Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Wednesday. Souderton/CB East photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of photos.
SOL Patriot/Colonial Division crossover
Central Bucks West 3, Neshaminy 1
Three runs in the top of the seventh capped a tremendous afternoon and evening, as CB West secured its spot in next week’s District One Class 6A playoffs with the doubleheader sweep, including a 3-1 over Neshaminy in a postponed game played under the lights at CB South Wednesday night.
“It's been almost a decade since West has made districts, so for the program - especially for the seniors - this was a huge night,” said Bucks coach Brian Weaver. “There won't be an easy day in such a loaded field, but it's awesome to get in. I'm incredibly proud of our guys.”
The Bucks were shut down by Neshaminy pitching through the first six innings.
Matt Mays, who recorded the final five outs in Neshaminy’s 2-0 win over CB East earlier in the afternoon, pitched five shutout innings in the nightcap, allowing just three hits without a walk, and striking out seven.
West countered with Cole Fehrman, who allowed one run over 3 ⅔ innings, and then Julio Ermigotti, who threw three shutout innings to pick up the win.
Trailing 1-0, the Bucks started the seventh as Damian Thomas walked and Bill Zentmayer singled to put runners on first and second. Connor Dobos drew a one-out walk to load the bases, and Kevin Bukowski tied the game up with an RBI sac fly to center field.
With two outs, Max McGlone and Aidan Quinn picked up back-to-back RBI singles to give West the 3-1 advantage.
“Matt Mays is such a complete pitcher,” Weaver said. “(Neshaminy is) going to have a chance in any game he throws. We didn't score off him, but we were lucky to work a few long at bats and innings against him and get the pitch count up.
“On our side, Cole Fehrman gave us four big innings, and Julio Ermigiotti threw three scoreless to finish up. Both of them had their best stuff tonight, and they kept us in an incredibly tight game.
“In the seventh, our offense played a great team inning. We worked good at bats, we got a bunt down, we got a sac fly, we got a few base hits. There were some really selfless moments. Jackson Cunnane was in the middle of it. On the heels of a really good Pennridge game, he found his way on base twice and scored a run. He's a senior who has become the anchor of our defense, and offensively he saved his best night for last.
“Max McGlone singled to put us ahead, and that's a microcosm of the last two weeks. He's turned it on at the plate and has been in the middle of just about every big moment, and it's made all the difference for our offense.”
West finished the regular season 9-7 in the league (11-9 overall) and unofficially looks to be in pretty good shape for a spot in the 20-team district playoff field, which will be announced on Thursday night.
Neshaminy (11-7, 9-7 SOL) also likely clinched a spot in the playoffs with its earlier win over CB East.
CB West 000 000 3 - 3 6 1
Neshaminy 000 100 0 - 1 4 0
Neshaminy 2, Central Bucks East 0
The road to a spot in the District One Class 6A playoffs wasn’t easy for Neshaminy on Wednesday, as it played two road crossover games, starting at playoff-hungry CB East at 2 p.m.
Neshaminy relied on a two-run home run by Jake Kozlowski in the top of the first inning against CB East ace Aidan Weaver, and then clutch pitching from Liam DelGuerico and Matt Mays to post the 2-0 shutout victory.
Unofficially, Neshaminy looks to be in pretty good shape as it finished league play with a 9-7 record and figures to be seeded in the Nos. 16-19 range. It went 8-3 over its final 11 games overall.
“After looking at the standings, we knew we probably needed one win to make it to the playoffs,” said coach Dan Toner. “We still may have had a shot if we dropped both, but it would’ve been extremely close. Again, it all comes down to the final numbers on Thursday.
“Our guys did a fantastic job in the first game, securing that win to take some of the stress off heading into the second game.
DelGuerico went 5 ⅓ shutout innings, scattering three walks and eight hits with four timely strikeouts to keep the Patriots off the board. CB East had multiple runners on base and left runners in scoring position in five of the seven innings.
Mays came on in the sixth with one out and the bases loaded. He induced a fielder’s choice groundout to third to force a runner out at the plate and then a pop out to end the threat. He then finished the game off by working around a one-out single in the seventh by CB East’s Max McGrady.
Offensively, Neshaminy managed just five hits against Weaver and reliever McGrady but didn’t need anything more than Kozlowski’s two-out homer in the first.
“Matt Mays and Liam DelGuerico did a fantastic job on the mound and Jake Kozlowski has been on an absolute tear in the second half of the season,” Toner said. “Now, we will have to wait and see where we play and who we have on Monday.”
Neshaminy 200 000 0 - 2 5 0
CB East 000 000 0 - 0 9 0
Council Rock South 4, North Penn 2
The Golden Hawks closed out its league schedule in style, with two straight wins including an impressive Senior Day victory over visiting North Penn Wednesday.
CR South went into the week on a four-game losing streak. It had a nine-game losing streak earlier in the season. But the team showed no signs of giving up on the season this week.
“It’s very gratifying,” said coach Greg Paprocki. “I am proud of our seniors. These guys could have packed it in and called it a season, but they continued to play hard every game.
“This season has not gone our way, but our guys kept battling. They are truly setting a great example for our future players on how to handle adversity.
“Today was our seniors last game on our field. They finished the right way by playing hard and getting a win.”
Wednesday, the Hawks jumped out to a 4-0 lead after four innings, and then held off a North Penn rally late in the game.
Kyle Bruck doubled and scored on an error in the second to give his team the early lead. He then added a two-RBI single to make it 3-0 in the third.
Ryan Baurle doubled and scored on a Keith Lippincott single in the fourth.
Trey Wallner was 3-for-3, while Bruck and Lippincott had two hits each.
North Penn rallied late, with three singles and an RBI single by Zach Warner in the fifth, three more base runners and no runs in the sixth and then two more hits, including an RBI double by Quinn Marett in the seventh.
But CR South reliever Trey Sajeski struck out the final batter to end the game.
The Hawks (4-13, 3-13 SOL) are scheduled to play nonleague games on Thursday and Friday, on the road at La Salle on Thursday.
North Penn (8-11, 6-10 SOL) lost its fourth straight games to end its hopes for a berth in the District One Class 6A playoffs. It will conclude its season by finishing up a suspended nonleague game against Hatboro-Horsham on Friday.
North Penn 000 010 1- 2 11 2
CR South 012 100 x - 4 8 2
SOL Colonial Division
Central Bucks West 10, Pennridge 5
CB West played at Pennridge in its first of two games scheduled for Wednesday and needed a win if it wanted to keep its playoff hopes alive.
The Bucks jumped up 4-1 early and then 10-2, before holding off the Rams late for the 10-5 win at James Memorial Park in Sellersville.
“We had to get this one,” said West coach Brian Weaver. “We said before the game that today's doubleheader was the playoffs for us. And to their credit, the guys were locked in from the beginning.
“We scored two in each of the first two frames. That gave Connor Dobos some breathing room, and he had a really effective day. He's been snake-bitten in some starts where we didn't do anything at the plate to help him, but he's battled in every outing. It was great to see him in control today.”
West scored 10 runs on 10 hits, three of which were home runs. Jackson Cunnane was 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs. Kevin Bukowski was 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI, and Aidan Quinn also hit a solo home run.
Max McGlone and Bill Zentmayer also had two-hit games.
“In the fifth, we broke it open,” Weaver said. “Bill Zentmayer got a squeeze bunt down, and then Jackson Cunnane hit a grand slam. To get that kind of production from the whole lineup a day after getting shut down by (Souderton ace Will) McCausland says a lot about our guys' resilience.
“Every starter reached base at least once. Bukowski and Quinn also homered. Aidan Quinn has been the most consistent player on our team and has been a tremendous leader. It's a different year if he doesn't step up between the lines and in the locker room.”
Dobos went the first 6 ⅓ innings to pick up the win on the mound. Max Slaymaker recorded the final two outs to close out the game in the seventh.
Joey Calabretti and Aidan Fretz had two hits each for Pennridge, which closed out its season 8-11 overall (5-11 SOL).
CB West 220 051 0 - 10 10 2
Pennridge 101 001 2 - 5 7 1
Souderton 10, Central Bucks East 3
Souderton capped a championship season with a road win and by handing CB East its second loss of the day, which likely helped end the Patriots season as well.
The Indians finished the regular season 14-2 in league play (17-3 overall), winning its last 12 games. Unofficially, they’re locked in at the No. 4 seed for the upcoming District One Class 6A field and will learn their official fate on Thursday.
Souderton has had games where its pitching has carried it. It’s also had games where it scored a ton of runs. Wednesday, the Indians had both.
Up 4-3 after four innings, they blew the game open with four runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Hunter Weitzel led the way by going 3-for-4, while Justin Dicesare went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Chris McKenna and Ethan Warner had two hits each.
They also drew five walks and had two batters hit by pitches.
“We had a good day at the plate, generating 14 hits,” said coach Mike Childs. “Hunter did a nice job, leading the way with three hits out of the 7 hole. Justin and Ethan’s bats stayed hot, with two hits each.”
On the mound, Jackson Morrisette had some rough spots, but settled down over the last three innings, to put away the Patriots. He allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out seventh.
“Knowing Jackson, he would probably say he did not pitch his best today, but it was definitely well enough to get the win against a usually good-hitting lineup,” Childs said. “I am very impressed how he has come up big this season to help our team win.”
CB East (11-8, 8-8 SOL) likely saw its season come to an end, as Wednesday’s losses eliminated it from playoff contention.
Souderton 110 242 0 - 10 14 1
CB East 100 200 0 - 3 4 2
SOL Freedom Division
Upper Moreland 7, Springfield Twp 4 (10 innings)
Wrapping up the SOL Freedom championship wasn’t easy for Upper Moreland this week.
First, the Golden Bears lost to New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday. Then, even after New Hope lost to Lower Moreland earlier in the day to open the door, the Bears were in a back-and-forth battle with Springfield on Wednesday.
In the end, UM rallied with runs in the sixth and seventh innings to force extra innings, and then defeated Springfield with three runs in the 10th.
At 9-7 in league play, the Bears edged out New Hope, which finished 8-7-1.
“We had a tough loss last night to New Hope, but showed tremendous heart and courage today,” said UM coach Jim Fasano. “Our senior leaders - Sean Dallahan, Nate O’Connor, Bo Meakim and Jared McCellan - epitomize everything good about Upper Moreland and its people.
“We had a few chances where we could have rolled over and given up, but we didn’t. A great group of kids who deserve this league title and the t-shirts that come with it.”
Trailing 4-3 in the top of the seventh, Shawn Townsend hit a one-out triple for the Bears, and he scored the tying run on an O’Connor RBI groundout.
After trading zeros through the next couple of innings, UM struck with three in the 10th, which started with four straight singles by Stefano Garofalo, Dylan Wood, McClellan and Meakim, who drove in two with the bases loaded. An error plated another run later to make it 7-4.
Townsend finished 3-for-6 on the day, while Kaleb Powell, McClellan and Meakim had two hits each.
Garofalo pitched the final three innings to pick up the win, not allowing a run or a hit and scattering a pair of walks to keep the Spartans off the scoreboard.
“Kaleb has started to swing the bat the way I knew he could, and he had a couple huge hits for us today,” Fasano said. “I’m happy for him and his successes. He will make Cairn University’s coach a happy man.
“I’ve coached Stefano for numerous summers now, and he had perhaps his finest moment today - a two-strike hit to start our rally and three scoreless innings. He’s one of my favorite kids and I am so happy for him.”
Upper Moreland will find out Thursday if it qualifies for the 12-team District One Class 5A playoffs. Unofficially, after Wednesday’s win, it stands 12th in the power point rankings.
Upper Moreland 100 101 100 3- 7 12 3
Springfield 000 031 000 0 - 4 5 3
Lower Moreland 6, New Hope-Solebury 5
Lower Moreland needed a win to keep its postseason hopes alive, and the Lions scored six runs through the first four innings and then held off a furious New Hope rally late to post the 6-5 win.
LM also spoiled New Hope’s chances at clinching the Freedom Division championship.
“Hats off to New Hope,” said LM coach Mike Guido. “They are a class act, and they are well coached. They pitched a great game. Both their guys had good stuff.
“It was Senior Night, and we weren’t concerned with playing spoiler tonight. We had unfinished business. We were on a three-game streak to end the season. Started with Cheltenham, then Springfield, last night (William) Tennent and tonight New Hope. We needed to win out to make the playoffs. I think this win should get us there, but we’ll see (Thursday) when (District One) updates the points.”
Lower Moreland (8-10, 7-9 SOL) will likely earn one of the four spots into the District One Class 4A Tournament, which starts May 24.
Mike Pennisi led the way with two hits and an RBI, Matt Dymowski had a triple and an RBI, Aiden Stepansky had a double and two RBIs. and Donato Incollingo had a double and one RBI.
Ethan Jarosiewicz went the first 4 ⅔ innings and picked up the win on the mound. Incollingo went 2 ⅓ out of the bullpen and picked up the save.
New Hope loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh and scored two runs to close the gap to 6-5, but Incollingo recorded the final out to end the game.
“Ethan Jarosiewicz threw a heck of a game coming off being sick,” Guido said. “He kept getting out of trouble, coming up with strikeouts when he needed it.
“The bats have been hot lately. Very timely hitting. And we continue giving ourselves a chance by making plays and minimizing mistakes.
“Dymowski is a wall behind the plate and knows how to handle the pitchers. He has a good arm back there and got another caught stealing.
“Stepansky stepped up in a huge at-bat late and came through with two RBIs in a clutch situation.
“The boys love baseball. They are an amazing group to be a part of. They can’t get enough. I’m glad to go along for the ride. This train keeps on rolling.”
New Hope (9-7-1, 8-7-1 SOL) is also likely to find itself in the Class 4A district field.
New Hope 010 110 2 - 5 7 2
Lower Moreland 102 300 x - 6 6 3
SOL Liberty Division
Upper Dublin 11, Quakertown 8
One day after scoring 14 runs against the best team in the division, Upper Dublin’s offensive fireworks continued with 11 more runs and a three-run win over a playoff-bound Quakertown team.
In its last four games, the Flying Cardinals have scored 43 runs, going 3-0 in Liberty Division play in that span.
UD fell behind 8-0 in the first two innings against Quakertown, but battled back into the game, scoring in each of its last five at-bats, including four in the third and three in the fourth to tie the game at 8.
Overall, it had 11 runs on 13 hits, and drew five walks as well.
Catcher Kyle Rizzo went 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Jared Levis was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, Ethan Madnick 2-for-2 with three runs scored and Leo Soriano 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Starter Tristan Cairnes overcame a slow start through the first two innings but settled down and kept Quakertown off the scoreboard over the final five innings. He ended up with seven strikeouts and did not walk a batter.
"Tristan Cairnes displays a tremendous amount of toughness and perseverance today," UD coach Ed Wall said. "After giving up eight runs in the first two innings, he still threw a complete game winner - it shows how hard this kid competes.
"The guys in the lineup didn't panic, trusted themselves and steadily made the comeback inning by inning. Shane Monaghan drove in Aiden McCarthy for some insurance late in the sixth. It was a great week, and we are ready for whatever comes nest."
The Panthers were led by Brandon Pierce and Vinny Pelligrini, who had two hits, two doubles and two RBIs each. Ty Everitt was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Ethan Beil and Cooper Natisin had two hits and two RBIs each.
Both teams are headed for the postseason. In Class 5A, Upper Dublin (13-6, 13-3 SOL) is looking at a No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, while Quakertown (10-7-1, 10-5-1 SOL) is No. 11 in Class 6A.
Quakertown 440 000 0 - 8 14 3
Upper Dublin 014 321 x - 11 13 0
Nonleague
Archbishop Wood 9, Abington 8
Abington closed out its season with another close loss, this time against Philadelphia Catholic League power Archbishop Wood, which rallied with four runs in the last two innings to pull out the 9-8 victory.
For the Galloping Ghosts, it was their seventh straight loss to end the season, the last four of which came by a one-run margin.
Wednesday, the Ghosts rallied from a 5-1 deficit to take the lead, scoring two runs in the fourth and five in the fifth. Colin Haney had a two-run double in the fourth. Then, an inning later, after Colin Hamsher and Anthony Ehly led off the fifth with singles, Chase Goodson hit a three-run home run to put Abington up 6-5. A pair of errors and a Johnny Dzielawa double resulted in two more runs and what looked like a solid 8-5 advantage.
But Wood, which is the No. 2 seed for the upcoming PCL playoffs, had a rally of its own and scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead for good.
Goodson finished 2-for-4 with the home run and four RBIs for the game. Haney and Brendan Cabry had two RBIs each.
Abington finished its season with a 9-11 overall record.
Abington 100 250 0 - 8 6 1
Archbishop Wood 203 013 x - 9 9 3
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