Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Thursday. CB West/CB East photos courtesy of Tracy Valko, and New Hope-Solebury/Cheltenham photos courtesy of Karla Donohoe. Check back for galleries of both games. All SOS photo galleries for BASEBALL can be viewed by clicking HERE.
Patriot Division
Neshaminy 11, Council Rock North 10
Senior Bobby Hansen ripped a walk-off 2-run single in the bottom of the seventh to complete an improbable comeback and keep Neshaminy in the running for a postseason berth, completing a rally and topping Council Rock North 11-10 on Thursday.
Council Rock North had scored 7 runs in the top of the first inning and, after Neshaminy battled back from 9-1 to knot the score at 9-9 after six innings, the Indians posted 1 run in the top of the seventh to set up the dramatic finish.
“They know what’s on the line, and they never gave up,” said Neshaminy coach Dan Toner. “We’ve been kind of searching for that big win that gives us a different feel than just going out and beating somebody. We haven’t had too many walk-offs.
“This was really good for us knowing that no matter what the situation is there’s always an opportunity to come back. You really don’t believe it until you actually do it. You always say, ‘we can come back, we can come back,’ but once it actually happens, usually that’s a big jump for your team in confidence level and not quitting anywhere else the rest of the way.”
After surrendering 7 in the first inning, Neshaminy had a big inning of its own in the fifth. Trailing 9-2, Anthony Trommer blasted a 2-out grand slam to pull Neshaminy back to within 3. Myles Calderbank drew a walk, then scored on an error off a ground ball from Dom Beecher.
Jake Kozlowski went 3-for-4 with 1 RBI and 3 runs for Neshaminy. Hansen, Trommer (5 RBI), Joel Bonner, and Mike Morrow each added 2 hits.
“Anthony Trommer is a sophomore, and he’s been hitting really well for us, and he hit a grand slam in the fifth inning, and that helped bring us back,” Toner said. “We kind of got a little bit more going and got 2 more in the sixth and 2 more in the seventh. Jake Kozlowski, a junior, has been doing really well of late, and he was 3-for-4 with two doubles. Another sophomore, Joel Bonner was 2-for-4 with a big hit, an RBI, and a run scored.”
North jumped out to a 7-run lead thanks to an RBI single from Shane Anhalt, a 3-run home run from Jadon Tang, and a 3-run double from Austin Stalker.
Stalker also scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh off a single from Josh Huddy (3 hits, 1 RBI, 1 run), setting up the thrilling walk-off finish in the bottom of the inning.
“We knew going into this game we had to win,” Toner said. “We’re pretty close to the end and we were sitting at the 21 seed going into today and only 20 make it, so we know we’re in a do-or-die situation. Just to be safe, we’re trying to win out and see where that takes us. We had a ton of adversity today, starting the day off down 7-1 and they got 2 more and took it to 9-1 in the fourth. We were able to slowly chip away. We had a lot of good at-bats.”
Neshaminy improves to 7-6 in league play, 8-6 overall, and is right back in action Friday, hosting Archbishop Ryan in a nonleague matchup at 7 pm. Council Rock North falls to 8-7, 10-7, and will square off with archrival Council Rock South at 7 pm Saturday.
Council Rock North 700 200 1 10-12-2
Neshaminy 100 152 2 11-11-3
Bensalem 4, Council Rock South 0
Jacob Brodecki threw 6.1 innings of 3-hit, shutout baseball and Kyle Rubin picked up the final 2 outs as Bensalem blanked Council Rock South 4-0 in Thursday’s league contest.
“Jacob Brodecki had a tremendous performance on the mound for us,” said Bensalem coach Kurt Sowa. “He threw strikes, worked quick, and trusted his defense behind him.”
Brodecki didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning, while Bensalem posted all 4 of their runs in the bottom of the first.
A Tyler Fisher double with 1 out scored Sean Nelson, who had reached on an error, and Sean Swentowski, who singled. With 2 outs, Evan Crowell reached on an error, then Kyle Rubin’s line drive to centerfield brought home fisher and Crowell.
“Tyler Fisher and Kyle Rubin had big hits for us to drive in our 4 runs in the first inning,” Sowa said.
Keith Lippincott had 2 of South’s 3 hits on the day, with Trey Sajeski picking up the other. Sajeski was solid on the mound for the Golden Hawks, tossing a complete game while allowing 6 hits 4 runs (0 ER) while striking out 6.
The Owls improve to 6-9 in league play, 7-10 overall, and will host Neshaminy at 4 pm Monday. South falls to 1-13, 2-13, with a showdown at Council Rock North up next at 7 pm Saturday.
Council Rock South 000 000 0 0-3-2
Bensalem 400 000 x 4-6-1
Pennsbury 12, Harry S Truman 1 (5 innings)
One day after clinching the Suburban One Patriot Division title, Pennsbury exploded for 12 runs in the fourth to power to a 12-1 win over Harry S Truman in 5 innings on Thursday.
Charlie Evans got the big inning started for the Falcons with a leadoff single, then advanced to second on a Callan Fang single to centerfield. A walk and a HBP forced in Evans to knot the score at 1-1, then Joe Tiroly followed with a 2-run double to break open the game.
“This was the type of game that concerns you,” said Pennsbury coach Joe Pesci. “Truman always plays us tough, and we had a big emotional win (Wednesday) over Neshaminy. We didn’t come out flat, but we just didn’t convert opportunities in the first 3 innings while they took advantage of a walk, wild pitch, and a throwing error. I brought the kids in after the third and told them it was time to turn it on. Well, they certainly did.”
The Falcons batted around in the inning, with Fang also cracking a 2-run triple in the frame to make the score 10-1 Pennsbury before the Tigers had recorded a single out in the inning.
Justin Mitrovich was stellar on the mound, allowing only 2 hits and 1 unearned run while striking out 4 in a complete-game effort.
“Mitrovich was in control most of the game,” Pesci said. “Truman loaded the bases in the fifth, but he was able to get out of it unscathed.”
Reese Hirsh was 3-for-3 on the day with 3 RBIs, Fang went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and 2 R, Tiroly was 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs and 1 R, and James Schaffer went 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs and 1 R.
Eric Helbling scored the only run of the game for Truman. Wyatt Spinks and Armstrong knocked the Tigers’ only two hits of the game.
Pennsbury improves to 12-3 in league play, 16-3 overall, and will visit Council Rock North at 3:45 pm Tuesday. Truman moves to 6-9, 8-11, and will take on Council Rock South on the road at 3:30 pm Tuesday.
Pennsbury 000 (12)0 12-10-1
Harry S Truman 010 00 1-2-2
Colonial Division
Central Bucks West 7, Central Bucks East 5
Two of the top pitchers in the area … one of the most storied local high school rivalries … two teams jockeying for position for a postseason berth.
Thursday’s showdown between rivals Central Bucks East and Central Bucks West had all the makings of a classic thriller, and the teams did not disappoint as the visiting Bucks held off a seventh-inning rally to pull out a 7-5 victory over Central Bucks East on Thursday night.
“Never a dull moment in this rivalry,” said West coach Brian Weaver.
Indeed, this was a fun game throughout, from the frantic Patriots’ rally attempt in the bottom of the seventh, to the pleasure of seeing pitchers Cole Fehrman and Aidan Weaver squaring off once again.
“We knew going into tonight that it was going to be Fehrman vs Weaver for the third time in two years,” Weaver said. “(CB East coach) Kyle (Dennis) has been an important mentor since I got into this seat, and even being competitors at rival schools, he’s just a great guy to talk the game with. I mentioned to him today that it was like we’re getting to watch Ali-Frazier. We may never get to see two pitchers like this face off so much for the rest of our careers. We’re lucky to have been in our spots when these guys came through our programs.”
Fehrman logged 6.1 innings for the Bucks, striking out 9 while allowing 3 runs on 7 hits.
“Cole was magnificent,” Weaver said. “He’s given us a chance in every game, and tonight our guys got a few runs, and he did the rest. He worked into the seventh and really controlled the game. To East’s credit, though, they worked him to 100 pitches and then they jumped on us in the seventh and made it an absolute nailbiter.”
The Bucks scored a run in the second when a Kevin Bukowski single drove in Damian Thomas, then added 2 more in the third on a Thomas RBI single and a 2-run single from Quinn Illig. The Bucks would post 1 run in each of the last 3 innings, including Sam Greer’s solo home run in the top of the seventh. Greer finished the day 2-for-2 with 1 RBI and 3 runs scored.
“At the plate, we worked some really long and really smart at-bats early in the game and got some timely hitting from all across the lineup,” Weaver said. “Sam Greer and Quinn Illig both had huge nights. Greer walked twice, doubled off the fence, and homered. Illig, we brought him up from JV for his defense, but he keeps making his way on base. He broke it open with a 2-run single in the top of the third to give us some breathing room. Both of those sophomores have played big roles for us in the last week.
“At the top of the lineup, Kevin Bukowski set the tone right away with a single in his first at-bat. He added another hit later, and Aidan Quinn and Max McGlone both had a hit and a walk, as well. Getting that production from all over the lineup is critical if you’re going to hang in a game with a pitcher like Weaver.”
For East, Weaver fanned 7 and allowed 4 runs (3 ER) on 6 hits in 4 innings. After scoring 1 in the bottom of the second on Joey Wilga’s fielder’s choice that scored Max McGrady, the Patriots’ bats fell silent until the bottom of the seventh. A 2-out, 2-run double by McGrady was followed by a Wilga single that scored Tony DeMichael.
Fittingly, West and East now share identical 7-6 league records. The Bucks are 9-8 overall, with Neshaminy up next on the road at 11 am Saturday. The Patriots are 10-6 overall, with Souderton coming to visit at 4:15 pm Monday.
Central Bucks West 013 011 1 7-8-0
Central Bucks East 010 000 4 5-9-2
Central Bucks South 3, North Penn 1
Jack Carver came out on top in a pitcher’s duel on Thursday as Central Bucks South edged North Penn 3-1 in a game that could be critical to a postseason berth.
Carver allowed 2 hits and 1 earned over 4 innings with 5 strikeouts, and Logan Hinds came on in relief to fan 3 and allow just 1 hit.
“Jack didn’t have his best stuff today, but he battled his tail off,” said South coach Kevin Bray. “We left the bases loaded for them twice in those four innings. We stranded some runners for their offense, and that was huge.
“Logan Hinds came in for the final three and only surrendered one hit, struck out three. Logan locked it down for us. We were very confident in our pitchers today, and how they performed was right to what we expected.”
South took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Tyler Robinson scored on a hard-hit infield single by Ryan Madden. North Penn tied it up in the top of the fourth on a Jack Picozzi triple that scored James Mangine.
But South responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth when Robby Porco’s double scored Eric Damico, then the Titans added an insurance run in the fifth on a JT Anderosky double to deep left field that scored Hinds.
South had four doubles among its 6 hits, with two-baggers from Hinds, Anderosky, Porco, and Robinson.
Trevor Lugara went the distance for North Penn, scattering 6 hits while striking out 4 and allowing 3 runs (2 ER).
“North Penn’s pitcher, Trevor Lugara, pitched very well,” Bray said. “We saw him in the first game that we played against them (a 6-2 North Penn win), so we had an idea of what he liked to do. He’s a quality pitcher, and we really needed to work on just focusing on good at-bats, and when we had opportunities, we scored, and that was pretty much the difference.”
In addition to Picozzi’s triple, North Penn received hits from Mangine and Ethan Cohen.
The victory lifts South, ranked 23rd in the latest district rankings, to 8-7 in league play, 10-8 overall, with Upper Moreland up next at home at 6:30 pm Monday. The Knights, currently ranked 24th, fall to 6-8, 8-9, and will host Hatboro-Horsham at 1 pm Saturday.
“Our guys are definitely locked in right now, and it shows,” Bray said. “Just as a team, how they’re carrying themselves right now and ultimately what the product is on the field as well, we’re just playing with a lot of confidence.”
North Penn 000 100 0 1-3-2
Central Bucks South 001 110 x 3-6-0
Souderton 4, Pennridge 2
Jackson Morissette struck out 9 Pennridge batters in a complete-game effort, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits as the Indians clinched the Colonial Division title with a 4-2 victory over local rival Pennridge on Thursday.
“Jackson pitched a great game and did a nice job keeping their lineup off-balance,” said Souderton coach Mike Childs.
The entire Souderton lineup contributed to the offense, with Shanley Wall, Justin Dicesare, Hunter Weitzel, and Joey Crecca each contributing an RBI.
The Indians put up 2 runs in the second inning on a Weitzel RBI double, followed by a fielder’s choice groundout by Crecca that scored Andrew Trumbore.
“Today was a good team win to clinch the division,” Childs said. “We did not score a lot of runs, but all nine starters got a hit. It good to see 1 through 9 hit as we are getting ready for playoffs.”
Pennridge scored 2 in the fourth to cut the Souderton lead to 3-2. Joey Calbretti singled home Conor Flynn, then an Aidan Fretz sacrifice fly saw Matt Atchley tag up from third and score.
Souderton improves to 12-2 in Colonial Division play, 14-3 overall, and will host Upper Dublin at 3:45 pm Friday. Pennridge moves to 5-9, 7-9, and will host Abington at 5:45 pm today.
Souderton 020 101 0 4-9-0
Pennridge 000 200 0 2-6-1
Liberty Division
Plymouth Whitemarsh 9, Abington 8 (8 innings)
Plymouth Whitemarsh received some critical contributions from some unlikely places as the Colonials rallied from a 7-3 deficit to pull out a 9-8 victory in 8 innings on Thursday.
“Both pitchers were having a little bit of a hard time today,” said PW coach Chris Manero. “Their guy was getting up in the pitch count, and our guy was leaving too many balls over the plate. You just had the feeling it was going to be one of those days that came down to offense, and we did a really nice job of not letting the game get too far away from us and came up with a couple of big hits.”
One of those big hits came off the bat of Joe Redmond, whose 3-run home run with 2 outs in the fifth inning was the first dinger of his varsity career and pulled the Colonials back to within a run at 7-6.
“It just cleared the fence just down the line, but it was huge,” Manero said. “That got us to within a run. It was just one of those days you knew it was going to come down to the bats and probably who scored last, and that’s what it was.”
Redmond also came up huge in the field, throwing out the potential winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning.
While the teams combined for 21 hits on the day, the Colonials received solid relief work from Johnny Giordano and Lincoln Sharpe. The two combined to pitch 5.1 innings in relief, allowing just 1 run on 6 hits.
“For us, the big story was our bullpen,” Manero said. “Johnny Giordano, who’s just a sophomore, hasn’t pitched a ton this year. He came in, and he really settled things down for us very nicely. He gave us 2.1 innings of solid relief with 4 strikeouts, and then Lincoln Sharpe also hasn’t pitched a ton this year, but he was coming off a really good outing last time out. He came in and he did the job.”
PW scored 2 in the sixth on a Jesse Jaconski home run to tie the game at 8-8.
The deciding run crossed the plate in the top of the eighth, when Gavin Rocks scored on an infield single from Michael Miller.
“We had a drill (Wednesday) where we were really working bases-loaded, 1-out situations,” Manero said. “We were completely focusing on everyone getting up to the plate with bases loaded and 1 out, and that’s what the game came down to. Mike Miller had a hard-hit ball up the middle that you could turn it into an infield single, but it was a tough ball in play hit hard with the bases loaded and 1 out. It was just kind of interesting to see it come down to that.”
Abington scored 2 in the first on Matt Worek’s 2-run home run, then posted 5 runs in the bottom of the third on RBI singles from Anthony Ehly and Worek, a sacrifice fly, a fielder’s choice, and an error.
Worek finished the day 3-for-5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Ehly, Nate Shaw, and John Dzielawa each added 2 hits.
“In high school baseball, if you have a lot of arms, sometimes you don’t have innings for them,” Manero said. “I also think most times in high school baseball when you go into the bullpen, especially deep into the bullpen, you’re not always winning a lot of those games. I think for us today to use our bullpen for 5 innings and have guys just absolutely keep us in the game, that’s something we really haven’t had to go to too much this year, so that was really good to see.”
With the win, PW improves to 10-5 in league play, 13-5 overall, and will host Wissahickon at 3:45 pm Tuesday. Abington falls to 7-8, 9-8, and will visit Pennridge for a 5:45 pm game Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 201 032 01 9-8-3
Abington 205 010 00 8-13-0
Hatboro-Horsham 7, Quakertown 6
Trey Porter went 6 innings to earn the win—striking out 7 while scattering 7 hits and allowing 4 runs (2 ER)—and Ryan Toporowski picked up the save as the Hatters held off a seventh-inning Quakertown rally attempt to pull out a hard-fought win in Thursday’s matchup.
Porter also helped his cause from the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs, 1 run, and 1 stolen base for the Hatters.
“Trey Porter was outstanding at the plate today and competed on the mound,” said H-H coach Pete Moore. “Ryan Toporowski has ice in his veins as our closer. Nothing rattled him and he got the job done again tonight.”
Zach Greenberg also had 3 hits as part of the Hatters’ 14-hit effort. Logan Fischer (1 RBI, 2 runs) and Nick Katherine (2 RBI, 2 runs) each swatted a pair of hits.
“Zach Greenberg had 3 hits and the depth of our lineup was huge for us yet again,” Moore said. “Logan Fischer and Nick Katherine have been white hot the last 2 weeks and had a couple big hits for us again tonight.”
Trailing 7-3, Quakertown scored 1 run in the sixth on Cooper Natisin’s RBI double and posted 2 runs in the seventh on an RBI single from Brandon Pierce and an RBI single from Ethan Beil before Toporowski closed out the Panthers.
Natisin—who took the loss on the mound for the Panthers—finished with 3 hits and 3 RBIs. Biel and Pierce each had 2 hits on the night.
The Hatters remain perfect in Liberty Division play at 15-0, 16-2 overall, and will visit North Penn at 1 pm Saturday. Quakertown drops to 9-4-1, 9-6-1, and will next travel to Upper Dublin for a 3 pm Monday game.
Hatboro-Horsham 200 140 0 7-14-2
Quakertown 110 101 2 6-9-2
Upper Dublin 11, Wissahickon 4
Justin Richman and Griffin Pestrack combined to pitch 5 scoreless innings in relief of starter David Sharp as Upper Dublin’s bats continued to make noise as the Cardinals pulled away from neighborhood rival Wissahickon for a convincing 11-4 win on Thursday.
The Trojans took the lead in the bottom of the first when Morgan Wilson was walked with the bases loaded, but the Cards got out of the inning without any further damage. Upper Dublin posted a 4-spot in the top of the third—highlighted by Austin Pendleton’s steal of home plate and Tristan Cairnes’ 2-run double—but Wissahickon responded with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning to knot the score at 4-4.
Jesse Levis broke open the game with his RBI triple in the fifth inning, then scored on Leo Soriano’s infield single. Upper Dublin added 2 more runs in the sixth and 3 more in the seventh on Kyle Rizzo’s RBI single and Nick Lombardo’s 2-run double.
Shane Henrick led the Trojan offense with 2 hits, including an RBI double in the third inning that tied the game. Ben Junker had 2 RBI and 1 run scored.
Upper Dublin improves to 11-3 in league play, 11-5 overall, and will travel to Souderton today for a 3:45 pm game. Wissahickon moves to 8-7, 8-10, and will visit Plymouth Whitemarsh at 3:30 pm Tuesday.
Upper Dublin 004 022 3 11-12-0
Wissahickon 103 000 0 4-6-1
Freedom Division
Upper Moreland 13, William Tennent 3 (6 innings)
After battling through the first inning, Upper Moreland pitcher Sean Dallahan found his rhythm and dominated as the Golden Bears downed William Tennent 13-3 in 6 innings on Thursday.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that the visiting Bears had spotted Dallahan a 5-spot before he had even stepped onto the mound.
But after Tennent closed the gap to 5-3 on 2 hits, 1 error, 2 BB and a HPB, Dallahan shut down the Panthers the rest of the way, finishing with 4 hits and 3 runs (1 ER) while striking out 5. Sophomore Colin Fell closed out the victory with a scoreless sixth inning.
“A gutsy performance by Dally,” said Upper Moreland coach Jim Fasano. “We had a chance to lose this game but instead we righted the ship and kept adding on. Our team goals are right in front of us, and these kids are a special group who can accomplish anything they set their mind to.”
Upper Moreland posted a 5-spot in the top of the first. Shawn Townsend led off with a sun-aided double, then sophomore Nate Kelly followed with his first varsity hit on a single to right center. Dallahan also connected on a 2-run double in the inning.
On the day, Bo Meakim knocked 3 hits with 2 RBIs and 1 run as part of a 12-hit Upper Moreland attack. Kaleb Powell, Nate O’Connor each had 2 hits, and Dallahan helped his own cause with 2 hits and 2 RBIs.
“It was great to see Bo’s hard work showing up on the field,” Fasano said. “Nate O’Connor has really come along as the season moved along. I’m just excited for the boys and it’s fun to see the belief they’re gaining in themselves.
“Our bench enthusiasm, led by Cole Carpenter, Jimmy Ogilvie, Thomas Salvati and Stefano Garofalo brings the passion every game. They keep our starters up and make us a very difficult team to play against, especially when we’re on offense. And some of the stuff they do, like singing the SpongeBob theme song and clucking with Kaleb Powell at bat makes me laugh.”
Upper Moreland remains atop the Freedom Division at 7-6 (7-6 overall) and will visit Cheltenham today at 3:45 pm. Tennent is 4-10, 4-12, and will play at Springfield Twp at 3:45 pm Monday.
Upper Moreland 500 224 13-12-5
William Tennent 300 000 3-4-7
Lower Moreland 10, Springfield Twp 4
After three scoreless innings, Lower Moreland plated 2 in the fourth inning and 3 in the fifth, then doubled it up with 5 runs in the sixth inning to roll past Springfield Twp in Thursday’s matchup.
Matt Dymowski finished 3-for-4 with 1 RBI and 2 runs, including a 1-out single that started the Lions’ big fifth inning. Mike Pennisi (3 runs) and Aidan Riccardi (1 RBI) each had 2-hit efforts for Lower Moreland.
Ethan Jarosiewicz allowed 7 hits and 4 runs while striking out 4 in 6.1 innings on the mound for the Lions. Donato Incollingo picked up the final 2 outs of the game, while also adding 1 hit and 2 RBIs.
The aggressive Lions stole 6 bases in 7 attempts, with Aiden Stepansky and Pennisi each swiping 2 bases.
Springfield pushed a run across in the fourth inning to take a brief lead. The Spartans posted 1 more run in the sixth and 2 in the seventh on Will Conlin’s 2-run double. Conlin and Jack McKittrick (1 RBI) each had 2 hits on the day for Springfield. Conlin also started on the mound for Springfield, striking out 4 while allowing 5 runs (3 ER) on 6 hits.
With the victory, Lower Moreland moves to 5-9 in league play, 6-10 overall, and will host New Hope-Solebury at 3:45 pm Monday. Springfield falls to 1-10, 1-11, and visits New Hope-Solebury today at 3:45 pm.
Springfield Twp 000 101 2 4-7-2
Lower Moreland 000 235 x 10-11-1
New Hope-Solebury 12, Cheltenham 3
It took a bit of time for New Hope-Solebury’s bats to wake up, but once they did, the Lions reeled off 12 runs in the fifth inning to rally past Cheltenham and earn a decisive 12-3 Senior Day victory on
Thursday.
“Our offense was asleep for four innings,” NH-S coach Tony Vlahovic said. “The ballpark was filled with fans for Senior Day. Nate Wiseman was the spark in the fifth with a single and the momentum shifted in our favor. We batted around and scored 12 runs in the inning.
Kyle Campbell finished with 3 hits (2 doubles) and 2 RBI. Matt Spadavecchia, Brooks Saft, and Nate Wiseman each had 2 hits.
New Hope pitchers Ty Corino, Brooks Saft (W), and closer Nate Wiseman scattered 6 hits in the win.
“Playing 5 games in 6 days is a grind, but our players found a way with solid defense and good baserunning to break this one open,” Vlahovic said. “I was very happy that our entire lineup hit the ball hard today and our quality at-bats were high.”
New Hope-Solebury improves to 5-6-1 in league play, 6-6-1 overall, and host Springfield Twp at 3:45 pm Friday. Cheltenham remains winless in league play at 0-14 (2-15) and will host Upper Moreland Friday at 3:45 pm.
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