Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action in Monday’s opening round of the PIAA Tournament. North Penn, Neshaminy, Upper Dublin & Hatboro-Horsham were winners. (NP/Ephrata photos courtesy of Cindy Manero/NP baseball)
PIAA 6A opening round
#1-1 NORTH PENN 8, #3-4 EPHRATA 2
It’s a rare day when the Knights have had to come from behind with Trevor Legura on the mound, but that’s exactly where they found themselves after Ephrata put a pair on the board in the top of the first inning of Monday’s state tournament opener.
“I thought Trevor had great stuff in the top of the first inning, but there were a couple of little things that happened here and there that Ephrata was able to capitalize on,” NP coach Kevin Manero said. “But the game really changed a half inning later.”
Did it ever.
In their half of the first inning, the Knights sent nine batters to the plate and put four runs on the board with Christian Barnes – who’s been on a bona fide tear – delivering the big blow, a two-run triple. He scored when Ben Grattan followed with a single, and just like that, it was a 4-2 game.
The tone for the inning was set when Kevin Brace turned on a first pitch fast ball and hit a leadoff double to left field.
“When Kevin Brace got that hit, immediately it affects everyone on the team,” Barnes said. “Hitting is contagious, and that fired me up, and it made me feel like I have to get the job done.”
The Knights had a lead they would not lose and once again received big hitting performances from the middle of their lineup. Barnes, who had three hits, Grattan and Luke Chartrand combined for seven hits out of the five-six-seven spots in the lineup.
In the District 1 6A Tournament, Barnes and Grattan were a combined 20-for-28, and they continued their torrid offensive production in Monday’s state opener.
“It’s been a lot of mental preparation,” Barnes said. “A lot of people think it’s the physical, but it’s more mental preparation – who’s going to pitch. It’s just focusing on what the pitcher’s good at and exploiting it.
“Today, the righty was fast, but it was flat, so you just got to take it to the right side – that’s all I was thinking.”
That success also represents a whole lot of work in the offseason.
“We work so hard, and that’s what I said to Ben today when we were in the outfield – ‘We can’t lose – we have to win, we worked too hard,’” Barnes said. “I went to a training facility in Delco every single day after school. On Saturday, I went after our practices, and on Sunday, I went to Nor-Gwyn, and I hit.”
Barnes and his teammates weren’t finished after their four-run first. In the fifth, Barnes hit a one-out double and scored when Chartrand lined a two-out single to right field for a 5-2 North Penn lead
in the sixth, Barnes and Grattan hit one-out singles, and both scored – Barnes on an error and Grattan on a wild pitch. The final run in the bottom of the sixth came when Chase Jones delivered an RBI single.
Legura, meanwhile, threw six shutout innings after Ephrata scored two in the first, allowing just two hits over the final six innings. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter in another dazzling complete game win on the mound.
“Trevor takes control of baseball games,” Manero said. “His command, his poise, and of course his stuff is as good as it gets.
“Trev has come a long way since he started his first game as a freshman, but he’s always been good.”
The three-hit efforts of Logan Waynick and Barnes led the Knights’ 13-hit attack. Also contributing multi-hit games were Jones, Grattan, and Chartrand with two hits each.
“It’s like everything is falling into place, and it feels right,” Barnes said. “We’ve just got to keep taking it one game at a time and just keep doing what we’re doing.”
By the numbers: North Penn: Trevor Legura (7.0 IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 8K)
Logan Waynick (3-for-4, 1R), Christian Barnes (3-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 3R), Chase Jones (2-for-4, 2RBI, Ben Grattan (2-for-4, 1RBI, 1R), Luke Chartrand (2-for-3, 2B, 1R).
Key inning: Bottom of first: Brace led off with a double to left, and Waynick followed with a bunt single that sent Brace to third. Jones lined a single to left, plating Brace. Mason Coyne’s sac bunt put runners on second and third for Barnes, who cleared the bases with a triple. Grattan drove in the fourth run of the inning with an RBI single.
North Penn coach Kevin Manero on the game: “I thought the four runs we got in the first inning were the most important runs we scored all year. Kevin Brace getting that leadoff double – coming up right away and answering back with an extra-base hit – that was a very big message. We
talk all the time about how important it is to get a leadoff guy on to generate some production in the inning, and Brace hitting that double right way was just a huge, huge thing.
“Logan Waynick was just outstanding in the two spot. He’s a sophomore who’s had some struggles this year, but it looks like he’s starting to put it together and be the player we know he can be.
“At this time of year, I know that pitching and defense always win. I get that, and you’re not in states without good pitching and defense. Now the teams that can bunch runs together are the teams that are going to be tough.”
–Middle of order continues to contribute: “What we’re getting out of the middle part of our order has just been tremendous. Christian Barnes and Ben Grattan just continue to electrify that part of the batting order, and Luke Chartrand is extending it. You’ve got to get a couple guys hot to start generating some offense, and that’s what we did. We started off and our 5 and 6 hitters were hot. Then we had a couple games where 4, 5 and 6 were hot.
“Then last week in the district final 3, 4, 5 and 6 got hot. Today, we had a two-hitter that was hot. Chase Jones had two hits, and then today we had 5, 6 and 7. So we’re just trying to continue to lengthen the production in the lineup. That’s been a big part of our last few wins.”
–Playing to the crowd: “It’s the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen at home. In 2021, we played Hazleton in the first round of states, and we played them in Mountaintop, a community park, and I thought it was so cool that people had been there setting up their chairs at one o’clock in the afternoon. I thought what a cool thing that people are coming out for their local baseball team.
“Today I went out to set the scoreboard up and the sound system, and it was about one o’clock in the afternoon, and there were already about five chairs set up behind home plate, and I thought – that’s awesome. That is really awesome. We do get big crowds in the playoffs, but this is the only time we hosted a state playoff game.”
Up next: North Penn (20-5, 10-5 SOL) will face #2-1 Hazleton on Thursday at a site to be determined. The two teams met earlier this season in a non-league game, an 8-7 North Penn win.
Ephrata 200 000 0 2-5-2
North Penn 401 021 x 8-13-1
#1-4 NESHAMINY 3, #11-1 PARKLAND 1
Chase Bonner has spent the season winning one big game after another for the Redskins. He did it again in Monday’s state opener, allowing just one run in six strong innings on his way to the win.
“I’m going out there and throwing strikes,” Bonner said. “I know I have a great team around me, great defense, and I trust those guys every time.
“A kid puts the ball in play, there’s no doubt the play’s going to get made, so that really helps me out with my confidence, just knowing I have a great team around me.”
Bonner scattered five hits, struck out four and walked two.
“Every time Chase Bonner is on the mound, we know we will be in the game,” Neshaminy coach Dan Toner said. “We just need to give him some run support.”
Neshaminy managed just two hits but got one of those in a three-run third inning.
“We found ourselves in a familiar situation in the third inning – bases loaded, no outs. In previous games, we struggled to score runs in that situation, but today we got it done.
“Our approach that inning was fantastic, and we didn’t get ourselves out by chasing bad pitches. We didn’t have many hits, but we had very productive at bats, especially in the third inning.”
“We are still waiting for our offense to get back to where it was. Hopefully, today was a step in the right direction.”
In the three-run third, the Redskins managed just one hit but benefitted from two hit batters and two walks.
“It’s just been a little bit of a struggle lately,” Bonner said. “Their kid was decent – he was hitting his spots, but overall, we have kind of been struggling a little this second season.”
Although the Redskins once again struggled to put hits together, they came away with the win.
“We just know if we just keep going out and giving 100 percent, we can be a team that wins this thing,” Bonner said. “We’ve just got to trust each other, keep playing as a team, trust the guys around you, and anything can happen.”
Matthew Gryn entered the game with two on and no one out in the seventh. He retired all three batters he faced to earn the save, but Parkland scored a run on a two-out sacrifice fly. Gryn put an exclamation point on the win with a strikeout to close out the game.
By the numbers: Neshaminy: Chase Bonner (W) 6.0 IP, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 4K), M Gryn (S) (1.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K)
Danny Nocito (1-for-2, 1R), Nick Sassano (1-for-3, 1R)
Key inning: Top of third: Nocito was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Nick Sassano followed with a line single to center. Jake Plebani was hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded. Brandon Lall drew a bases-loaded walk to push a run across, Sassano scored on a wild pitch, and a third run crossed the plate on a fielder’s choice.
Up next: Neshaminy (16-8, 11-4 SOL) will travel to #1-3 Coatesville for a quarterfinal game Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
Neshaminy 003 000 0 3-2-0
Parkland 000 000 1 1-5 0
#3-2 CEDAR CLIFF 1, #1-5 PENNSBURY 0
Keller Bradley turned in another superb outing on the mound for the Falcons.
The Vanderbilt commit scattered three hits in 6.0 innings, allowing only one run. He struck out seven and walked one, but the Falcons – who stranded 10 base runners – never could push a run across the plate,
In the top of the first, Evan Hawkes lined a two-out triple to left, and Ryan Webber drew a walk and advanced to second on defensive indifference. Both runners were stranded. In the second, they had a runner on second with one out. In the fourth, they put their first two runners on board but came up empty.
Pennsbury’s best opportunity to get on the board came in the sixth when Webber led off the inning with a double and moved up to third on a sac bunt by Pierce Perry. A strikeout for the inning’s second out was followed by a walk and hit batter, but the Falcons left the bases loaded.
In the seventh, Carlton Crane lined a leadoff double to center but never advanced beyond second base.
The Falcons managed just four hits but three for extra bass.
Pennsbury closed out its season with a 17-7-1 record. The Falcons captured the SOL Patriot Division title with an 11-4 record.
Pennsbury 000 000 0 0-4-0
Cedar Cliff 000 100 x 1-3-0
PIAA 5A opening round
#1-2 UPPER DUBLIN 11, #12-1 FRANKLIN TOWNE CHARTER 2
The final score suggests this was an easy win, but Franklin Towne Center actually led 2-1 going into the fifth inning when the Cardinals erupted for eight runs to put the game out of reach on their way to the win.
A highlight of the game came in the bottom of the fifth when – with Franklin Towne runners on first and second – Matthew Lawless hit into a triple play.
“(It started with) a line drive to (second baseman) Eddie Stoffel up the middle,” UD coach Ed Wall said. “He caught it and stepped on second and didn’t rush the throw and fired it to first and had the triple play. Stoffel was in the right spot at the right time.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen one. Eddie was shading up the middle and then moving that way, and it was just perfect and at a perfect time, too. Coming out of a big (eight-run) inning and then you slam an inning down with that, that’s a kicker.”
Stoffel also had a big day at the plate, leading the Cardinals with a perfect 3-for-3 effort that included an RBI and two runs scored.
“He had a whale of a game,” Wall said. “He and Eric Berman are two of the more locked-in hitters that I’ve ever seen. Their approach – it doesn’t matter what the count is, literally, they’re really confident that the ball is going to be put in play. They’re pretty hot.”
Berman had a pair of hits as did Gavin Litten, whose triple drove in a pair. Adding two hits each were Berman.
Four UD pitchers combined for the win.
By the numbers: Upper Dublin: Eddie Stoffel (3-for-3, 1RBI, 2R), Eric Berman (2-for-4, 2R), Gavin Litten (2-for-4, 3B, 2RBI, 2R), Michael Lombardo (2-for-3, 1RBI, 1R), Matthew Logerstedt (1-for-1, 2RBI)
Austin Dahl (4.0 IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 7K), Chase Greiner (W), (1.0 IP, 1H, 0R), Jack Brannigan (1.0 IP, 2H 0R, 1BB, 1K), Luke Caron (1.0 IP, 0H, 0R, 3K)
Key inning: Top of fifth: Trailing 2-1, the Cardinals scored eight runs to seize control of the game. Berman and Stoffel led off the inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners for Dahl, whose sacrifice fly plated Berman. Litten followed with an RBI triple to center field, and he scored when Ben Wilkins singled. Two-out RBI singles by Wesley Gill, Lombardo and Stoffel as well as a pair of costly errors allowed the Cardinals to score eight runs on their way to the 11-2 win.
Upper Dublin coach Ed Wall on the game: “I was most pleased with how we finally settled into the game. Just executed the way that we’ve been working towards all season. We went into the game a little tight, and they woke us up. They have a couple of really good hitters on that team. And the one kid that hit the home run in the fourth inning, the right fielder – he’s a beast. And that just totally got us out of our shell.
“I was just really happy that I was able to get a lot of our guys in the game. Jack Brannigan came in late. He’s a senior and worked his way out of an inning.”
–Props “David Morris once again was a brick wall behind the plate. Gavin Litten barreled the ball every time he came up. He’s one of our sophomores we brought into the starting lineup, along with Matthew Logerstadt and Michael Lombardo at short. Those three guys have injected some life into our lineup. Logerstedt had two RBIs late for us today with some really good opposite field hitting.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (17-7, 11-4 SOL) will face a familiar foe in Thursday’s PIAA 5A quarterfinal round when the Cardinals face #1-3 Hatboro-Horsham, a team it swept in a three-game series during the regular season.
“It’s hard enough to try and beat a team three times,” Wall said. “Four times – it’s going to be a battle. Billy’s (Bill deBoer) got them playing really well. I know they’re grinding out some really big Ws. They’re in a place where I’m not sure they were expecting to get. Hats off to them.”
Upper Dublin 001 082 0 11-12-0
Franklin Towne Center 000 200 0 2-6-3
#1-3 HATBORO-HORSHAM 4, #11-1 BANGOR 3 (10 innings)
The Hatters magical postseason run continued.
This time, the Hatters saw a 3-0 lead evaporate in the late innings of regulation but regrouped to pull out a gutsy win in 10 innings. They are one of eight teams still standing in the PIAA 5A Tournament – not bad for the 11th district seed.
“It’s been awesome,” Dom Rapino said. “I’m going to be honest. In the beginning of the season, I couldn’t see all this, but we kept going, we got better.
“I think everybody started to get out of their own way and started playing for the team. Tonight was awesome. I can’t think of anything better.”
It was Rapino’s line single to center – after Jamie O’Neill reached second on a one-out error – driving in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning of Monday’s thriller at DeSales University.
“They had the home team advantage, and playing extra innings against the home team, and they have the bottom of the inning – it’s hard,” Rapino said.
Shane Mills – who turned in 3.1 scoreless innings in relief in a stellar outing – closed it out with a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning to earn the win.
“Every win’s a big win right now, and this was monster, winning in 10 innings,” Hatters’ coach Bill deBoer said. “That Bangor team is ever resilient. They just don’t die.
“They’re like us. We talked about this coming into this game – they’re a surprise, but they didn’t want to lose, they didn’t want it to end.
“They basically had the same record as us. Our guys did the same thing. They just decided – we don’t want to lose, we don’t want this to end. We want to play one more game together. That Bangor game had the same mentality. I kind of knew it was going to be a dogfight.”
Rapino – who will be continuing his baseball career at DeSales – turned in quite a showing on his future home field, finishing 4-for-4 with a double, RBI and run scored.
“I don’t know – I feel like I came in today with a little extra edge because I wanted to beat these guys,” Rapino said. “
Jamie O’Neill earned the starting nod and threw six strong innings, allowing five hits and one run while walking two and striking out nine. Bangor scored a pair in the bottom of the seventh off Conner Cataldi, and Mills closed it out with a standout relief effort to earn the win.
“It’s a pleasure playing behind all those guys all year,” Rapino said. “They’ve done great for our team.”
By the numbers: Hatboro-Horsham: Dom Rapino (4-for-4, 2B, 1RBI, 1R), Ricky Klenk (2-for-5, 1RBI, 1R)
Shane Mills (W) (3.1 IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 6K)
Key inning: Top of fourth: With one out, O’Neill, Rapino and Klenk hit back-to-back-to-back singles with Klenk’s plating O’Neill. Rapino scored on a sac fly by Ryan Thomas, and the third run scored when Cole Reinheimer lined a two-out single to center that gave the Hatters a 3-0 lead.
Hatboro-Horsham coach Bill deBoer on seeing the lead slip away late: “We probably got a little – I don’t want to say complacent because we constantly had traffic all day on the bases. They had three double plays in the first three innings, and one of them was a line drive back to the pitcher that he caught with his arm pit. It was hit hard. He grabbed the baseball with his other hand, spun and threw to first. We didn’t have a chance. They turned two in the middle. It was early, and we were hitting the ball okay, and we just kept coming up short.
“We only had three strikeouts. We walked five times. Jamie O’Neill did his Jamie thing, and he is not going to let anybody beat him. His pitch count was below where he could go, and he was in agreement with the decision to bring Conner (Cataldi) in with a clean inning in the seventh. He did great. He struck out the first two guys, and then he walked their leadoff guy, who fouled a bunch of pitches off in a good at-bat. The next guy got hit in a foot, and here it is – the tying runs are on base in the blink of an eye.
“We had Shane Mills warmed up in the bullpen but didn’t feel he was ready yet. He probably was, but I left Conner in to face one more batter, and their three hitter, Dylan Keith, hit a double. We thought we were playing no-doubles defense, but it’s pretty deep in center field, and he got it over our center fielder’s head. It was another tough at-bat. We can’t walk him at this point, and he hits a double and drives both runs in, and boom, we’re tied up at 3-3. We played seven innings, and we’re starting over.
“I made the change and brought Shane Mills in, and I think he’s a great complement to Jamie with the same attitude. They’re both pretty laidback, but they come out, and they’re unflappable on the mound. Shane walked the first guy, so it’s first and second. He struck out the last guy of the inning, and here we go into the eighth inning, another extra-inning game. My guys are kind of getting used to it. We had quite a few throughout the year, and I think we’re starting to figure out – we can’t count our chickens before they’re hatched. We have to finish off games. All the teams now – everyone is playing good, or they wouldn’t be here. They came back and tied it up. They really are a good team. I was happy to get out of there with a win, but it cost us three innings of pitching.”
–Looking ahead: “Thursday comes awfully quick. I think we’ll be okay. We have a couple of guys from today that can come back if we need them. I haven’t figured it out yet.
“Tomorrow we eat some pretzels – we get pretzels after a win from an old coach. We’ll discuss how everyone is feeling physically. Mentally, they’re there, and I think that’s the important part.”
Up next: Hatboro-Horsham (11-13, 6-9 SOL) will face a familiar foe in SOL Liberty Division champion Upper Dublin on Thursday. The Cardinals swept their three-game series with the Hatters during the regular season.
Hatboro-Horsham 000 300 000 1 4-10-0
Bangor 000 001 200 0 3-7-1
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