Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Friday. (NP file photo courtesy of Cindy Manero) NP/Neshaminy photo courtesy of Jesse Garber: https://jsgarber.zenfolio.com/p43269691
SOL Patriot/Colonial Division Crossovers|
Harry S. Truman 5, Souderton 4
After a pair of stellar outings from its two aces earlier in the week, Truman turned to a freshman for the third game of the week Friday, and Austin Allen delivered with 5 2/3 solid innings against visiting Souderton.
Then, after the Indians tied the game at 4 in the top of the sixth, solid base running and the game-winning hit up the middle by Caleb Wright gave the Tigers the 5-4 win, their third straight this week and fifth win in the last six games.
“Austin Allen pitched last week against Bensalem and our defense kind of failed him a little bit,” said coach Brian Sinkiewicz. “He’s a freshman with a lot of upside; we’re excited about him and he was awesome today.
“We went up on them twice and Souderton battled back twice. But it was a good win and an awesome week for Truman baseball.”
Allen scattered five hits and two walks, while striking out six. All four of the runs he allowed were unearned, as the Truman defense committed six errors.
Alex Matlack got on the jam in the sixth and then set Souderton down in order in the top of the seventh to earn the win out of the bullpen.
Offensively, the game came down to the bottom of the seventh. Pinch hitter Nate Gilson singled with a runner on and then took second as the throw went to third base.
With runners on second and third, Wright then singled up the middle with the game-winner.
“Nate Gilson is a sophomore and he’s been chomping at the bit to get in our lineup,” Sinkiewicz said. “He was able to get the runner into scoring position and then took second as the center fielder tried to throw the runner out at third. Caleb hits the single on what might have been a double play ball if Nick doesn’t take second on that throw. He made a huge impact for us today.”
Shortstop Wyatt Spinks and catcher Gabe Marrero had two hits each to lead the Truman offense.
Souderton was limited to five hits – all singles.
Truman (5-4, 4-3 SOL) has a nonleague game Saturday against Hopewell Valley Central (NJ) before returning to league play at CB East on Tuesday.
Souderton (5-4,4-3 SOL) hosts Pennsbury on Tuesday.
Souderton 002 002 0 – 4 5 1
Truman 200 020 1 – 5 9 6
North Penn 2, Neshaminy 0
Sophomore lefty Trevor Lugura was lights out for North Penn with a three-hit shutout on the mound, while the Knights manufactured runs in the sixth and seventh innings for a key crossover road game win over Neshaminy.
The win was the fourth in a row for North Penn, including three this week, as it remains in a first-place tie with Central Bucks West in the Colonial Division standings.
“This was a tough week and this is a tough part of the schedule, but we know it doesn’t get any easier,” said Knights coach Kevin Manero. “We’re real proud of how the guys came to play this week, though.”
Sometimes when a team plays three games in five days, its pitching can be stretched and tired on Friday. That wasn’t the case for North Penn against Neshaminy, as Lugura dominated from start to finish. He walked just one and struck out six, allowing only one runner to get as far as second base, and that was Neshaminy;’s Anthony Trommer, who led off the bottom of the first inning with a single. In all, he threw just 81 pitches.
“Trevor Lugura was just magnificent today,” Manero said. “To throw a (complete game) at the end of the week is such a huge bonus. He was so efficient and got better as the game went on.”
Neshaminy starter Evan Krippel was nearly as effective, blanking a North Penn team that scored 22 runs in two games earlier in the week, for five innings. He allowed just one hit, scattered five walks and struck out four, and the run attributed to him was unearned.
After a pair of groundouts to open the sixth, an error opened the door for North Penn. A walk put runners on first and second, and Henry Wetzel came through with a single to left to drive in the game’s first run.
In the seventh, Mario Sgro led off with a single for NP, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a sac fly to center by Kevin Brace.
“Both teams made the opponent earn everything they got today,” Manero said. “It was very clean and high-level baseball on both sides of the diamond.
“Little things become big things in close games, and Henry Wetzel’s two-out hit and Kevin Brace’s sac fly were great examples of that, as well as strong play in the infield all day.”
North Penn (8-1, 6-1 SOL) next plays at Council Rock North on Tuesday.
Neshaminy (6-4,4-4 SOL) plays Holy Ghost Prep in a nonleague game Saturday before traveling to Pennridge for a crossover game on Tuesday.
North Penn 000 001 1 – 2 4 1
Neshaminy 000 000 0 – 0 3 1
Pennsbury 6, Pennridge 0
Freshman Keller Bradley impressed on the hill for Pennsbury with six shutout innings before giving way to reliever Dom Dilorenzo in the seventh, as the Falcons blanked visiting Pennridge by a 6-0 final on Friday.
“(Bradley) hasn’t pitched in a game since Truman on (March) 30th, because we had two weeks with one game, and he was slotted to start this game,” said Falcons coach Joe Pesci. “He was really good today. We wanted to keep his pitch count under 80, and he threw 75 in six innings.
“He’s a 6-4 freshman who sits mid 80s, gets it up to 88 (miles per hour). We lost three pitchers from last year in (Callan) Fang, (Justin) Mitrovich and (Gavin) Hawkes, so we had space in the rotation. He proved down in Myrtle that he deserves to be on the mound.
“And today was much different than against Truman. He had a lot more confidence throwing multiple pitches for strikes. We got him a lead, and that gives him confidence he can go out and make mistakes if he has to.”
Offensively, shortstop Ryan Zuckerman made a huge impact. He doubled with one out in the first and scored on a Joe Tiroli double one batter later. In the third, Zuckerman hit a two-run homer after a leadoff single by James Schaffer.
Jordan Czerniak was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. LJ Nelson was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
“We had eight out of nine starters get a hit today,” Pesci said. “And we only struck out one time. … I was lamenting over (Wednesday’s 9-6 loss to North Penn) all night. I came to practice the next day and said to the guys, ‘Hey, we’ve got to prepare.’
“I tell the guys all the time, ‘Today, we are our biggest opponent.’ Mistakes compound. Today, we played a really clean game.”
Pennsbury (8-2, 5-2 SOL) plays at Souderton on Tuesday.
Pennridge (0-11, 0-7 SOL) goes for its first win at home against Neshaminy on Tuesday.
Pennridge 000 000 0 – 0 6 1
Pennsbury 103 200 x – 6 11 0
Central Bucks West 6, Council Rock South 1
The first inning went a long way toward deciding the outcome of Friday’s crossover game.
The visiting Golden Hawks scored their first and only run in the top of the inning, and the Bucks answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning. West starting pitcher Cayden Wertz threw five strong innings and did not allow a run after the first. Julio Ermigiotti threw two scoreless innings to close it out as the Bucks won their fourth game of the week.
“Cayden Wertz did an outstanding job today,” West coach Brian Weaver said. “He capped a week of great pitching for us, and after four games in five days was just about the last line of defense. He didn’t allow a run after the second batter of the game.
“It was a day we needed to pitch to contact, and our defense had his back and played one of their best games. Quinn Illig had several huge plays at second, and our outfield made a couple of really difficult catches that saved runs. And Julio threw an unhittable sixth and seventh to close it out.”
Rock South took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Johnny Mendola lined a solo home run to left field.
Kevin Bukowski responded with a solo home run of his own to lead off the bottom of the first, and with one swing of Bukowski’s bat, the score was deadlocked but not for long. Max McGlone followed and hit a solo round tripper to left. Will Hogenauer singled, and one out later, Illig singled. Matt Carr was hit by a pitch to load the bases, setting the stage for a two-run double by Luke Birkhead. Alex Valdez’s RBI single put the Bucks on top 5-1.|
“Mendola hit a no-doubt-about-it homer in the top of the first, but our guys came right up and got to work,” said Weaver, whose team tacked on a run in the third. “Bukowski and McGlone hit back-to-back homers to lead off the game for us, and we ended up batting around in the bottom of the first. Our guys have done a great job of answering back this week when we’ve given up runs, and Kevin and Max just grabbed the momentum and steered it back our way to set the tone for the game.”
Wertz allowed four hits and one run in five solid innings, striking out five and walking four. Ermigiotti did not allow a hit in two shutout innings, striking out three and walking one.
Hogenauer’s 2-for-3 day at the plate led the Bucks.
For the Golden Hawks, Mendola was 2-for-3 with a home run, RBI and run scored.
Council Rock South (9-1, 6-1 SOL) will host Bensalem on Tuesday, and Council Rock South (5-4, 4-3) will host Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
Council Rock South 100 000 0 – 1 4 1
Central Bucks West 501 000 x – 6 8 0
SOL Liberty/Freedom Division Crossovers
Quakertown 11, Springfield Twp 1 (5 innings)
The bats got going for the Panthers to the tune of 11 runs against Lower Moreland on Wednesday. Friday, they got 11 more runs against visiting Springfield and the result was a second straight one-sided win, this time by an 11-1 final.
“The bats came alive again, but the big inning started with a sacrifice bunt for our big guy Vinny Pellegrini,’ said coach Jon Pallone. “Carter Kochel followed up with a single to bring in the runners on second and third, and then the inning kept going.”
Quakertown scored two runs in the bottom of the first and never trailed. The eight runs in the bottom of the fourth not only blew open a 3-1 game but provided the final margin for a game called after five because of the mercy rule.
In the eight-run fourth, Matt Marsten and Nate Scheetz opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and both advanced when Pellegrini laid down a sacrifice bunt, setting the stage for Kochel’s two-run single. Caleb Everitt followed with a single, and he scored when Daniel Schwalm ripped a two-run triple to left field. After a walk to Danny Qualteria, Cole Reich doubled home a run. Scheetz – in his second at-bat in the inning – had a two-run single
The Panthers collected 11 runs on 12 hits, as eight different players had hits. Right fielder Cole Reich was 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored.
Qualteria and Scheetz had two hits each. Schwalm had a triple and two RBIs.
Cooper Natisin went all five innings for the Panthers, allowing one earned run on one hit and one walk, while striking out three.
“Cooper did a great job on the mound, only allowing three runners to reach base,” Pallone said.
Quakertown (3-7, 2-5 SOL) looks to make it three in a row Tuesday at William Tennent.
Springfield (4-3, 4-3 SOL) plays a nonleague game against Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy. Springfield 010 00 – 1 1 1
Quakertown 201 8x – 11 12 1
Hatboro-Horsham 15, Lower Moreland 0 (5 innings)
Noah Schlosser got this one started with a double to jump-start a four-run top of the first for Hatboro-Horsham, which added six in the second and scored in every inning on the way to a 15-0 whitewashing of Lower Moreland in a game shortened to five innings via the mercy rule on Friday afternoon.
Schlosser went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, while Jaxson Bumpus was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI and Stephen Plefka was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. In all, the Hatters finished with 13 hits by 10 different players.
“Today was a total team effort,” said coach Pete Moore. “Fourteen different players reached base. Our revamped lineup seems to be more balanced and has guys playing relaxed and having fun.”
Plefka also shut the Lions down on the mound, going all five innings, allowing just two hits and two walks, while striking out three.
“Junior captain Stephen Plefka led the way at the plate and on the mound,” Moore said. “I was really happy to see him have the success that he had today. He threw the ball as firm as I have seen him throw it this year with good command.
“Senior Tom Shegogue continues to take advantage of every minute we get him on the field. He had a double today, in addition to another great dirt ball read as a courtesy runner that led to a run early in the game. He practices everyday like it’s a game situation and it has led to him being ready to help the team when he is called on in games recently. He is a great leader by example.
“Dom Rapino is a sophomore who we just brought up from the JV team, and he collected his first varsity hit today, as did junior Brendan Costello.
“We talk a lot about the importance of making the routine plays and winning the ‘Free Base War’ and we did a great job in those two areas today. We won the Free Base War 19-2 and didn’t make an error.”
H-H (7-3, 4-3 SOL) has another crossover game on Tuesday, at home against Springfield.
Lower Moreland (3-5, 2-5 SOL) hosts MaST Charter in a nonleague game on Saturday.
H-H 462 12 – 15 13 0
LM 000 00 – 0 2 2
Plymouth Whitemarsh 11, New Hope-Solebury 6
The Colonials jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings, hit the ball all game with 18 hits total and added on five runs to completely blow the game wide open in the top of the seventh.
Turns out those last five runs were pretty important too, as host New Hope scored five in the bottom of the seventh to make it interesting, before PW was able to close it out.
“It was a bit of a strange game when you look back at the boxscore,” said coach Chris Manero. “We pounded 18 hits, which is really impressive, but we also left 11 guys on base. Baseball can be a strange game some days.
“We had a chance to get a bunch of guys on the mound today, and some who needed to get innings under their belt. We were happy with the way first-year varsity guys Chase Fisher and Cooper Jones threw the ball.”
Fisher, who earned the win, pitched the first three innings, did not allow a run, scattering three hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Jones allowed just one earned run in his three innings.
Offensively, first baseman Colin Brady went 3-for-4 with a triple, a double and two RBIs. Gavin Rocks was 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs. Chase Olszyk and Tyler Gartland had two hits each.
“We had some big contributions spread out throughout the lineup today,” Manero said, “and had a few at-bats late off the bench with Luke Hildebrand and Cam Williams that proved to be important for us when the game got a little closer.
“We had three wins this week, and we know that as we head into the second half of the season, keeping up momentum will be important.”
Matt Rickert was 3-for-4 for New Hope, while Brooks Saft went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
PW (7-2, 6-1 SOL) hosts Lower Moreland on Tuesday.
New Hope (3-6, 2-5 SOL) looks to bounce back at home against Abington on Tuesday.
PW 204 000 5 – 11 18 1
New Hope 000 010 5 – 6 10 1
Abington 14, Cheltenham 3
Eight runs in the first three innings blew it wide open as Abington won its third game of the week and fourth league game in a row over Cheltenham in six innings.
The Galloping Ghosts’ bats were alive on Friday, as they bashed 14 runs on 20 hits and hit .556 as a team against Cheltenham pitching. Seven of those hits were extra base hits.
Shortstop Chase Goodson went 2-for-2 with a triple, a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. He had a two-run double in the six-run second and tripled and scored a run in the third.
Leadoff hitter and third baseman Matt Worek went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Alex Dardaris and Pat Barrett had two RBIs each, while LJ Moss, Jake Kaplan and Jaden Hernadez had two hits each.
Wolf pitched the first three innings and didn’t allow a run or a hit, with just one walk, while striking out seven to pick up the victory.
Cheltenham scored a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to cut Abington’s lead to 8-3, but the Ghosts scored six times in the sixth to finish the game off.
Abington (5-5, 4-3 SOL) next plays Tuesday at New Hope-Solebury.
Cheltenham (2-6, 1-6 SOL) has a nonleague game Saturday morning at Methacton.
Abington 161 006 – 14 20 1
Cheltenham 000 120 – 3 4 0
Nonleague
Father Judge 10, Central Bucks East 9 (8 innings)
With four straight losses coming in, including two tough ones to start the week, CB East traveled to Father Judge, looking to right the ship with a nonleague game. And the Patriots started strong, especially on the mound, scoring nine runs in the first three inning and building a lead as much as 8-1 and 9-4.
But Judge chipped away, pulling within 9-8 in the fifth. Then in a crazy bottom of the seventh, a two-out dropped third strike kept the inning alive and the tying run then crossed on a passed ball to send the game into extra innings.
In the eighth, a hit batter and an error set up the game winning hit for Judge, handing the Patriots their fifth straight loss.
Offensively, Nolan Behm went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for CB East, while Thomas Cano-Piszel was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Joey Wilga was 1-for-3 with a double and three runs scored, while Nick Mutchier also drove in a pair of runs.
CB East (2-8, 2-4 SOL) returns to league play at home Tuesday with a crossover home game against Harry S. Truman.
CB East 261 000 00 – 9 10 3
Father Judge 132 020 11 – 10 7 1
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