Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Friday. Wissahickon/Upper Merion photos courtesy of Kim Supko. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f12122253 (NP/Hazleton photos courtesy of Cindy Manero/NP baseball)
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 7, SOUDERTON 6 (8 innings)
The Titans could have hung their heads when Souderton scored three runs in the top of the seventh to erase a 5-2 lead and extend the game to extra innings.
They didn’t.
The Titans could have been down and out when the Indians took a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth.
They weren’t, answering with two runs in the bottom of the inning to eke out the win in Friday’s league opener.
“I’m not surprised this game ended up the way it did,” South coach Kevin Bray said. “It always seems that Souderton and us play really tight ballgames, and that’s a testament to their kids being a gritty bunch of kids and Mike (Childs) doing a nice job managing the ball club.
“For our guys, we jumped out to a lead in the second inning – felt pretty good as the innings went on. We added another one in the fifth, and then we just couldn’t secure the final outs in the seventh. We didn’t shy away from that challenge. Our guys came together and knew what we needed to do, and ultimately, that’s what happened.”
In the top of the eighth, Tyler Deery was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He stole second, moved up to third on Nick Trucillo’s sacrifice bunt and – with two outs – scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball.
In the bottom of the inning, Jake Yang reached first on an error, and Colin Flynn drew a walk. The Indians had no play on Blake Bell’s bunt single, and the bases were loaded. Yang scored the tying run on a passed ball, and the Titans won it when Flynn crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
“In the bottom of the eighth, the spark was set when Yang reached on the error,” Bray said. “We put some balls in play, and ultimately, two really good reads by our baserunners on third base with Yang and Flynn to score the walk-off run.”
Earlier, The Indians scored a first inning run when Chris McKenna, who walked, scored on a single by Tyler Lutz.
The Titans answered with a four-run second. Brett Barrett drew a walk to lead off the inning, and with two outs, Connor Thompson and Jake Ruddell drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Luke Poley drove in a run with a single, a Yang walk pushed the second run across the plate, and Flynn’s single scored a pair to put the Titans on top 4-1.
Souderton got one run back with a two-out double by Lutz that plated Nathan Woodbury, who singled to open the inning.
South upped its lead to 5-2 in the fifth when – after singles by Barrett, Eric Hofmeister and Thompson – Nick Baeta drew a bases-loaded walk.
Then came Souderton’s seventh-inning rally that began with a single by Trucillo, who moved up to second on an error and, one out later, scored on a single by Connor Klock. McKenna followed with a double to center, and a South miscue allowed a pair to score, setting the stage for the dramatic eighth.
Barrett (2-for-3, 2R) and Hofmeister (2-for-3) led the Titans’ eight-hit attack.
“The guys that we thought would be leaders on the field came through for us,” Bray said. “Colin Flynn had a huge base hit in the second to open up the scoring.
“On the pitching side of things, Brett Barrett gave us four strong innings. Sophomore Luke Hillegass got his feet wet with some varsity experience and really pitched well, and we were able to close it out in the eighth going with Hofmeister and Shawn Eisler, who ultimately got the win.”
Souderton’s nine-hit attack was led by Lutz, who was 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs and Austin Kreyenhagen, who was 2-for-4.
Central Bucks South (1-0 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Tuesday, and Souderton (1-1, 0-1) will host Pennridge on Tuesday.
Souderton 101 000 31 6-9-1
Central Bucks South 040 010 02 7-7-2
SOL Liberty Division
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 3, ABINGTON 0
Chris Manero took a page out of Rob Thomson’s playbook, using five pitchers in Friday’s opener, a move that turned out to be genius as the five combined for a one-hit shutout.
“We went in with a very unique approach to our pitching today, and essentially scripted a bullpen game with 5 different arms – all seniors,” the PW coach said. “Each of them executed exactly as they needed to and combined for a heck of an opening day effort on the mound. We gave these seniors an opportunity to lead us and that’s what they did.”
Chase Fisher struck out a pair in a 1-2-3 first inning. In the second, the Ghosts had a pair of runners on base with one out – the result of back-to-back errors, but Cooper Jones struck out the next batter he faced and collected the final out on a line drive out to center.
Next Brady McGrain threw two scoreless innings. He struck out a pair and allowed only a two-out single by Mason Kishpaugh in the bottom of the fourth.
The Colonials broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth. With one out, Gabe Caucci was hit by a pitch, and Kevin Hegerty drew a walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and both scored when Johnny Giordano doubled to center. Giordano – whose 2-for-4 effort led PW – scored on a Ghost miscue, and the Colonials led 3-0.
“We didn’t get anything across the plate for the first few innings, but I thought our approach was good,” Manero said. “And eventually it paid off when Giordano came up with a big 2-run double. That was the spark that kept us on fire for the last few innings.”
Mason Eagland took over on the mound in the bottom of the fifth and – after allowing a leadoff walk – struck out the side and added two more Ks in a 1-2-3 sixth. Colin Brady came in to close it out, and after walking the leadoff batter and picking him off for the inning’s first out, he struck out a pair to put an exclamation point on the win.
All told, PW’s five pitchers struck out 12 and walked only two.
“We have to give a lot of credit to Chase Olszyk behind the plate too,” Manero said. “It doesn’t show up in the box score, but he handled our pitchers extremely well and helped them control the game. That’s not an easy task with so many different guys on the mound.”
The Ghosts received solid pitching of their own. Jack Hoetzel threw five strong innings, allowing just three hits and three runs – only one earned – while striking out six and walking three. Joe Loughney closed it out with two shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out one.
As sendoffs go, this was a good one for the Colonials, who leave for spring training in Florida on Saturday.
“It’s been a choppy start to our season with two scrimmages in three days, then a big gap because of our senior class trip, so, it was good to see our guys remain focused through that all,” Manero said. “We head to Florida for 5 days tomorrow and getting a win here today was important for us to go down there with some confidence.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (1-0) will play a non-league game on both Sunday and Monday. Abington (0-1) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 000 030 0 3-4-2
Abington 000 000 0 0-1-1
SOL Freedom Division
LOWER MORELAND 6, CHELTENHAM 3
Keegan Courdoff was an unexpected – but immensely popular – hero for the Lions, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings in relief to earn the win in Friday’s league game.
“Keegan is a dog,” LM captain Drew Dorval said.
Courdoff certainly was one tough competitor in Friday’s outing, striking out seven and allowing just three hits.
“Keegan Courdoff made his debut for us as a junior and was as advertised,” LM coach Mike Guido said. “He played JV for the last two years and slowly developed his arm.
Mason Tammaro convinced me to let him keep going after we brought him in to get us out of a jam – ‘Gotta give the kid time’ is what he said.”
Courdoff entered the game to get the final out in the third in relief of Ethan Jarosiewicz. He never left, playing a starring role in the Lions’ third win of the young season.
“The boys are rolling right now,” senior captain Mason Tammaro said. “We’re all playing unselfish ball, and it’s all working out.”
The Lions put a run on the board in the top of the first when Kevin Cronin, who singled and stole second, scored on Dorval’s single to right.
The Panthers evened the score in the bottom of the inning when Kaeden ‘KC’ Carrerra – who lined a one-out double to left – scored on a single by Sam Batiancila. They added a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second to go on top 3-1.
Down but not out, the Lions took a lead they would not lose with a three-run fourth. Xavier Gonzales and Tammaro opened the inning with back-to-back singles but were still on first and second with two outs. A clutch two-out single by Bradley Horsnail scored Gonzales, and two runs crossed the plate when Gavin Blumhardt singled – the second on the throw to put the Lions on top 4-3.
Lower Moreland added a single run in the fifth. Cronin and Dorval opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and with two outs, Cronin scored on a double steal. They added another in the seventh when Dorval, who singled, scored for the 6-3 win.
“Heart attack game, fun game,” Guido said. “We are a team that is trying to figure out who we are right now. The seniors are stepping up in big at-bats.”
Dorval’s 3-for-4 effort with an RBI and run scored led the Lions. Kevin Cronin was 2-for-4 out of the leadoff spot with two runs scored, and James Cronin was 2-for-3.
“Drew Dorval was mister clutch today.” Guido said. “Jarowiescz didn’t have his best stuff today, but he battled all game and only allowed three runs despite 12 guys reaching base. I am really proud of what he’s accomplished since sophomore year. He’s been through a lot, and his character is what gives him success.”
For the Panthers, Carrera was 2-for-3 with a double and run scored, and Finn Kopp was 2-for-2 with a run scored.
Lower Moreland (3-1, 1-1 SOL) will be on the road at New Hope-Solebury on Wednesday, and Cheltenham (1-2, 1-1) is off until Wednesday, April 3, when the Panthers will travel to William Tennent.
Lower Moreland 100 310 1 6
Cheltenham 120 000 0 3
Non-league
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 3, NORTH HUNTERDON 2
The visiting Indians broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the second and never gave up their lead the rest of the way. There wasn’t a whole lot of hitting on either side in a contest that saw the two teams combine for just seven hits.
“It was a gutty win against a real talented North Hunterdon team,” Rock North coach Matt Schram said. “We faced two big D1 commits and we grinded out quality at-bats. “Sophomore Jude Hamilton was amazing on the mound, collecting his first varsity win. Jake Green closed the tight game with his first varsity save in the seventh inning.”
Hamilton threw six-plus strong innings and was relieved on the mound by Green when the first two North Hunterdon batters in the seventh reached base on a single and a walk. Green hit the first batter he faced to load the bases but struck out the next two. A bases-loaded walk brought home an Eagles’ run, but Green retired the next batter he faced to preserve the win.
Earlier in the game, the Indians scored an unearned run in the top of the first, and the Eagles collected a pair of hits in the bottom of the inning to knot the score.
Rock North took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning when Preston Martin, who singled with one out, scored when Joe Rizzo lined a double to left field.
In the top of the fifth, the Indians added an important insurance run without collecting a hit. Will Scibona, who walked to lead off the inning, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and then scored on another passed ball to put the Indians on top 3-1.
That run loomed large when the Eagles rallied in the seventh.
Hamilton retired 11 in a row before the first two runners reached base in the seventh. After giving up a pair of hits in the first, he did not allow a hit over the next five. For the game, Hamilton allowed three hits and was charged with two runs while striking out seven and walking two. Green did not allow a hit in the seventh, striking out a pair.
Council Rock North (2-1) will travel to Harry S Truman on Monday for its SOL opener.
Council Rock North 110 010 0 3-4-1
North Hunterdon 100 000 1 2-3-2
WILLIAM TENNENT 3, MaST CHARTER 0
Nick Scotese and Mike Woehr combined for the shutout on the mound, and the Panthers scored single runs in three innings to earn the non-league win.
“It’s been a tough start to the season due to some unexpected injuries,” Tennent coach Lucas Denzi said. “We have called on a lot of younger players to fill significant roles. They have been putting a lot of hard work in at practice, and it is starting to pay off.
“Today we got two great efforts on the mound from Nate and Mike, who are two guys that will be cornerstones of the rotation this season. Our offense was able to put some pressure on their defense, and some aggressive base running paid off.”
Scotese allowed one hit in two shutout innings, striking out four and walking one. Woehr scattered four hits in five strong innings, striking out 10 and walking none. Both pitchers threw a lot of strikes. Woehr threw 66 pitches – 52 for strikes – in a stellar outing.
The Panthers scored the only run they would need in the bottom of the fourth when Aidan Wilkowski and Woehr collected back-to-back two-out doubles. Wilkowski stroked a two-out double to left, and Woehr ripped the first pitch he saw to right field for a double that plated Wilkowski.
The Panthers plated an unearned run in both the fifth and sixth innings to earn the 3-0 win.
William Tennent (1-2, 0-1 SOL) will travel to Upper Moreland on Tuesday.
MaST Charter 000 000 0 0-5-3
William Tennent 000 111 x 3-4-0
WISSAHICKON 3, UPPER MERION 2
It was another day and another win for the Trojans, who broke a 2-2 tie with an unearned run in the fourth and then held on for the non-league win.
“Starting off 4-0 is a huge accomplishment for our guys and really makes us believe that our goals for this season are very attainable,” coach Andy Noga said. “We really have leaned on every single arm in our bullpen so far this season, and they all have come up big for us, and today was no exception.”
Four pitchers saw action Friday. Noah Oquenquist started and allowed just one hit in two shutout innings, striking out two. Jack Progue gave the Trojans three innings, allowing two hits and two runs – only one earned – while striking out four and walking none. Christian Sinoppoli gave up one hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning, and Giulio Carbo notched the save with a scoreless seventh. He did not allow a hit and struck out a pair.
“Noah Oquenquist set the tone early for us, followed by a stellar few innings by our energy guy Jack Pogue,” Noga said. “Christian Sinopoli came in and looked really good picking up the hold, and then a freshman we’re super excited for in Gulio Carbo came in to slam the door.
“Offensively, we haven’t quite hit our stride yet, but Jarret Federer continues to swing it well after we returned from our spring break trip, and we grind out at-bats up and down the lineup. We are a very frustrating team to pitch against, and that’s going to allow us to win slogs when we get into conference play against top tier SOL arms.”
The Trojans struck first, putting a pair on the board in the bottom of the first. Josh Palutis led off with a single and advanced all the way to third on a two-base error. He scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Josh Stonesifer. Finn Olszewski followed with a line single to center, and he scored when Jarret Federer lined a double to left field.
The Vikings evened the score in the top of the third, and the Trojans scored the go-ahead run with a two-out rally in the fourth when Brayden Ryan lined a double to left and scored on a Viking miscue.
For the Trojans, Palutis was 2-for-3 with a run scored out of the leadoff spot.
Wissahickon (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin on Tuesday.
Upper Merion 002 000 0 2-4-4
Wissahickon 200 100 0 3-6-1
NORTH PENN 3, HAZLETON 1
The Knights used a three-run uprising in the bottom of the sixth to earn the non-league win in a classic battle between the annual rivals.
“These non-league games against quality programs like Hazleton are important,” NP coach Kevin Manero said. “We saw very good pitching today, and this is the kind of day where we figure out how to solve that, so we’re seasoned for big games all season.
“Everything always starts on the mound, and our three guys – Wetzel, Walker, and Palovich – were fantastic today.”
Henry Wetzel started and threw four strong innings, scattering four hits and allowing one run – unearned – while striking out five and walking none. Nolan Walker, who earned the win, did not allow a hit in three scoreless innings, striking out three. In the seventh, Nick Palovich was unfazed when Hazleton’s leadoff batter was safe on an error, striking out the next two batters he faced and coaxing a fly ball to center for the game’s final out to earn the save.
Just how effective the Knights’ pitchers were is underscored by the fact that they combined for 10 strikeouts and did not walk a batter. They allowed only four hits and no earned runs.
“In tight games like these, we need to stay away from the free 90s, and as long as we do, we know we’ll have a chance to win it late,” Manero said. “No free
passes from the mound really helped that cause today.”
The Cougars put an unearned run on the board in the fourth, and it looked as though that might stand the rest of the way, but the Knights had other ideas.
In the sixth inning, Ben Farley lined a one-out single to center, and Chase Jones drew a walk. Farley scored on Luke Chartrand’s single to left, and Logan Waynick delivered the game’s biggest hit – a two-out single to center that plated a pair.
“Luke Chartrand delivered the game-tying hit after a couple rough at-bats earlier in the game,” Manero said. “That showed some real resiliency
“Logan Waynick, a freshman making his varsity debut, certainly did so with an exclamation point with a big game-winner off a big high school arm. That was impressive for the rookie.”
The Knights managed just five hits off the duo of Pitt commit Antonio Doganiero, who boasts a fastball clocked at 89 MPH, and George Washington commit Jonas Aponick, who’s been clocked at 86 MPH.
North Penn (3-0, 1-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday.
Hazleton 000 100 0 1-4-1
North Penn 000 003 x 3-5-2
PERKIOMEN SCHOOL 6, QUAKERTOWN 3
The visiting Panthers put three runs on the board in the top of the first, and Quakertown spent the rest of the game playing catchup in Friday’s non-league contest.
Quakertown made it a 3-1 game with a run in the bottom of the first when Dan Qualteria, who singled to lead off the inning, stole second, moved up to third on a groundout and scored when Tanner Clancy collected a two-out single.
Perkiomen School added an unearned run in the third and then tacked on a run in the fourth to go on top 5-1.
Quakertown staged a two-out rally in the fourth. Matt Marsten walked, and Carver Perrone followed with a single. The bases were loaded when pinch hitter Logan Niewoehner drew a walk. A run scored on Qualteria’s base hit and a second run scored on the throw, pulling the Panthers to within 5-3.
That’s as close as Quakertown would get.
Qualteria led the host Panthers with a 2-for-4 game out of the leadoff spot with two RBIs and one run scored.
Four pitchers saw action for Quakertown and combined to allow five hits and six runs – four earned – while striking out eight and walking six.
Quakertown (0-2, 0-1 SOL) will host Parkland in a non-league game Monday at 6 p.m.
Perkiomen School 301 101 0 6-5-0
Quakertown 100 200 0 3-6-2
LANSDALE CATHOLIC 7, UPPER MORELAND 2
The Crusaders scored four first-inning runs and went on to open up a 7-1 lead after three innings on their way to the non-league win.
The Golden Bears made it a 4-1 game in the top of the second when Tanner Sharp – who singled with two outs – scored on Jimmy Murray’s clutch line drive double to left.
In the top of the seventh, Dylan Wood drew a leadoff walk, and he scored with Patrick Kilgus delivered a one-out double to right field.
In a contest that both teams collect eight hits, no one on UM’s side had more than one hit.
Nate Kelly and Jackson Townsend both threw a scoreless inning in relief for the Golden Bears.
Upper Moreland (1-2, 1-0 SOL) will host William Tennent on Tuesday.
Upper Moreland 010 000 1 2-8-2
Lansdale Catholic 403 000 x 7-8-1
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