Neshaminy & Hatboro-Horsham advanced to Tuesday’s District One 6A semifinals and also punched their tickets to the state tournament. Neshaminy/CB South photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
District One 6A Quarterfinals
#11 NESHAMINY 5, #19 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2
The Redskins rode the strong arm of Liam DelGuerico and scored all the runs they would need in a four-run second to earn a trip to Tuesday’s district semifinal and also clinch a berth in the state tournament.
“Every single year our goal is to compete for all three championships, at least try and be in the mix for each of them,” Neshaminy coach Dan Toner said. “We’re trying to make it a staple in our program that we must make playoffs every single year.
“I’ve been here five years but we lost last season, and in my four years, we were able to make it every single year with three trips to the state tournament in those four years. We’re trying to develop that culture that this is where we would like the team to get to each year.”
DelGuerico stole the spotlight with a complete game win. He allowed just four hits and two runs while striking out nine and walking one.
“Every time he steps on the mound he’s pretty tough to beat,” Toner said. “He was lights out today – went seven innings, had nine strikeouts and got it done in 99 pitches. He was just our horse on the mound today. He was driving us.”
In the four-run second, Zach Bowman was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, and he moved up to second on Brendan Raven’s sacrifice bunt. Tyler Warr delivered a clutch two-out single that plated Bowman, and the Redskins were just getting started. Mike Donato followed with a single, Warr scored on an error, and then it was Chris James delivering an RBI single to center. Gaige Ryan’s single – the fourth straight single with two outs – scored James, and the Redskins led 4-0.
“In the second inning, we started getting a little better at the smaller parts of the game where we were struggling with that before,” Toner said. “Today we were able to get our bunts down, make dirt ball reads, steal bases.
“We did pretty much everything the right way. We’d move a guy over, get him in, move a guy over, get him in. Then he’d advance on a passed ball and score on a sacrifice fly.”
In the bottom of the third, the Redskins scored their fifth and final run without collecting a hit by executing those smaller parts of the game. Jake
Kozlowski, who was hit by a pitch, moved up to second on Bowman’s sacrifice bunt and took third on a passed ball. He scored on Raven’s sacrifice fly to center.
South scored its only runs in the fourth. Carter Hinds collected a one-out single and advanced to second on a Redskin miscue. He scored on Owen Petrich’s line single to center. JT Anderosky followed with a line single to left, and Josh Yang drew a walk. Petrich scored on a fielder’s choice, and that 5-2 score stood the rest of the way as DelGuerico allowed just one Titan base runner over the final three innings.
Ryan’s 2-for-3 effort with one RBI out of the leadoff spot led the Redskins. For the Titans, Petrich was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
Noah Collier absorbed the loss. Justin Marriaccini threw three scoreless innings in relief for the Titans, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Neshaminy (14-6, 10-6 SOL) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham for Tuesday’s district semifinal contest. Central Bucks South (13-9, 8-8) is one of four teams vying for the final district spot. The Titans will travel to #1 Spring-Ford for Tuesday’s playback contest.
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#7 HATBORO-HORSHAM 12, #18 GARNET VALLEY 2 (5 innings)
Cole Fisher – according to his coach – is the very definition of a competitor. The junior pitcher had himself a day on Friday, not only earning the win but also delivering five RBIs.
“Cole Fisher is a kid who competes – when you say competitor, Cole Fisher is the type of guy that you think of,” HH coach Pete Moore said. “He was our starting pitcher today. He gave up two runs in the first.
“When he came back out, we said, ‘Cole, you’ve got to breathe and relax and get back into what you do. He got his at-bat in the first inning, got a base hit. He came back out for the second and allows no hits and runs after that. He was just unbelievable today.
“The craziest part is – when you looked at the game at the end, you weren’t sure who was the most valuable player on the team because so many guys did so many things. To beat a team like that – I don’t care what their seed was. That was a good team today. They were well coached, their kids came out ready to play, they scored two runs right away. You need a whole team to win a game like that. The group of kids that we have – day in and day out, they’re ready to compete.”
With the win, the Hatters clinched not only a spot in Tuesday’s district semifinals but also the program’s first state berth since 2017.
“It means the world,” Moore said. “These kids came from having no offseason to going to states. It’s incredible.
“We have great kids that are resilient, they’re gritty. We gave up two runs in the top of the first, and we’re facing a kid (Jake Potts) who’s going to Seton Hall. Our kids were completely unfazed by it.”
Trailing 2-0, the Hatters scored a run in the bottom of the first and took a 4-2 lead with three runs in the third. Trey Porter led off the inning with a double to center, and Jack Elwell followed with a bunt single. Jimmy Tooley’s double to left plated a pair, and he eventually scored on a passed ball.
In the fourth, the Hatters added three more runs. This time it was Logan Fischer leading off the frame with a double to right. Noah Gremo followed with a single, and Fischer scored when Porter lofted a sac fly to center. Elwell singled, and a pair or runners scored on a fielder’s choice, putting the Hatters on top 7-2.
A five-run fifth that brought an early end to the game was highlighted by Fisher’s three-run double to left. Ryan Toporowski, Zach Greenberg and Tooley (RBI) each singled in the inning.
Fisher was 2-for-4 with a double and five RBIs, and Tooley was 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Jack Elwell was 2-for-2 with four runs scored.
“Jack’s speed and everything he does – today he was 2-for-2 with four runs scored,” Moore said. “He scored from second base on a dribbler to the pitcher – it got to the pitcher really slow, and he just gave me a chance to send him. The kid is everything you’d ever want to coach.”
The Hatters’ two, three and four hitters – Elwell, Fisher and Tooley – were a combined 6-for-9 with two doubles, eight RBIs and five runs scored.
This is the third time Hatboro-Horsham has advanced to states under Moore, and this is perhaps the most unexpected of the three.
“The truth is – last year was supposed to be one of the best years we’ve ever had with the program,” Moore said. “We were loaded – 13 seniors with seven going on to play in college.
“That was the year we were supposed to go to states and have a shot at it. That season got shut down, and we didn’t get to know these kids as well as we typically would. Then all of a sudden, (the quarantine) extends, and we were not allowed to do anything in the offseason, so I did not see my kids all fall, all winter.
“Coming in, we didn’t know what to expect. What we learned quickly is that they’re competitors, they hated losing more than anything, and they just battle. Through it all, they’re a close-knit group, they compete, and they figure it out. If you give our guys a chance, they find a way.”
In addition to this year, the Hatters have been to states in 2012 and 2017 under Moore.
“In 2012, we hit and we had good pitching,” Moore said. “In 2017 we made it, and we just had incredible pitching and great kids.
“All three years, we have kids who are really close. The thing I’ve seen is that all three teams I’ve had in 20 years who’ve made states are close-knit groups. They find ways together to get it done.
“It may sound cliché, but the sum of the parts is significantly better than the individuals. We have some really great individual players, but when you put all these kids together, they find a way to get it done. These guys have grit and resiliency. It’s been fun.”
Hatboro-Horsham (14-8, 11-5 SOL) will host Neshaminy in Tuesday’s district semifinal game.
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Hatboro-Horsham 103 35 12-11-1
District 4A Championship Game
#1 HOLY GHOST PREP 10, #2 SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 1
The Firebirds led by just a 2-1 score heading into the bottom of the fourth when they plated three runs and then added two more in the fifth and three in the sixth to win going away in Friday’s district title game.
The Spartans scored their lone run in the top of the fourth. Will Conlin singled to open the inning, advanced to second on Joe Smith’s sacrifice bunt and scored when Dan Matthews doubled to right.
Matt Long notched the complete game win for Holy Ghost, allowing eight hits and one run while striking out 11 and walking none.
Gabe Franczyk was 3-for-4 with a double out of the leadoff spot while Matthews was 2-for-3 with a double and RBI.
Springfield Township closed out its season with a 10-11 record. The Spartans (9-7 SOL) captured the SOL Freedom Division title.
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