Neshaminy, CB South & Souderton will be in action in Monday’s PIAA 6A state semifinals. Check back for recaps.
Four teams will be playing for two coveted spots in Friday’s PIAA 6A state title game at Penn State University. Three of those four teams in Monday’s state semifinals are from the Suburban One League. North Allegheny, the third place team from District 7, is the lone team in the state semifinals not from the SOL. To put the SOL’s accomplishment in perspective, consider only the fact that there are 112 Class 6A baseball teams in Pennsylvania. Four are still playing with three of those – Neshaminy, Central Bucks South and Souderton – from the SOL. All three are veteran squads with 35 seniors on the three teams combined.
Redskins ride family bond to state semis – ‘Skins on three, family on six.
Since the first day of practice, that’s been the breakdown cheer for the Redskins, and according to Gus Natelli, those are not just idle words.
“We feel that brings us together so much,” the Redskins’ senior captain said. “And that will carry onto the field and make us play 10 times better knowing the guy next to us is going to be there for us in any situation.”
That bond didn’t just happen. Intentional steps were taken.
“For the past years we’ve all played together, we really never bonded together as a family,” Natelli said. “We kind of just played for ourselves, we never played for each other, and we never were there for each other.
“This year we really started to bond, and what I mean by that is we started doing activities together as a whole team. One day our coach dedicated a whole practice to us playing rec games. We were playing dodge ball, volleyball, badminton, ping pong, and those kinds of things bond us together as a family.”
So when the Redskins lost five of six after a 9-0 start, they were able to draw on the special camaraderie they share.
“That bond was huge,” Natelli said. “We really had to come together as a team. When (the slump) started, we were like, ‘What is going on? We’ve got to fix it.’”
“We had 10 seniors on the team,” senior captain Joe Kaleck said. “And that’s not really how you want to go out.
“Our pitchers were throwing good, we were losing by one run. Things just didn’t feel right, so we upped our focus a bunch and focused on practicing the little things from stretching all the way to base running and bunting, making sure we were playing team baseball. We knew we were going to turn it around, especially in the playoffs. We started off 9-0 and we knew what we could do. We were looking to get back to that. I feel like we’re a lot better now than when we were 9-0.”
Some of the team’s 10 seniors have been together since elementary school, others joined forces in middle school.
“We always knew each other,” Natelli said. “We definitely wanted to be different. We wanted to stand out.We always had the goal of being the best team that there was at Neshaminy. It’s kind of ironic because we’re right there.”
“We’ve talked about this for the past four years,” Kaleck said. “We’ve always had fun, we always had a good time together.
“We were like – we can make something special out of our senior year with a lot of returners. I feel like we were destined to have a good year this year just because we’ve been dreaming about it for four years.”
The district champion Redskins – coming off a 9-11 season last year – are the first Neshaminy baseball team to play in a state semifinal. In six postseason games, the Redskins have given up just five runs in six games and have never allowed more than one run in any of those games. They have won their first two state games by a combined 6-1 score, defeating Hempfield (3-0) and Downingtown West (3-1).
In addition to playing superb defense, the Redskins have received lights out pitching performances from starters Dan Errigo and Max Temple as well as Jake Fehrle out of the bullpen.
“We were trying to find the second starter, and it was between Fehrle and Temple, and we knew whoever wasn’t going to start was going to be dominant in relief,” Kaleck said. “So Temple worked his way into it, and Fehrle is in a big relief role now closing out games. People aren’t even touching him.”
Since dropping their final game of the regular season to Pennsbury (6-5), the Redskins have won six straight.
“Words can’t even describe how fun it is,” Kaleck said. “We enjoy going to practice every day, having a good time. Our coach loves practice every day. He’s always smiling.
“When we found out early in districts we were guaranteed three more games together, it was the best feeling just because we had another day to see each other at practice or a game.”
“This is the most special thing probably I’ve ever been through,” added Natelli, who will room with Kaleck at West Chester University next year. “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in my high school career.
“I’m going to be honest – I never expected us to go this far. I expected us to do big things, but I never expected us to make it to the level we are now. To be here, to be graduating and to have the whole school behind us, we are so confident that we can achieve our goal we’ve had since the beginning of the season. It’s a surreal moment I sometimes can’t believe I’m in.”
In Monday’s semifinal contest at Boyertown High School (1 p.m.), the Redskins will do battle with a Souderton squad they defeated twice during the regular season (4-2, 4-3).
Indians on a roll since district semifinal loss – Souderton Area High School will hold its graduation ceremony on Monday night. Mention that to Billy Norbeck, and the senior captain acknowledges that graduation is all but an afterthought to the Indians’ state semifinal game against district champion Neshaminy scheduled for earlier in the day.
“When we found out we were playing Monday, we were ready to skip graduation and go play,” Norbeck said. “Right now, we’re only focusing on baseball and graduation is second.”
Norbeck is one of 14 seniors on this year’s veteran squad, and it’s a safe bet all 14 share a similar sentiment.
“Most of us have been playing baseball together since we were eight,” the senior captain said. “This year everyone accepted their role. Even the bench players are having fun – they created their squad, ‘ the bench squad.’
“They bring the energy to every game. They’re always hyped, they cheer us on, and they just have fun. It’s nice to look over and see them cheering or when we come in after an inning, jumping up and giving high fives and just getting us hyped with them. Everyone is just having the most fun ever in baseball.”
Although the 14 seniors anchor this year’s squad, everyone is part of the team’s unmistakable chemistry.
“Away from baseball, most of these kids are my best friends,” Norbeck said. “After every game, basically the whole team goes out to eat at the Pub.
“Every weekend we’re together whether it’s watching sports or hanging out. I think that helps because we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and we can help out and pick each other up when it’s needed.”
A new addition to the team’s dugout this year is a gong the players purchased.
“Last year we had a sledge hammer and a stake, and every time we’d score a run, we’d hit the stake as to emphasize nails in the coffin, but this year we wanted to do something different,” Norbeck said. “This year we ran the idea past coach Childs and Mr. Stanton, and they liked it. Ever since then, everyone just loved it and we rolled with it.”
The Indians have won four straight since their 6-3 loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh in a district semifinal contest.
“That loss was disheartening – the whole team after the game was sad,” Norbeck said. “The second chance we got with the playback helped us.
“We knew that we didn’t want this season to be over yet, and we used that as fuel. Everyone came back ready to go and used that loss as motivation.”
In must-win playback games, the Indians defeated Methacton 2-1 and then rolled to a 15-1 win over Garnet Valley to earn the district’s fifth and final state berth. The Indians continued their impressive offensive production in their first two games of the state tournament, defeating PCL power La Salle 7-1 in the opening round and avenging their district loss to PW with an 11-1 win.
Jordan Morales and Luke Taylor have been the workhorses on the mound for the Indians, and both have had stellar seasons. In the Indians’ four wins since falling to PW, both pitchers are 2-0 with four complete games between them. Norbeck anchors the Indians behind the plate.
“It’s awesome catching all of them because some days it’s not their best stuff but they make it work,” Norbeck said. “They’ve been spotting up every pitch, and their off-speed and everything has been working this year.”
Last year, the Indians lost in the district quarterfinals and then fell in a playback game. They entered the 2019 season with high expectations.
“In the beginning of the year, we were confident we were going to go far this year because last year we had a pretty good season and we returned a lot of players, so our expectations were high,” Norbeck said. “We thought we were going to make states and have a shot at the state championship.”
Souderton will face a familiar opponent in Monday’s state semifinal when the Indians will take on Neshaminy for the third time this season. The district champion Redskins won the two regular season meetings, 4-2 and 4-3.
Titans an underdog no longer – Proving for once and for all that seeds are just a number, the Titans are having the kind of postseason run that most teams wouldn’t dare dream of as the 17th seed in the 20-team District 1 6A field.
The Titans, however, aren’t most teams.
The return of shortstop Joey Loynd and second baseman Bryan Rossi to the lineup has made them a formidable opponent.
“Once me and Rossi came back, we had our full, healthy roster, and we knew we weren’t the 17th seed,” Loynd said. “We knew we could do some damage in districts.”
Loynd was sidelined with an injury the majority of the regular season and played in only three games – the first and final two contests.
“It was tough not being able to be out there helping the team out, but I did see guys overcoming some slumps,” he said. “It was great to see the team get back to the confidence that we needed before playoffs.”
Since Loynd’s return, the Titans have won eight of nine games. Their only loss in that span came in the district final, a 2-1 loss to Neshaminy.
“We just got hot at the right time,” Loynd said. “Everything started clicking together.
“We’ve got pitchers who really upped their game. Ryan Rieber has been lights out all year. He’s been nothing but perfect so far in the playoffs. Owen Petrich and Brock (Veit) have really stepped up to help the team. Owen is only a sophomore, but he’s having a huge impact on our team. It’s been great.”
Eleven seniors are the heart and soul of a Titans’ squad that has notched wins over Emmaus (4-3, 8 innings) and Wilson-West Lawn (2-1) in its two state games.
“We’re really close,” Loynd said. “Most of the seniors went to the same middle school, and two or three came from the other middle school and right away we were clicking with them.
“The atmosphere has always been great. We hang out all the time. It’s just a group of friends going out to play some baseball. Everybody loves being around each other, we’re always getting some laughs. The coaching staff is awesome. It’s just a great atmosphere to be in.”
The Titans have been road warriors. They haven’t played a home game since the playoffs began. On Monday, the Titans will take their longest and most important road trip when they travel to Scotland to take on North Allegheny, the third place team out of District 7.
“I guess we like away games,” Loynd said. “We knew going into it we weren’t going to get any home games because we were such a low seed. We just went in with that expectation, and we’re just rolling with it.
“This was always our goal in the back of our minds to go as far as possible, but the reality of us going this far – it’s crazy. We’re in shock and we’re just loving it right now. It’s awesome, it’s a blast. We’ll remember this until the day we die. This is the best thing that can happen to us.”
#1-1 NESHAMINY vs. #1-5 SOUDERTON (Boyertown High School, 1 p.m.)
Neshaminy
- 18-6 overall
- 7-5 SOL National Conference tied for third place
- Seventh seed in the District One 6A Tournament went on to win first District One championship since 1992
- First team in program history to advance to state semifinals
- Senior shortstop Cory Joyce has been on fire in the postseason, hitting .556 (10-for-18) with 7 RBIs. Joyce and Joe Kaleck are the team’s top hitters and were hitting .379 and .383 respectively heading into the state tournament. Dalton Turner and Tyler Jones both hit .500 in districts.
- Juniors Dan Errigo (7-1) and Max Temple (6-1) both are 3-0 in the postseason for a pitching staff that allowed just five runs in six playoff games.
How they got here: In Thursday’s state quarterfinal, Neshaminy defeated #1-4 Downingtown West 3-1. Max Temple earned the win, allowing six hits and one run in five innings while striking out seven and walking one. Jake Fehrle threw two scoreless innings in relief to earn the save. Joe Kaleck’s two-RBI single highlighted a three-run first for the Redskins.
In an opening round contest, Neshaminy downed District 3 runner-up Hempfield 3-0. Dan Errigo and Jake Fehrle combined for the four-hit shutout. Cory Joyce and Andrew Mays led the Redskins’ 10-hit attack with three hits each. Matt Yauger, Joe Kaleck and Tyler Jones each contributed an RBI.
Souderton
- 22-4 overall
- 12-0 SOL Continental Conference champions
- First trip to the state tournament since 2007
- The offense has been led by the top two hitters in the Indians’ lineup, junior shortstop Conlan Wall (.349,) and senior first baseman/pitcher Luke Taylor (.377). Junior third baseman Jake Horton (23 RBIs, 5 HR) has been the team’s top run-producer. First baseman Frank Pollock is hitting .310 while outfielder/pitcher Jordan Morales is hitting .280 with 18 RBIs.
- Senior lefty Jordan Morales continues to sizzle after two dominant starts in districts and another in states, improving his record to 9-1. Luke Taylor is 7-1 after allowing just four hits in the Indians 11-1 win in six innings over PW.
How they got here: In Thursday’s quarterfinal contest, Souderton defeated #1-3 Plymouth Whitemarsh 11-1 in six innings. Luke Taylor earned the complete game win, allowing four hits and one run while striking out eight and walking one. Moses Clemens was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, home run, two RBIs and three runs scored.
In an opening round game, Souderton defeated District 12 champion La Salle 7-1 behind the complete game win of Jordan Morales, who allowed five hits while striking out 12 and walking one. He also had a big day at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBIs. Luke Taylor and Hogan Despain each hit a home run and collected two hits. Moses Clemens also had a pair of hits.
1-2 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH vs. #7-3 NORTH ALLEGHENY (Greene Township Park, Scotland, 4 p.m.)
Central Bucks South
- 18-7 overall
- 7-5 SOL Continental Conference tied for second place
- District 1 6A runner-up after entering tournament as the 17th seed
- Shortstop Joey Loynd, who missed all but three games of the regular season with an injury, hit .471 (8-for-17) with 4 RBIs, 3 doubles and 1 HR in districts. Top hitters on the season include DH Jake Trachtenberg (.441), center fielder/pitcher Brock Veit (.352), and right fielder Jake McKeown (.339).
- On the mound, lefty Ryan Rieber is now 7-3. Owen Petrich (2-3), Brock Veit (3-1), Joe Martino (4-0) and Ryan Zakrewski (1-0) have all pitched valuable innings in the postseason.
- Titans won 10 of 12 after a 8-5 start.
How they got here: In Thursday’s quarterfinal game, Central Bucks South defeated District 3 champion Wilson-West Lawn 3-1. Ryan Rieber earned the complete game win, allowing four hits and one run while striking out seven and walking none. Zach Steinberg had an RBI single in a two-run second that also included three Wilson errors.
In an opening round game, Central Bucks South defeated District 11 runner-up Emmaus 4-3 in eight innings. Connor McKeown’s RBI double propelled the Titans to the walk-off win. McKeown’s 3-for-4 effort at the plate led the Titans and included a double and three RBIs. Joey Loynd had an RBI triple.
North Allegheny
- 19-6 overall
- Third place team out of WPIAL
- Won 12 of last 13 games with loss to Penn-Trafford in the WPIAL semifinals the Tigers’ only loss since mid- April.
- Team batting average of .301
- Led by freshman Cole Young, a Duke University commit, who leads the Tigers with a .424 batting average, 28 hits and 26 RBIs. He has a .666 slugging percentage and a 1.178 OPS with nine extra-base hits. The freshman shortstop has committed just three errors.
- Also making important contributions are seniors Shane Murphy (.344, 15 RBIs, 9 2B), CJ Weller (.338), Anthony Hattrup (.327, 14 RBIs) and Jared Orwell (.300, 13 RBIs, 5 2B) as well as sophomore Logan Andreyko (.328, 13 SB).
- Pitching staff anchored by Ryan Partridge (6-2, 1.52 ERA, 60Ks, 50.2 IP) and Anthony Hattrup (6-1, 1.40 ERA, 39Ks, 35 IP)
How they got here: In a quarterfinal game, North Allegheny defeated District 7 champion Pine Richland 4-1. Ryan Partridge earned the complete game win, allowing four hits while striking out seven and walking one. Shane Murphy was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs. Ryan Dougherty was 2-for-3.
In an opening round game, North Allegheny defeated District 10 champion McDowell 10-2. Cole Young was 3-for-3 with a double, two home runs, two RBIs and four runs scored. Anthony Hattrup won his sixth game of the season, allowing four hits while going 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
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