Jarrad Saffren recaps the games for SOL baseball teams in action Thursday.
By Jarrad Saffren
Suburban One League baseball coaches always say the same thing after league wins: “Anytime you get a league win it’s big. Anyone can beat anyone in this league on any given night. There are so many good teams. So any win is important.”
I am not paraphrasing. Every coach literally says that exact quote after every league win. It’s a cliche, a platitude, conventional wisdom, whatever you want to call it. But it’s also true. That’s why they say it, over and over and over again.
So, to all of the SOL baseball coaches, do not stop. Keep treasuring your league wins. They are your currency.
This has little to do with the five league games that were played Wednesday night. But on a light night of games, I felt it was appropriate/necessary to explain why the exact same quote may, based on my editorial judgment, occasionally reappear.
Anyway, my tangent is over. On Wednesday, five teams earned big, important league wins against opponents who could have beaten them on any given night. The results and recaps are below.
SOL Continental
North Penn 14, Central Bucks East 7
North Penn’s four through eight hitters combined for 10 hits and 12 RBIs in the Knights’ first league win of 2016.
“They put together nice at-bats,” North Penn coach Kevin Manero said. “They were staying in the strike zone and putting good swings on the ball. Our guys are seeing the ball well. We have guys in the lineup doing a good job of swinging at strikes, not balls. They are going up confidently.”
Kadar Namey stroked three hits, including a double and a home run, and had seven RBIs. Alex Peterson had three hits, one RBI, and four runs scored.
“He’s heating up,” Manero said of Peterson. “He plays ice hockey so he doesn’t get a whole lot of swings in the winter.”
Eight-hole hitter Matt Marino belted two hits and two RBIs. Manero was also pleased with the guy who bats behind Marino.
“Grant Silhanek is the unsung hero. He’s done a nice job putting the ball in play and getting us to the top of the order,” Manero said.
Silhanek had one hit Wednesday.
North Penn led 9-7 after four innings, as CB East kept responding to every Knight rally. Knights’ starting pitcher Matt Stevenson gave up six hits, three walks, and seven runs in 3.2 innings. CB East’s Grant Meiers and Andrew Collins combined for five RBIs. Three Patriots’ players—Meier, Collins, and Colin Sheehan—had two hits.
“CB East is a relentless team,” Manero said. “They’ll score runs right back. We have to do a better job getting outs.”
“Our offense and defense are confident,” Manero added. “As soon as our staff does well we’ll be clicking on all cylinders.”
Zach Thomas relieved Stevenson and allowed the Knights to pull away. Thomas tossed 3.1 shutout innings and surrendered four hits.
“Zach gave up one big hit and then he settled in,” Manero said.
Manero describes Stevenson and Thomas as “young guys” because they did not pitch on varsity last season.
“We have a young staff,” the Knights’ coach said. “We have some first-year pitchers that are going to be very good. It’s just a matter of going out and figuring out your release points and how to use pitches.”
Manero is still excited about Stevenson, a 6-foot-5 right-hander, even after he struggled Wednesday.
“(Stevenson) throws hard,” he said. “He’s just working on his repertoire. I’m hoping he makes big steps soon.”
North Penn lost to Central Bucks South in its league opener last Thursday. The Titans started ace Dan Klepchick.
“I wouldn’t call that an upset loss,” Manero said. “We were facing one of the best pitchers in the league.”
Manero said a loss Wednesday would not have ruined the Knights’ season. But a win was, of course…
“Important in the league,” Manero said. “Every one is.”
North Penn (2-1, 1-1 SOL) plays Quakertown Thursday, weather permitting. CB East (1-2, 0-2 SOL) takes on Hatboro-Horsham, also weather permitting.
North Penn 0-2-4-3-0-4-1 14
Central Bucks East 2-0-2-3-0-0-0 7
Souderton 5, Central Bucks West 1
Aaron Gulibon, Aaron Gulibon, Aaron Gulibon…Aaron Gulibon.
That explains why Souderton beat Central Bucks West Wednesday.
Gulibon pitched all seven innings, a complete game, 101 pitches. He fanned 10, walked only one, and did not allow an earned run.
“He got stronger as the game went on too,” Souderton coach Michael Childs said. “Everything was going. He was throwing his curveball for strikes.”
Childs said Gulibon raised the confidence of his teammates. “Especially in the field,” Childs said.
Gulibon allowed the Indians to play comfortably from ahead.
“We didn’t have that yesterday,” Childs said, referring to Souderton’s 4-3 comeback win over Quakertown.
Against CB West, Souderton never trailed, scoring three runs in the third and two more in the fourth.
“The kids were confident with the bats. They were not as tense or stressful,” Childs said. “With a lead, the kids can sit back, wait for pitches, lock in the zone, and get quality at-bats.”
Luke Barnum and Thylar Summerall each had two hits and two RBIs. Gulibon stroked two hits and one RBI.
“Luke earned the respect of his teammates right from the beginning,” Childs said. “He has been putting the ball in play from the two-hole. He works hard and gets it done.”
Childs also gave Barnum the ultimate compliment.
“He reminds me of a young Gulibon,” Childs said. Excited gasps echoed across the borough of Souderton.
Summerall has three hits and four RBIs in his last two games.
“He started a little off this season,” Childs said. “But he shortened his swing last week and he’s been ripping the ball ever since. You can’t be long with your swing at this level. He’s a big kid who can put power on the ball when he connects.”
Childs moved Summerall from the seven-hole to the six-hole in the batting order Wednesday.
Thomas Philipps had the only RBI for the Bucks. Eddie Shields and Philips got the only two hits off Gulibon, who Childs was not done praising.
“He’s not a cocky kid. He’s worked hard since I met him when he was in sixth grade,” the Indians’ coach said. “He’s a respectful kid. He’s been on varsity since 10th grade. He’s watched, learned, and now it’s his time to shine and he’s doing it, with the bat and pitching.”
Childs’ favorite thing about Gulibon is that he pounds the strike zone.
“As a coach, it’s always comfortable when a pitcher is throwing strikes, even if guys are hitting the ball, as along as he’s throwing strikes,” Childs said.
Souderton (2-2, 2-1 SOL) plays Christopher Dock Saturday at 1 p.m. CB West (0-4, 0-3) buses to North Penn Tuesday for a 3:45 p.m. start.
Souderton 0-0-3-2-0-0-X 5
Central Bucks West 0-0-0-1-0-0-0 1
SOL National
Circle this date on the SOL National calendar: April 21. Bensalem hosts Council Rock North in what could be an undefeated battle for first-place.
Bensalem 14, Pennsbury 3
No one was talking about Bensalem before the season. Even Owls’ coach Harry Daut was “cautiously optimistic.”
“We need some guys to step up for sure,” Daut said in March.
They have. And they did again on Wednesday. Third baseman Brian Swentkowski backhanded a hard bouncer in the first inning to save two runs. He also had two hits and two RBIs.
Trevor McGee gave up three runs in six innings on the mound, retiring seven straight hitters from the last out in the third to the end of the fifth. Steve Aldrich pitched a scoreless seventh.
Shawn Puskar and Rick Massott also had two RBIs for the Owls.
“We are making plays as a team and getting timely hits,” Daut said.
“The fielding is great. The hitting is great. The pitching is great,” Swentkowski said.
Bensalem improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in SOL National play. The Owls are scoring 10.5 runs per game and have won four games by six runs or more. But Wednesday’s win was their biggest statement so far.
“I really feel like we’ve arrived,” Puskar said. “I don’t think we have a ceiling right now. We are busting through that ceiling. We are shaking up this whole league and it feels great to beat all these teams.”
Daut prefers to remain “cautiously optimistic.”
“We are definitely not the best in the league,” the Owls’ coach said. “We are going to come play hard every day. This is definitely a first step.”
Daut’s players may prove him wrong on April 21. That remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: Bensalem is in the conversation, which it wasn’t before the season.
Dave Murphy drove in one run for Pennsbury and Kyle Dear knocked in two. Billy Bethel reached base twice. The Falcons have lost two straight, to CR North and Bensalem, the league’s last two undefeated teams.
Bensalem (6-0, 3-0 SOL) takes on Abington Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. Pennsbury (2-3, 1-2 SOL) battles Harry S. Truman Tuesday at 3:30.
Bensalem 0-2-3-0-4-0-5 14
Pennsbury 1-0-0-0-0-2-0 3
Council Rock North 14, Harry S. Truman 5
Harry S. Truman starting pitcher John Matthews kept Council Rock North off balance for four innings.
“I was actually impressed with him,” CR North coach Matt Schram said. “He did a nice job with his off-speed pitches. Our guys were swinging off their front foot.”
Truman built a 4-0 lead on North starting pitcher CJ Kilgarriff. Leadoff man Matt Olsen had three hits, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Nate Erhard smacked two hits for the Tigers.
But, the third time through North’s order, Matthews ran out of tricks. With two men on in the fifth, Jared Schram roped a double, making it 4-2.
In the sixth, Matthews was pulled after walking two batters with two outs. He had thrown 118 pitches. Reliever Brian Aicher walked another batter and Cavan Tully came up. Tully smoked a single that tied the game. One batter later, Schram rocketed a bases-clearing double to make it 7-4.
Schram had five RBIs in the game and now has 11 in 2016.
“Matt Hand has done a great job in the number four spot, but he’s not a normal four hitter,” Matt Schram said. “Guys are pitching around Jared. He’s not seeing a lot of fastballs. I told Jared before the season, ‘Losing Brandon McIlwain, you’ll be alone in the RBI category.’”
Jared Schram struck out in his first two at-bats, which was surprising. Matt Schram said Jared only struck out twice last season. But he, like the rest of the Indians’ lineup, figured out Matthews the third time through the order.
North piled it on in the seventh. Juliano Kovalcik hit an RBI single. Matt Shenot stroked a two-RBI single. And Hand launched a three-run home run.
“He’s doing exactly what you’d want a number four hitter to do,” Schram said.
Schram was concerned that his team would come out sluggish after a big win over rival Pennsbury Tuesday.
“I was a little worried because of the emotion of yesterday’s game,” the Indians’ coach said. “And Truman, every time we play them, they battle us.”
But Schram was confident after his hitters saw Matthews twice.
“I felt like, ‘Alright this is our third time seeing him now. If we are the team we think we are, we’ll get to him a little bit,’” Schram said. “But Truman’s well coached. They do everything right. I would have told you in the first five innings they were a playoff bound team. They had us.”
CR North (5-0, 3-0 SOL) plays St. Joseph’s Prep Friday. Truman (1-3, 1-2 SOL) battles Pennridge on the same day.
Council Rock North 0-0-0-0-2-5-7 14
Harry S. Truman 0-0-2-2-0-1-0 5
Neshaminy 8, William Tennent 3
Jerry Scavone was making his first start for Neshaminy. Josh Lehman was making his second.
Batting seventh and eighth, they combined for five hits, five RBIs, and three runs scored. “It’s nice if you’re able to get different guys to step up every night,” Neshaminy coach Chris Tenaglia said. “Jerry deserves to play. He got the opportunity today. And he rose up and produced. Josh Lehman played a really good game also.”
Matt Grudza gave up three runs in six innings and struck out six for Neshaminy.
“Grudza threw well all summer last year in legion ball. He moves the ball in and out, changes speeds,” Tenaglia said. “He’s also always calm and has a handle on what he’s doing. That’s what we saw today. It doesn’t seem like anything phases him. He goes out and pounds the strike zone.”
Andrew Alvino pitched a scoreless seventh.
Tenaglia said the performances of Grudza, Alvino, Scavone, and Lehman reveal Neshaminy’s depth, in the rotation and lineup.
“It’s our biggest asset,” Tenaglia said. “That’s a luxury to have in high school. Especially six or seven guys in the rotation you feel comfortable with.”
Pitchers Zach Boop and TJ Arnao are not even available right now. Boop has back spasms and Arnao has a bone spur in his elbow.
“We are pretty confident in the other five guys,” Tenaglia said.
Neshaminy has won three straight games since starting 0-3.
“I don’t know if anything was going wrong,” Tenaglia said. “In those early non-league games, you want to try to get guys in the game. You develop an identity.”
Tenaglia is saying that non-league games are not as important as league games. But I will let him explain.
“Anytime you get a league win it’s important,” Tenaglia said. “You build that momentum and it snowballs.”
Paul McElroy had two RBIs for William Tennent. Nick Cataldi did not allow a run in 2.2 innings.
Neshaminy (3-3, 2-1 SOL) travels to Upper Dublin Friday for a 3:30 p.m. start. William Tennent (2-3, 1-2 SOL) plays CR South Monday at 3:45.
Neshaminy 0-3-3-0-2-0-0 8
William Tennent 0-0-0-1-2-0-0 3
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