Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Monday. CB East/NP photos courtesy of Cindy Manero/NP baseball)
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, PENNSBURY 1
Peyton Shaw was on top of his game Monday.
The Rock North junior allowed just three hits and one run (unearned) in six superb innings on the mound to earn the win under the lights at Diamond Nation.
“Peyton Shaw threw a gem, striking out eight and walking one,” Rock North coach Matt Schram said. “Nick DiGiacomo had a nice evening with two hits, the defense was solid, and it was a classic Patriot League duel that took place in New Jersey due to the eclipse.”
For the Indians, Monday’s game came on the heels of Saturday’s rivalry game against Council Rock South at Arm and Hammer Stadium in Trenton, and in an odd twist, the Indians have played back-to-back SOL games in New Jersey.
Sophomore Jude Hamilton earned the save, allowing one hit in a scoreless seventh inning. He needed just eight pitches to close out the game.
“Jude Hamilton came in to close the door,” Schram said. “Wins in our league are hard to come by, and with this team still figuring out how to compete at this level, it’s a huge win, especially against schools the size of Pennsbury.”
On a night when runs were hard to come by for both sides, the Golden Hawks took a 2-0 lead in the second, capitalizing on Jack Ploppert’s leadoff single, a pair of Falcon miscues, as well as a successfully executed suicide squeeze by Kyle Book.
The Falcons made it a 2-1 game in the bottom of the third, loading the bases on a one-out James Schaffer bunt single and back-to-back hit batters. A fielder’s choice on Jordan Czerniak’s grounder to first pushed across the Falcons’ only run.
The rest of the game belonged to the respective pitchers.
Pennsbury’s Connor McCloskey pitched well enough to win on most nights, going the distance and allowing just three hits and two runs – both unearned – while striking out seven and walking one.
Council Rock North (3-3, 2-2 SOL) is off until next Monday when the Indians will travel to Central Bucks West. Pennsbury (4-3, 2-3) will host North Penn in a crossover game Thursday.
Council Rock North 020 000 0 2-3-1
Pennsbury 001 000 0 1-4-2
Sunday, April 7
PENNSBURY 3, BENSALEM 1
The Falcons pitched by committee in Sunday’s road win.
Four pitchers saw action and allowed just two hits in seven innings. The Falcons broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the top of the fifth and added an insurance run in the top of the seventh.
The Falcons scored a run in the top of the fourth when Eric David, who doubled to lead off the inning, scored on Tyler Boraski’s single.
The Owls got that run back in the bottom of the inning when Mike Kramer, who lined a double to left to open the frame, scored on a Falcon miscue.
Evan Hawkes led off the fifth with a single, and he scored the go-ahead run for the Falcons on a double play. Pennsbury added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, thanks to an RBI single by David.
David finished the game 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored to lead the Falcons.
Tyce Dendler started on the mound for the Falcons, and in 3.1 innings, he allowed one hit and one run (unearned), striking out two and walking one. Ian Pollack notched the win with a scoreless third inning. Joe Beitler allowed one hit in 1.2 shutout innings, and Connor O’Brien earned the save with a scoreless two-thirds of an inning to close out the game.
Pennsbury 000 110 1 3-8-1
Bensalem 000 100 0 1-2-1
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 11, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1 (6 innings)
Sam Greer stole the spotlight for the Bucks.
The St. Joseph’s commit was in command on the mound, striking out 11 and walking four in 5.1 strong innings.
“Today starts with Sam Greer for us,” West coach Brian Weaver said. “He gives us a chance to win every game that he pitches, and today we saw the best of him. He spotted up his fastball incredibly well, and him and Tyler Thomas were able to execute the game plan efficiently. Ernie (Sanchez) came in for the last two-thirds of the sixth and finished it up for us. We really needed that kind of pitching effort to give us some breathing room at the plate.”
Quinn Illig led off the bottom of the first with a double to center, and two outs later, Greer helped his own cause with an RBI double to give the Bucks an early 1-0 lead. They added four more in the bottom of the second, capitalizing on several South miscues as well as a double by Blake Hager and a solo blast to left field by Jack Hogenauer that put the Bucks on top 5-0.
In the fourth inning, Hager hit his second double of the game and scored when Hogenauer delivered a clutch two-out single.
South scored an unearned run in the top of the sixth, and the Bucks brought an end to the game with five runs in the bottom of the inning, all with the benefit of just one hit – Greer’s second double of the game.
“Offensively, we had contributions up and down the lineup,” Weaver said. “Hager, Sam Greer, and Illig all had a pair of hits, and Hogenauer was 2-for-4 with a homer. We had five doubles on the day, we ran the bases well, and we didn’t chase much at the plate.
“The guys put together the kind of innings that keep up the momentum, and the pitchers had some space to do their job without as much pressure. It was a good day in all phases of the game.”
Leading the Bucks hit parade were Illig (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, 3R), Hogenauer (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs 2R) and Hager (2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 RBIs, R).
Central Bucks West (2-2, 1-2 SOL) will host Souderton on Tuesday, and Central Bucks South (1-2) will host Pennridge on Tuesday.
Central Bucks South 000 001 1
Central Bucks West 140 105 11
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 14, NORTH PENN 3 (5 innings)
This one figured to be a nailbiter.
After all, the defending Colonial Division champion Knights entered the game with a perfect 5-0 record. The Patriots, meanwhile, had won both of their league games and were picked to contend for this year’s title.
The Patriots took some of the suspense out of the game with three first-inning runs and all but put the game away with six more in the third on their way to the win in the abbreviated contest. While Sam Bliss did the job on the mound, the Patriots – behind the seven-RBI effort of Chase Fulford – pounded out 10 hits and scored 14 runs.
“Our guys as a whole were seeing the ball very well today against a strong North Penn pitching staff,” East coach Kyle Dennis said. “The top six in our lineup were electric, contributing most of our hits and RBIs.
“The bottom of our order contributed quality at-bats and were able to get on base and scored three runs.”
The Patriots set the tone for this one in a hurry. After Reece Moody was hit by a pitch to lead off the first, Nolan Behm roped a double to right. With first base open, the Knights elected to walk Chase Harlan.
One out later, Jack Mislan lined a double to center that plated a pair, and Fulford’s sacrifice fly to left gave the Patriots their early three-run lead.
A six-run third inning was highlighted by a three-run home run to left field by Fulford as well as singles by Behm, Harlan, Colin Lynch (RBI), Mislan (RBI) and Moody (RBI), and the Patriots weren’t finished yet, putting five more runs on the board in the fourth.
After Lynch and Mislan drew one-out walks, Fulford hit his second round-tripper of the game – this one also a three-run blast to left field.
“Junior second basemen Chase Fulford had a day to remember,” Dennis said. “He had a sac fly in the first inning to give us a 3-0 lead followed by two three-run home runs – one in third and another in the fourth inning.”
A two-run single by Moody put the Patriots on top 14-0 before the Knights scored three in the top of the fifth. The inning was set up by a pair of walks to open the frame, and two outs later, Ben Farley hit an RBI double to right field. A run scored on a wild pitch, and Chase Jones roped an RBI double to center that made it a 14-3 game. It wasn’t enough to prevent an early ending.
“Sam Bliss picked up his third win of the year with another great outing,” Dennis said of his pitcher who allowed only one run, but it was unearned. “He was efficient in allowing one hit and one walk in his four innings of work on 61 pitches.
“We also had some stellar defensive play by shortstop Reece Moody on a ball hit up the middle in the third.”
Contributing multi-hit games for the Patriots were Moody (2-for-3, 3 RBIs, R), Behm (2-for-4, 2B, 2R), Mislan (2-for-3, 2B, 3RBIs, 2R) and Fulford (2-for-3, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 2R).
“There is never an easy day in the SOL, and we are excited to get back to work Tuesday to prepare for Souderton at home on Wednesday,” Dennis said.
Central Bucks East (4-2, 3-0 SOL) will host Souderton on Wednesday, and North Penn (5-1, 3-1) will be on the road at Pennsbury on Thursday.
Central Bucks East 306 50 14-10-1
North Penn 000 03 3-3-1
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