Jarrad Saffren recaps all of Thursday’s SOL baseball action that saw the last undefeated squad – North Penn – suffer its first loss of the season.
By Jarrad Saffren
In 2016, Upper Dublin started 10-0 and Council Rock North started 13-0. It was fun to ask the undefeated question for a while.
Of course, UD coach Ed Wall and CRN coach Matt Schram kept repeating the same tired but effective coach platitudes about, “Not being focused on that” and “The next game” and even “I kind of sort of hope we lose one. Of course I want to win every game. But I kind of don’t.”
It was fun to laugh about how scripted and predictable their answers were. I had to ask it. And they had to answer that way. We all got a good laugh out of it.
Well, I bring this up because I won’t have to ask the undefeated question in 2017. Souderton beat North Penn Thursday. The Knights, at 8-0, were the last undefeated team in all three Suburban One League conferences.
None of the 22 SOL teams crossed the halfway point without a loss, so the question can be shelved until 2018. Quakertown, at 5-0, is the only SOL team that is even undefeated in league play.
This is a parity year across the SOL. Three SOL National teams—Neshaminy, Pennsbury and CR North—have one league loss after Thursday. Three SOL Continental teams—Pennridge, North Penn and Souderton—are tied in first with just one league loss. Four SOL American teams—Quakertown (5-0), Upper Moreland (4-1), Hatboro-Horsham (3-2) and Springfield Township (3-2)—are above .500 in league play.
There really are no favorites in any league, besides maybe Quakertown in the American. The title races will be true races. There were plenty of developments Thursday, with seven league games on the schedule.
There was also an eighth game, a non-league game—Central Bucks South versus Bensalem—that counted toward the power rankings.
Read about them all below.
SOL American
Quakertown 2, Upper Moreland 0
Both teams entered this game 4-0 in league play. Quakertown came out 5-0, and in first place, thanks to starter Justin Guidos and third hitter Matt Bukavich.
Guidos pitched a complete game shutout, allowing one hit and one walk. He also struck out six.
“He went out there and competed. He pitched to contact and struck guys out when he had the chance. He also kept his pitch count down and kept guys off the bases,” Quakertown coach Jon Pallone said. “The hit was off Jake Reed’s glove at short. It was in the hole. He thought about throwing to first. But it was definitely a base hit because he dove.”
Upper Moreland had men on first and second after the hit. Guidos got the next batter to hit a come-backer, which he fired to third for the force. Then the third baseman threw to first for the double play. Guidos got out of his only jam of the day.
Bukavich stroked two hits and drove in both runs. Quakertown had just three hits as a team.
“Matt just had a good approach. Their pitcher was hitting certain spots, especially outside. Matt picked up on it,” Pallone said. “The second hit he had two strikes and hit a double.”
Drew San Angelo scored both of Quakertown’s runs.
Golden Bears’ starter Tommy Jacob pitched almost as well as Guidos, finishing six innings and giving up just three hits. He also fanned six. Dawson Ruggles got Upper Moreland’s only hit.
Quakertown (7-1, 5-0 SOL) plays Springfield Township Monday at 3:45. Upper Moreland (6-2, 4-1 SOL) hosts Pennridge Friday at 3:30.
Quakertown 1-0-0-0-0-1-X 2
Upper Moreland 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 0
Springfield Township 3, Upper Dublin 2
Noel Franzyk and Tim Dahme led Springfield to its third league win in five games. The smallest school in the SOL is playing really good baseball right now.
“We usually start playing like this later in the season,” Springfield coach Dennis Primavera said. “We are starting early this year.”
Franzyk started on the bump for the Spartans. He was not dominant, allowing six hits and two walks. But he was effective, lasting six innings and allowing just two runs, one earned.
“Noel moved his pitches around. He doesn’t throw hard but he mixes them up,” Primavera said. “He throws his deuce in the dirt. He’s learning when to do that and when to stay away from it, like with men on base.”
Dahme held Springfield’s one-run lead in the seventh, getting three straight outs on seven pitches. He struck out one.
“Dahme came in and threw strikes,” Primavera said. “That’s what I need him to do, and he did.”
It was fitting that Dahme saved the game. His two RBIs—one in the first, one in the fifth—made the difference. Springfield scored two runs in the fifth, breaking a 1-1 tie. Franzyk knocked in the other run, on a bunt toward the mound that scored Will Jamison.
“It was time for him to break out. He was hot early and cooled down,” Primavera said. “The lineup right now is solid one through nine. I have so many guys playing well that it’s hard to decide who to play. Nick Pave hasn’t been in the lineup when he wasn’t pitching, but we got him in today, and it worked.”
Pave had three hits and a walk on Thursday. Springfield’s Jackson Pauwels also scored a run.
Tommy Reilly led Upper Dublin with two runs and two hits. JT Breslin had a hit and an RBI.
Reilly was also solid on the mound, allowing one earned run in seven innings. He was also a horse, throwing 101 pitches.
Springfield (6-2, 3-2 SOL) plays Quakertown Monday at 3:45. Upper Dublin (3-4, 2-3 SOL) battles Hatboro-Horsham Friday at 3:30.
Springfield Township 1-0-0-0-2-0-0 3
Upper Dublin 1-0-0-0-1-0-0 2
SOL Continental
Souderton 9, North Penn 8 (10 innings)
Souderton ended North Penn’s undefeated run and won its third straight game, improving to 4-4.
North Penn took a 5-0 lead in the first inning Thursday. Nate O’Donnell walked to force in a run. Connor Mikulski hit a two-run single to center, scoring Dan Drop and O’Donnell. The other two runs scored on errors.
Souderton answered right back in the top of the second. Thylar Summarell blasted a tape measure home run over the right field fence.
“We started rough,” Souderton coach Michael Childs said. “All of a sudden Summarell hits a homer and gets the juices flowing a little bit.”
The juices started flowing a lot in the away fifth, when Souderton scored five runs and took a 6-5 lead. Derek Freed scored the first run when Jordan Morales grounded out to short. The next two runs came home on an error. Then Luke Barnum ripped the ball to first, plating Jack Despain, tying the game.
Freed singled home the go-ahead run, lining the ball to left. Brendan Kreag stomped his cleated foot on home plate.
One inning later, Despain, Souderton’s leadoff man, slammed a two-run bomb to left. It was the first home run of Despain’s high school career.
North Penn scored three runs to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth. Ryan Bealer singled home a run with a hard grounder to second. Then Corey Stouffer grounded into a fielder’s choice to short, plating Tyler Siddal. Then Bealer ran home on a passed ball.
Finally, in the top of the 10th, Freed lined a triple to deep right, scoring Brett Moyer, putting Souderton up 9-8.
Then, with two on and two outs in the bottom of the 10th, Dan Knechel collected the final out on a pop out to Summarell in right. Knechel tossed 4.1 scoreless innings.
“Once we went down 5-0, we figured we got nothing to lose,” Childs said. “Let’s just relax and start battling back.”
Freed had a huge game for Souderton, with three hits, two RBIs and a run.
“Freed started the season rough. He moved down from three to six in the order to get things together,” Childs said. “He was just pressing, overthinking his swing. He’s starting to see the ball now and is feeling comfortable in the box.”
Despain also had a game, with two RBIs, two runs and a hit. Kreag had two RBIs, a hit and a run. Souderton’s Kyle Lennon scored two runs.
“One through nine contributed,” Childs said.
Souderton beat Pennridge and North Penn this week, the other two Continental teams with one loss.
“Pennridge and North Penn are the two perennials,” Childs said. “To come out with two wins this week, I’m ecstatic, especially this early in the season.”
Souderton (4-4, 2-1 SOL) plays Lower Merion Friday at 3:45. North Penn (8-1, 2-1 SOL) battles Central Bucks South Monday at 3:30.
Souderton 0-1-0-0-5-2-0-0-0-1 9
North Penn 5-0-0-0-0-3-0-0-0-0 8
William Tennent 6, Central Bucks East 0
William Tennent starter Chris Sliwka pitched 6.2 shutout innings, striking out nine, allowing two hits.
“Chris pitched very well. He never really put himself in any bad positions. He gave us a real good, solid outing,” Panthers’ coach Rick Penecale said. “He used fastball-slider, a couple changeups. He was getting his pitches over and didn’t get into any bad counts.”
Sliwka improved to 3-0 in 2017. He has allowed one run in 18 innings, a 0.38 earned run average. His last two wins were shutouts.
“He has pitched really well,” Penecale said. “He has given us a real solid performance each time.”
Brandon Hefele got the last out for Tennent, a strikeout. Five Tennent players—Danny Goodz, Cole Browne, Greg Delgado, Xavier Delgado and Matt Hartenstein—all drove in one run. Sean Jeffries, Joey Shannon, Tom Plunkett, Xavier Delgado, Hartenstein and Goodz all scored one run.
Central Bucks East’s Jared Thompson gave up no earned runs in four innings. Kyle Feasby pitched a scoreless seventh. Grant Meiers got on base twice for CB East.
Tennent (3-3, 2-2 SOL) plays Neshaminy Friday at 3:45. CB East (2-5, 1-3 SOL) hosts Abington Monday at 3:45.
William Tennent 0-5-0-0-0-1-0 6
Central Bucks East 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 0
Pennridge 4, Central Bucks West 0
Pennridge’s Andrew Mayhew pitched a complete game shutout. The right hander cruised through seven innings, tossing just 79 pitches and allowing just three baserunners. He also struck out seven.
Four Pennridge players—Andrew Fantaskey, Joe Robinson, Kyle Yoder and Sean Yoder—all knocked in one run.
Chase Bifolco, Ian Kacergis, Jake Siwert and Fantaskey each scored one run for Pennridge.
Central Bucks West relievers Matt Cooper (1.2) and Steven Gebre (One) combined to pitch 2.2 scoreless innings.
Pennridge (5-4, 3-1 SOL) plays Upper Moreland Friday at 3:30. CB West (2-4, 1-3 SOL) hosts Cheltenham on the same day and time.
Pennridge 1-0-0-1-2-0-0 4
Central Bucks West 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 0
SOL National
Council Rock North 4, Neshaminy 2
Council Rock North took over first place in the SOL National with a comeback win.
Neshaminy took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. Brian Nicolas barreled the ball to left, plating Ben Raab and Anthony Rapposelli.
The Redskins had already chased CR North ace Gavin Ferrandino from the game. Things looked good for Neshaminy. Then they went downhill fast.
“We had that slight bump in the road,” North reliever Eric Hoefer said. “But we were still confident.”
First, Hoefer settled in, getting Ed Parry to bounce out to short to end the inning. Then he pitched a 1-2-3 top of the third.
In the bottom of the third, North rallied to tie the game. Joe Preciado rocketed an RBI single to deep short. Cavan Tully scored. Then, with two outs, Cole Olshavsky scored during a rundown between first and second. Indians coach Matt Schram sent the runner. Neshaminy’s catcher threw down to second. The runner paused as the shortstop caught the ball, starting the rundown, giving Olshavsky time to score before the tag, which was the third out.
Hoefer continued to roll, surrendering two baserunners over the next three innings. North took its first lead in the home fifth. Preciado ripped an RBI single down the third base line, scoring Tully.
“I saw the ball come in real nice over the middle and I just yanked it down the line,” Preciado said. “I was a little out in front but I got the job done.”
North added an insurance run in the sixth. Tully, with the bases loaded, bunted the ball down the third base line. Neshaminy’s third baseman let it roll, hoping it would spin foul. But it hit the bag as Jason Walter touched home.
“I just saw on Twitter that that happened in the MLB, too,” Tully said, laughing. “Last year I was a bunt threat, too. I think everyone knows I’m a bunt threat.”
Neshaminy threatened in the top of the seventh. Rapposelli and Zach Tredway belted singles with no outs. Then Nicolas bunted them to second and third.
But Hoefer got Ed Parry to pop the ball up toward short. Tully dove and caught the ball. Then he tagged second, doubling off the runner, ending the game.
Hoefer pitched 5.1 scoreless innings, striking out four, walking none.
“We are prepared for anything. We didn’t think that Gavin wouldn’t have his stuff,” Tully said. “But we were prepared. We had Hoefer.”
“Coach told me I would be relieving Gavin. I didn’t expect to be in there that early. But I was pumped and ready,” Hoefer said. “I wanted to face these guys again since they beat me the first time (Neshaminy beat North and Hoefer 3-0 on April 5). I learned that they are a fastball-hitting team. So today I kept them off balance with my curveball.”
“Eric was competing like crazy. He was very confident,” Schram said. “He was executing every pitch, moving balls this way and that way. He’s tough to hit when he does that.”
Preciado went 3-for-3 with three singles and two RBIs.
“After my last game, when I hit fastballs, I thought I wasn’t going to see many fastballs. So I was looking off-speed,” Preciado said. “That was pretty much all I saw.”
Preciado’s hits came on a curveball, another curveball and a changeup.
“Joe’s been a hitting machine,” Schram said. “He’s confident at the plate right now.”
Tully got on three times, scored two runs and drove in one.
“I just gotta get on, and I know my teammates will get me over,” said Tully, North’s leadoff man. “And I’m gonna score.”
“Cavan’s awesome,” Schram said. “He’s a bona fide leadoff hitter. His bunt was perfect, like we planned.”
Schram said first place is a precarious position for these Indians.
“Neshaminy is a veteran team. We’re not a veteran team at all,” he said. “We’re not good enough to be where we are and think we’re going to stay here. We are going to have to work really hard.”
CR North (7-4, 5-1 SOL) plays Council Rock South Saturday night at seven, at Arm & Hammer Park, home of the Trenton Thunder. The game will not count in the league standings. It is a fundraiser for a district charity.
Neshaminy (7-2, 4-1 SOL) hosts William Tennent Friday at 3:45.
Neshaminy 0-2-0-0-0-0-0 2
Council Rock North 0-0-2-0-1-1-X 4
Pennsbury 4, Council Rock South 3
Three Pennsbury pitchers—starter Nick Price, reliever Nate Derry and closer Alec Wilson—combined for a stellar outing.
Price was shaky, no doubt, allowing seven hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. He also threw 92 pitches. But he only gave up two runs.
“Nick Price has been our first relief. He did well, kept the runs down,” Pennsbury coach Joe Pesci said. “He scattered the hits and kept them at bay even if he got a couple runners here or there.”
Derry gave up no earned runs in 3.1 innings, allowing only one hit.
“Nate Derry had a couple spot starts last year, and he threw well,” Pesci said. “Nate was throwing his fastball where he wanted to and his curveball for strikes, whenever he wanted to. Nate has been that non-league starter. So it was huge for us because we’ve been looking for that mid-relief or setup guy.”
Wilson tossed a perfect bottom of the ninth. He ran full counts to the first two batters. He got the first to ground out and the next to line out. Then he got Evan Fisher to fly out to center on the first pitch.
“Alec is long and tall and throws hard,” Pesci said. “He’s not afraid to challenge guys in those types of spots.”
In the ninth, Pennsbury’s Ryan McCarty broke a 3-3 tie with a single to right.
Pennsbury took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second. Price hit a two-run single, scoring Justin Ward and Zach DeMarchis. Then Dave Murphy scored on a wild pitch.
CR South answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Fisher tripled to center, scoring Josh Kim and Trey Obarowski. South tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Bryan Rieser scored on an error.
Golden Hawks reliever Shane Walter pitched two scoreless innings.
Pennsbury (7-3, 4-1 SOL) plays CR North Monday at 3:45. CR South (4-4, 2-2 SOL) takes on CR North Saturday night.
Pennsbury 0-3-0-0-0-0-0-0-1 4
Council Rock South 0-0-0-0-2-0-1-0-0 3
Non-League
Central Bucks South 7, Bensalem 4
Andrew Dietz did it all for CB South. As a pitcher, Dietz gave up no hits and no runs in three innings. He fanned two. As a hitter, he had three RBIs, two hits and a run.
His two-run bomb in the fourth cut Bensalem’s lead to 3-2. His double in the seventh put CB South up 6-4.
“Dietz was a monster today. The home run was a complete bomb. It was a 2-2 curve. He just sat on it and destroyed it. It really sparked the dugout and got us going,” Titans coach Brian Klumpp said. “He also threw really well, was locating his fastball, throwing hard.”
Eric Gross had three hits, two RBIs and a run for the Titans. His seventh inning double made it 7-4 Titans.
“He came up with some big hits as well,” Klumpp said. “He’s been hitting well all year and continues to do so.”
Tyler Watson scored two of CB South’s runs. Joey Loynd, Tommy Dugan and John McSweeney also scored one run each. Alex Bendzlowicz and Ben Berger both drove in one run.
Bensalem leadoff man Trevor McGee scored two runs, got on twice and drove in a run. Keith Parrish had a run and a hit. Stephen Aldrich had a hit and an RBI. Nick Bagnarelli knocked in a run.
CB South (6-2, 2-2 SOL) plays North Penn Monday at 3:30. Bensalem (5-4, 2-3 SOL) hosts CR South Monday at 3:45.
Central Bucks South 0-0-0-4-0-1-2 7
Bensalem 1-0-2-1-0-0-0 4
About the Author
