’s Matt Brown drew a two-out walk, and North Penn’s Jimmy Smith made it hurt when he ripped an RBI double to the fence in deep left, giving the SOL American-Continental a 2-1 lead.
“You just try to stay aggressive early in the count, get your pitch and don’t miss it – just track the ball and hit it,” Smith said of his approach at the plate against all-star pitchers. “I got all of it, but the wind was blowing in a little bit.
“Everyone was screaming ‘Going, going, going,’ and I hit first base and I was like, ‘Alright, do I have one or not?’ But it hit the fence.”
Smith said his first Carpenter Cup experience has been an enjoyable one.
“It’s fun,” he said. “We keep it lighthearted in the dugout. We try and crack jokes and keep everyone light on their feet but also keep it serious – ‘What’s he throwing? How’s he throwing?’ Everyone has been doing their part, one through nine, (in) both parts of the game.”
In the fifth inning, the SOL American-Continental plated three insurance runs. Central Bucks West’s Dan Seitzinger lined a single to right to open the inning, and King followed with a single to center. The bases were loaded after Hatboro-Horsham’s Casey Saverio was hit by a pitch.
Methacton sophomore Joey Casselberry lofted a sacrifice fly to deep left, plating Seitzinger, and King scored on an errant pick-off throw to first. Quakertown’s Jayson Rathjens delivered an RBI single to right that put the SOL American-Continental on top 5-1.
In the sixth, the SOL American-Continental added a run when King lined a two-out single to center that plated Upper Moreland’s David McInerney, who had doubled to left center.
The Philadelphia Catholic League managed just three hits and no runs after the second inning.
“I tell you what – our guys came out with confidence, and they came out for the most part throwing strikes and keeping the ball down in the zone,” Gunby said. “Also, our defense played phenomenal behind them.”
Wissahickon’s Robert McKenna received the starting nod in the game and worked the first two innings, allowing a single run in the second.
“I didn’t feel any pressure,” he said. “I have been (pitching) for quite awhile, and you just have to treat this like any other game.
“(Playing at the Bank) is pretty exciting. I can’t wait. That’s what I wanted to do as soon as the tournament began – get to Citizen’s Bank Park and hopefully win the tournament. This team is stacked. I think we have a good chance.”
Central Bucks South’s Rich Delgato threw an inning and a third but was relieved by freshman Bryce Mengel with a pair of runners on board in the fourth and the SOL American-Continental clinging to a 2-1 lead.
Mengel calmly retired the first two batters he faced on a groundout and fly ball to left field, allowing the SOL to escape unscathed.
“Bryce Mengel came into the game in a very tough situation and got two (quick outs), which is awesome for a kid his age,” Gunby said. “There’s a lot of confidence exuded out there and guys are just playing and doing what we know they can do.”
Quakertown’s Kurt Roberts followed Caringi’s three-inning stint, and he threw a one-two-three eighth that included a pair of strikeouts. Souderton’s Keith Moyer worked a scoreless ninth, and the SOL American-Continental put an exclamation point on the impressive win when Quakertown shortstop Jayson Rathjens pulled the trigger on a second-to-short-to-first double play to end it.
The senior shortstop credited the pitchers for making life easy for an SOL American-Continental defense that was flawless.
“It’s really good to know in the field they’re not going to hit the ball solidly,” Rathjens said. “When they’re hitting little dribblers at you, it makes it a lot easier. Our pitchers are keeping hitters off balance.”
“You can’t say enough about the pitching we have on this team,” said Smith, a catcher. “Pitcher to pitcher – from Moyer to Roberts to Caringi to everyone – they’ve just been doing their part, keeping the ball down in the zone, pitching the pitches that we’ve been calling, and we’ve been doing a great job.”
Monday’s semifinal contest against the SOL National-Bicentennial squad will be held at Citizen’s Bank Park at 1 p.m.
“It’s a great experience,” Seitzinger said of going to the Bank. “It’s a lot of fun. We have a good program, and it should be exciting.
“I think we have a good enough program to win it all. We have a lot of talent, and our pitching staff has been nothing but great. It should be fun.”
For Rathjens, this will be his third trip to the Bank with the SOL American-Continental Conference.
“It’s always a goal coming to the Carpenter Cup, and going to the Bank means you’re winning,” he said.
SOL AMERICAN-CONTINENTAL 6, PHILADELPHIA CATHOLIC 1
Philadelphia Catholic (1) – Rick Reigner cf 2 0 0 0; Joe Gorman cf 1 0 0 0; Mike Zolk 2b 3 0 1 0; Josh VanHorn 2b 1 0 0 0; Mark Donato 1b 1 0 0 0; Alex Liberatore 1b 1 0 0 0; Albert Baur 3b 3 0 0 0; Kevin Conroy 3b 1 0 0 0; Kyle McCrossen ss 3 1 1 0; Eric Frain ss 1 0 0 0; michael Riverso rf 2 0 1 0; Matthew Petrizzi pr/lf 1 0 0 0; Ray Toto c 2 0 1 1; T.J. Burgmann c 1 0 0 0; Matt Conroy dh 2 0 0 0; Jeff Courter dh 1 0 0 0; Tyler Veterano lf 2 0 1 0; Rob McCabe rf 2 0 1 0; Tim Racek p 0 0 0 0; Kevin Mack p 0 0 0 0; Larry Brittingham p 0 0 0 0; Joe Harvey p 0 0 0 0. TOTALS 30 1 6 1.
SOL American-Continental (6) – Dylan Tice 2b 2 0 1 0; Daniel Seitzinger 2b 1 1 1 0; Andrew Carr rf 2 0 0 0; Ryan King rf 2 1 2 1; Ryan Pater cf 2 0 0 0; Casey Saverio cf 1 0 0 0; Ray Puskar 3b 2 0 0 0; Joey Casselberry 3b 1 0 0 1; Mark Romano dh 2 1 2 1; Joe Mullin pr/dh 2 1 0 0; Tyler Zeleny ss 2 0 0 0; Jayson Rathjens ss 2 0 1 1; J.T. Crits 1b 2 0 0 0; Matthew Hollenbeck 1b 2 0 1 0; Matt Brown lf 1 1 0 0; Michael Fontanella lf 2 0 0 0; James Smith c 2 0 1 1; David McInerney c 2 1 1 0; Robert McKenna p 0 0 0 0; Richard Delgato p 0 0 0 0; Bryce Mengal p 0 0 0 0; Anthony Caringi p 0 0 0 0; Kurt Roberts p 0 0 0 0; Keith Moyer p 0 0 0 0. TOTALS 32 6 10 5
Philadelphia Catholic 010 000 000 1-6-2
SOL American-Continental 020 031 00x 6-10-0
E-Zolk, Brittingham. DP-SOL 2. LOB-PCL 9, SOL 6. 2B-Zolk, Smith, McInerney. HR-Romano. SF-Casselberry. SB-Reigner, McCrossen.
IP H R ER BB SO
Philadelphia Catholic
Racek (L) 3 3 2 2 1 2
Mack 1.1 3 3 2 0 1
Brittingham 1.1 3 1 1 1 1
Harvey 2.1 1 0 0 0 3
SOL American-Continental
McKenna 2 3 1 1 1 3
Delgato 1.1 0 0 0 2 1
Mengel 0.2 0 0 0 0 0
Caringi 3 2 0 0 2 1
Roberts 1 0 0 0 0 2
Moyer 1 1 0 0 1 0
HBP-Delgato (Riverso), Mack (Saverio.
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