Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action in Monday’s District 1 opening round. Truman/Wissahickon photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko. CB West/Downingtown West photos courtesy of Tracy Valko, and CR North/Henderson photos courtesy of Ethan Sklut. Check back for galleries of all three games: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f12122253
Class 6A
#14 Central Bucks West 7, #19 Downingtown West 6 (8 innings)
Bill Zentmayer delivered with an RBI single to left field to cap a two-out rally in the eighth inning and give CB West the 7-6 extra-inning walk-off win over visiting Downingtown West in District One Class 6A first-round game on Monday.
“As far as the game-winning hit goes, for Bill to get that single, it just makes your heart burst,” said coach Brian Weaver. “He’s recovering from shoulder surgery and can only hit.
“This year, we’ve deployed him as a pinch hitter and a courtesy runner to get him in important positions, but the last week we’ve been able to use him as a DH, and today he had a great day. You couldn’t pick a better guy with a better story to walk it off.”
This one was a wild one throughout.
CB West ended up with seven runs on eight hits, while it drew 12 walks and had four batters hit by pitches.
Defensively, the Bucks had to overcome five infield fielding errors.
“Freebies were the story of the day today,” Weaver said. “All of the big innings for both sides were full of walks and errors. We made five errors in the first four innings, which was nearly the difference in the game.
“But when their pitchers struggled with command we didn’t chase. We worked deep at bats. Several of our guys had multiple walks, and we were fortunate to use those as a way to jump-start the offense.”
The two teams traded leads and big innings through the first four innings.
On the mound, reliever Alex Jenkinson came out of the bullpen to replace starter Julio Ermigiotti in the fourth. Jenkinson ended up throwing five shutout innings, scattering six hits, without a walk and striking out four.
On the season, Jenkinson, primarily used out of the bullpen, has a 3-0 record with a 0.00 ERA, as he has not allowed a run in 24 innings pitched.
“On the mound Julio and Alex were a great pair again,” Weaver said. “We did Julio no favors defensively, but he gave us a little over three innings.
“Then, Alex came in and was lights-out again. His control has steadily gotten better since the start of the year, and he’s been one of the best pitchers in the league over the second half of the season.
“Downingtown has a strong lineup and Julio and Alex worked our game plan incredibly well with (catcher) Max McGlone.”
Trailing 2-0, CB West didn’t waste any time answering in the bottom of the first. Kevin Bukowski, Max McGlone and Sam Greer all walked to load the bases. With two outs, Will Hogenauer tied the game with a two-run double to left field. Matt Carr later walked with the bases loaded to put West up 3-2.
Bukowski led off the second with a single, followed by a Zentmayer single and McGlone was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hogenauer later hit an RBI single, and Quinn Illig was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in another and make it 5-2.
“The first two innings were huge for us,” Weaver said. “We started the top of the first by giving up an error and a homer. But in the bottom, we worked walk after walk to set up a Will Hogenauer double. Then, in the bottom of the second we strung together a few hits, walks, and HBPs. Bouncing back from that opening sequence was just huge.”
Downingtown West put six singles together in the fourth to put up a crooked number and carried its 6-5 lead into the bottom of the sixth.
Greer led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk, and a one-out single by Hogenauer put runners on first and second. After Illig walked to load the bases, Greer scored the tying run on a wild pitch.
The Bucks had a chance to win it in the seventh, but left the bases loaded. It wouldn’t make the same mistake in the eighth, however.
Downingtown West retired the first two batters of the inning, but Jack Hogenauer and Bukowski both drew walks, setting up Zentmayer’s game-winner.
“And Jack Hogenauer, scoring that run, has been huge,” Weaver said. “(He’s a) freshman who steps in and makes a few key plays at third base, and then he gets a hit and a walk along the way and winds up scoring from second on Bill’s single to win the game.”
CB West (15-6) advances to Wednesday’s second round at #3 Methacton.
“Overall, it’s great to have a chance to play another game this time of year, but our guys know that there’s no time to dwell on any one game,” Weaver said. “We’ve got a tough Methacton squad waiting, so we’ll celebrate the victory and the resilience we showed, but then it’s right back to work Tuesday.
“You never know where the road goes from here, but that’s likely the last home game our seniors ever play. So to have that be the ending of their last game at War Memorial Field, it’s tough to imagine writing it any better than that.”
Downingtown West 200 400 0 – 6 11 1
CB West 320 001 01 – 7 8 5
#20 Harry S Truman 6, #13 Wissahickon 3
Senior Andrew Armstrong struck out 12 over six innings and gave Harry S. Truman exactly what it needed, as it went on the road and won the program’s first district playoff game since 2011 with the start-to-finish win over Wissahickon.
“Once again, our motto of the team has been pitching keeps us in games until our offense figures it out,” said first-year Tigers coach Brian Sinkiewicz. “Andrew Armstrong was phenomenal again today.
“He’s been unbelievable for us. He’s not an in-your-face, rah, rah type. He’s kind of a show by example type leader. He does everything the right way. He’s been so important for us. I’m not sure where we’d be without Andrew.
“Every single start is a quality start, and (offensively), just having him in the lineup makes everyone else better.”
Armstrong (now 4-2) went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks, to go with the 12 strikeouts. All three of the runs allowed were in the third inning, and then he blanked the host Trojans over the next three innings, before going over 100 pitches.
Freshman Austin Allen struck out two in a scoreless seventh inning to close the game out and earn the save.
Truman’s offense got started in the top of the second, as Chase Wright led off with a single, Jayden Gaines was hit by a pitch and Luke Olivero singled to load the bases. After a double play, the Tigers cashed in with two outs, as Aqual Chapman and Wyatt Spinks each had RBI singles to make it 2-0.
In the third, the Tigers extended the lead to 5-0.
Ryan Cavanaugh led off with a single, Armstrong walked and Gabe Marrero bunted the runners into scoring position. Wright followed with an RBI sac fly, and then Gaines and Olivero were both hit by pitches, and Alex Matlack followed with a two-run single.
Wissahickon battled back into it in the bottom of the third. Finn Olszewski and Luke Frank had back-to-back one-out singles, and then with two outs, Shane Henrick had an RBI single. Josh Palutis walked, and Jarret Federer followed with a two-run single to make it a 5-3 game.
Truman added an insurance run in the sixth as Wright drove in his second run of the game, as an RBI single scored Chapman from third.
The Tigers finished with 11 hits, all singles, including two each by Spinks, Wright and Chapman.
“Our offense, and I stress to our guys, ‘You’ve got to have team at-bats,’ and our guys battled,” Sinkiewicz said. “Get guys in scoring position, hit the other way, put the ball in play and do your job. It’s team first.
“They bought in early in the year when we went on our winning streak. We then had a rough patch where we had games backed up and lost a
few in a row, but we bounced back. This is our fourth win in a row. Our guys bought in. They believe in each other, and we kind of worked our way through it.
“(Wissahickon’s) lineup is really good. I was mentally exhausted. We had to grind through. Every guy in their lineup battled, everything was heightened and amplified because it was a playoffs. It felt like a one-run game the whole way.
“It’s our first district playoff win since 2011, and I’m so proud of the coaching staff. This is our first year. My predecessor (Tim Monaghan) is now the athletic director. I’m proud of our staff and our kids for everything we’ve put in. This is kind of where we were hoping we would be and here we are.”
Truman (12-8) moves on to play at #4 Abington in a second-round game on Wednesday.
Wissahickon was led Monday by second baseman Olszewski, who went 2-for-3 with a double. Adam Hajdak came out of the bullpen and allowed just one run over 4 1/3 innings to help keep his team within striking distance.
The Trojans finished the season with a 13-8 record.
Truman 023 001 0 – 6 11 2
Wissahickon 003 000 0 – 3 5 1
#21 Souderton 4, #12 Ridley 0
Good pitching in the postseason is essential, and Monday, Souderton had terrific pitching.
Jeremy Fallon and Tyler Lutz combined for a four-hit shutout, as the Indians advanced with the 4-0 road win over Ridley.
“Jeremy did a good job for his first playoff start today,” said Indians coach Mike Childs. “He challenged their hitters and trusted his defense to make plays behind him.
“Tyler came in and did the same to close it out. Both looked smooth and focused to win today’s game.
“Our defense played great. I think our pitcher’s confidence was elevated knowing they could work some pitches (and) our defense will make plays behind them.”
Fallon (now 3-3 with a 1.69 ERA) went five innings, allowed just two hits and walked three, while striking out six in a 72-pitch outing.
Lutz went the final two innings, allowing just two hits to finish off the game. Pitching mostly out of the bullpen, he has a 1.36 ERA and has given up just four earned runs in over 20 innings pitched.
The game was scoreless through three innings, but in the fourth Souderton went to work.
Catcher Ethan Warner got it started with a one-out double to left, and Joey Crecca followed with an RBI single with two outs.
The Indians added two more runs in the top of the sixth to make it 3-0.
Lutz reached on an error with one out, followed by a Crecca double to put runners on second and third. A Zach Pollock single drove in one, while a fielder’s choice groundout by Connor Klock scored another.
Warner wrapped up the scoring with an RBI single in the seventh to score Kaden Pasternak.
Warner, Crecca and Pollock had two hits each to lead a nine-hit attack for the Indians on Monday.
“Ethan got it started in the fourth with a double and Joey hit in the courtesy runner to give us the first run of the game,” Childs said,. “He has been coming up big with guys in scoring position.
“It is great to see our seniors step up at the plate in our first (playoff) game. It sets the tone for the rest of the team, especially the underclassmen.
“Zack Pollock played big in (center field) and added two hits. It was good to see six of our nine starters get hits today. This is a good sign if we want to continue to compete.”
The Indians will play at #5 Plymouth Whitemarsh in a second-round game on Wednesday in a rematch of a nonleague game between the two teams, won by PW on May 10.
Souderton 000 102 1 – 4 9 0
Ridley 000 000 0 – 0 4 2
#23 Quakertown 7, #10 Owen J Roberts 3
Quakertown’s margin of error for qualifying for the district playoffs was pretty small over the last month, as it went 8-3 to get in with the second to last spot in the tournament.
Well, the Panthers stayed hot and Monday showed that at this time of year, seeds don’t matter much, with a wire-to-wire win over host Owen J. Roberts.
Coach Jon Pallone’s team turned to its ace, right-hander Vinny Pellegrini and once again the Delaware Valley University football commit, stepped up big. Pellegrini (now 5-3, 1.81 ERA), allowed just two earned runs on four hits in an 88-pitch, seven-inning outing. He did not walk a batter and struck out six.
“Vinny had a great day today,” Pallone said. “He’s started our last two district playoff games and battled. Scoring three in the first gave us a lot of confidence because we knew Vinny was on the mound. He had a couple times that he was under duress, and he calmly worked his way out of it.”
Shortstop Danny Qualteria got things started with a leadoff single in the top of the first, followed by a Cole Reich single to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Cooper Natisin then cleared the bases with a triple to right field. Quakertown went up 3-0, as Natisin scored on an error.
In the second inning, after Gunner Rahn reached on an error and Brayden Schuler bunted the courtesy runner to second, Qualteria belted an RBI double to left to make it 4-0.
It was a 4-2 game going into the fifth when the Panthers added three more to put the game out of reach. Natisin had an RBI double, Pellegrini an RBI single and then Matthew Marsten an RBI double.
Overall, Quakertown scored seven runs on 10 hits, four of which were extra base hits.
Qualteria finished 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Natisin was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs.
“Offensively, Danny Qualteria had a great day at the plate, setting the table for us and putting pressure on Owen J.,” Pallone said. “Cooper Natisin was seeing the ball very well and swinging just as well, too.
“The team did a great job not chasing the ball out of the zone and had some excellent two-strike RBI hits.”
Quakertown (10-11) next plays at #7 Pennsbury in a second-round game on Wednesday.
Quakertown 310 030 0 – 7 10 2
Owen J. Roberts 001 110 0 – 3 4 2
#15 West Chester Henderson 4, #18 Council Rock North 3
Playoff losses are never easy, because most of the time it means an end to the season.
Monday, CR North led host West Chester Henderson for nearly the entire game, and up three runs heading into the seventh inning, things looked
pretty good for the Indians as they looked to advance on to Wednesday’s second round.
But then, the host Warriors stole victory from the jaws of defeat with five hits, including the game-winner with two outs, to rally for the 4-3 victory.
“I always say, ‘The game knows,’ and today showed that this game is never over until you make the last out,” said CR North coach Matt Schram. “Our guys gave everything they had on defense and at the plate. Pat Dougherty was awesome (on the mound) for six innings and we just ran out of bullets.”
Dougherty, who won five games for the Indians during the regular season, blanked Henderson for six innings on Monday on five hits and he struck out seven, the last of which came in the seventh inning with two runners on.
A bases loaded double later in the inning pulled Henderson to within 3-2 and led to a pitching change, with Matt Herbert coming in for CR North.
After an intentional walk, a RBI groundout to first tied the game at 3, and then a two-out single to right by Eric Lintelman ended the game for the Warriors.
Offensively, a two-run home run by Nick DiGiacomo put CR North up 2-0 in the second.
In the fifth, Leor Kedar had a two-out double and scored on a Jadon Tang RBI single.
Overall, Kedar finished 3-for-4, continuing a stretch at the end of the regular season where he hit over .600 in a seven-game span that saw the team win six straight league games.
“It was a great year for a team that had injuries before the season started, and everyone on this team contributed in some way,” Schram said. “It was a good season for a bunch of guys who came together when it counted most.”
CR North finished its season with a 11-9 record.
CR North 020 010 0 – 3 6 1
Henderson 000 000 4 – 4 11 1
#17 Lower Merion 4, #16 Neshaminy 2
In the regular season, Neshaminy had 10 games decided by two or fewer runners. Add one more.
Unfortunately for Neshaminy, however, Monday’s 4-2 loss to Lower Merion was in the first round of the District One Class 6A Tournament, and because of that, it was a season-ender.
“We had a very up and down, inconsistent season, but I was happy with all the hard work that was put in throughout the entire year,” said coach Dan Toner. “We had a great group of seniors that everyone in the program will miss.
“One of the staples of our program is making the playoffs every year and this team was able to uphold that standard.”
Monday’s game saw Lower Merion jump ahead, and Neshaminy battled back on multiple occasions.
After the visiting Aces scored one in the top of the second, the home team answered with one in the bottom of the inning. Stone Powell led off the inning with a walk, followed by a Luke Hardnock single. Then with one out, Robert Harrison hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Powell from third to tie it up.
Lower Merion plated two runs in the top of the fourth, but again, Neshaminy had an answer in the bottom of the fifth.
Anthony Trommer was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, after a fielder’s choice ground out, Joel Bonner singled to put runners on first and second. Rob DelBuono then advanced to third on an error, and came home to score on a passed ball to make it a 3-2 game.
That’s where Neshaminy’s offensive production ended for the day, however. It managed only one base runner in the last two innings, and in the end came out on the wrong end of a 4-2 final score.
Offensively, Bonner went 2-for-3 to lead Neshaminy.
On the mound, Evan Krippel started the game and went the first four innings, and he took the hard-luck loss, allowing just three runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out three. Steve Martin pitched the final three innings and allowed just one run on five hits.
Neshaminy finished its season at 13-8.
“I’m glad this group of seniors experienced the new field and didn’t have to worry about field maintenance like we have in the past,” Toner said. “They were able to show up and play on an immaculate field every day.
“We have a lot of young players that experienced significant varsity time this season and we are hoping that will translate to the future.”
Lower Merion 010 200 1 – 4 8 3
Neshaminy 010 010 0 – 2 5 1
#9 Upper Darby 3, #24 Council Rock South 1
CR South starting pitcher Chase Ennis was good on Monday, avoided big innings and gave his team a chance to win on the road at Upper Darby in a first-round game.
“Our guys fought hard. A season with a lot of ups and downs,” said coach Greg Paprocki. “I’m incredibly proud of our guys and the way they handled themselves throughout the season. “
Unfortunately for Ennis and the Golden Hawks, they could never get their offense untracked against Upper Darby ace Chris Zupito, who struck out 18 and finished with a complete-game, two-hitter.
At one point, Zupito retired 10 CR South batters in a row, all by strikeout.
The Hawks’ only run came in the top of the seventh.
Johnny Mendola reached on an error to lead off the inning and went to second on a groundout. Sam Serpiello followed with an RBI double to left field to pull within two runs.
Zupito got out of the inning without further damage, working around a hit by pitch with a pair of strikeouts to end the game.
Ennis went 5 2/3 innings for CR South, allowing just two earned runs, while scattering eight hits and two walks, with six strikeouts.
CR South finished its season with a 10-11 overall record.
CR South 000 000 1 – 1 2 1
Upper Darby 001 011 x – 3 8 1
Class 5A
#10 West Chester Rustin 4, #7 Hatboro-Horsham 2
An error on the first at-bat of the game was an ominous start for Hatboro-Horsham, and that helped jump-start a two-run first inning for visiting West Chester Rustin, which never trailed and edged the Hatters 4-2 in a Class 5A first-round game on Monday.
“It is never easy for a season to end because of how much time and effort you put in with the group of guys,” said H-H coach Pete Moore. “These guys did everything we asked them to do, and I am proud of their attitude and effort.”
Despite the rough start and playing from behind against Rustin ace Kyle Kerns, the Hatters never stopped battling.
Trailing 3-0, H-H scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it a one-run game.
Adriel Tiburcio led off the inning with a single, and Kenny Lutz drew a one-out walk to put runners on first and second. Then, with two outs, senior Trey Porter blasted a triple to center field, driving in both runs to pull his team within 3-2.
Unfortunately, that’s where the rally ended.
“You have to tip your cap to (Rustin coach Brad Harkins) and his team,” Moore said. “Kyle Kearns was the best pitcher we have seen this year and probably the best pitcher that I have seen in a couple of years.
“I was proud of how our guys competed and even in at-bats that ended in strikeouts, they made him work for it and drove up his pitch count.”
Porter, who will play his college ball at Monmouth University, ended his high school career by going 3-for-3 with the two-run triple, finishing the season with a team-best .421 batting average.
“Trey Porter is the best player I’ve ever coached, and I told him last week the big-time players play their best in big-time games,” Moore said. “He was the best player on the field today by far and had a very memorable game for us.
“Our whole team knew that good things were going to happen every time he came to the plate. We all felt if we could’ve gotten him one more at bat, we would’ve won the game.”
Sophomore Jamie O’Neill started for the Hatters on the mound and allowed three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. Brady Pagano recorded the final two outs of the top of the seventh to help get the team out of a jam.
“I am so proud of senior Brady Pagano,” Moore said. “His mental toughness allowed us to use him in the most difficult situations all year long and he always responded and did a great job for us.”
H-H finishes its season with a 12-9 record.
“I am going to miss this group of guys that has persevered through a lot, going from Covid and missing their freshman year through rough stretches during seasons, and yet always stuck together as a team and worked towards the common goal of winning as a team,” Moore said.
Rustin 200 100 1 – 4 6 0
H-H 000 020 0 – 2 4 4
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