Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Thursday. CB West/North Penn photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko.
SOL Liberty Division
Wissahickon 3, Upper Dublin 2 (9 innings)
Josh Palutis doubled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring Jonnie Klinger from second and giving Wissahickon a huge 3-2 win over rival Upper Dublin in an intense Liberty Division struggle on Thursday afternoon.
“Today was a statement win for our program,” said Trojans coach Andy Noga. “I’m so proud of our guys and how hard they fought. That was a high-energy, high-intensity, contentious game from start to finish, between two programs that know each other well and take these games seriously.
“I thought our guys did a great job of staying focused and intentioned, but turning up the compete level for all nine innings.”
Both teams received outstanding pitching efforts.
Wissahickon’s Adam Hajdak allowed two runs in the first inning, but ended up going 8 1/3 innings, surrendered just those two earned runs on four hits and one walk, while striking out three. He hit 100 pitches in the ninth, and Jake Fuhrmeister then recorded the final out in the top half of the inning.
“Adam Hajdak continues to be a dominant force,” Noga said. “I thought he settled in nicely after a rough first inning and gave us 8-plus of just immaculate ball.”
After a leadoff walk, Upper Dublin’s Nate Cairnes scored a run on an RBI double. Cairnes later scored on a fly ball by Bobby Keck.
Wissahickon tied it with two in the bottom of the second. Finn Olszewski led off with a single, and later Brayden Ryan tied the game with a two-run double.
Upper Dublin pitchers Evan Sanders and Oliver Gill kept the Trojans off the board for six straight innings until the ninth.
“We had some major contributions, as well, from some veteran guys,” Noga said. “Josh Palutis, obviously, with the knockout blow with the walk-off, but I thought Finn Olszewski played an incredible shortstop for us, and tacked on two hits and was a calm and composed presence for us in a hotly-contested game.
“We said after our crossover game loss to William Tennent that we needed to make up that win somewhere down the line against a quality opponent, and I think that’s just what today was.”
Wissahickon (11-4, 8-4 SOL), sitting at No. 11 in the Class 6A power rankings, will travel to Upper Moreland Saturday for a crossover game at 11 a.m.
Upper Dublin (10-4, 8-2 SOL), currently sits at No. 2 in the Class 5A power rankings and will travel to Quakertown for completion of its suspended game Friday at 3:30 p.m. The Cardinals will be on the road at Abington Monday.
Upper Dublin 200 000 000 – 2 4 1
Wissahickon 020 000 001 – 3 7 0
Quakertown 2, Plymouth Whitemarsh 1
The last time these two teams played it took 13 innings to decide a winner, and that time it was Plymouth Whitemarsh which emerged with the win.
Thursday’s rematch in Quakertown Thursday night was just as close, but this time the host Panthers emerged with the 2-1 victory, handing PW its first league loss of the season.
Matt Marston, who pitched the first 6 1/3 innings for Quakertown, allowed one run (unearned) on just one hit. He scattered five walks and struck out four.
“This was a huge win tonight,” Quakertown coach Jon Pallone said. “Every time we play PW, it’s a battle. Matt Marsten had an outstanding game.
“Not only did he throw a heck of a game, but he reached base three times and had an RBI double.”
Macen Probithon struck out the final two batters of the game in the top of the seventh to finish off the upset win.
Quakertown scored its two runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Cooper Natisin singled with one out and scored on an RBI double by Marsten. Gunnar Rahn singled home the second run two batters later.
Marsten finished 2-for-2 on the day.
Quakertown (11-4, 10-2 SOL), now up to No. 5 in the district power rankings, will host Upper Dublin for the completion of its suspended game at 3:30 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., the Panthers will host Central Bucks West in a non-league game.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (13-3, 12-1 SOL), still No. 1 in the Class 6A power rankings, will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 000 001 0 – 1 1 0
Quakertown 000 200 0 – 2 5 0
Hatboro-Horsham 1, Abington 0
Fighting for its playoff life, Hatboro-Horsham got just what it needed on the mound Thursday, as Jamie O’Neill threw a five-hit shutout as the Hatters edged Abington on the road by a 1-0 final score.
O’Neill walked just one and struck out four. Abington had a baserunner in every inning, but O’Neill worked in and out of trouble, induced a pair of double plays and worked around three errors.
Offensively, the Hatters didn’t have much luck against Abington starter Calvin Judge either. Judge allowed just two hits and three walks, and he struck out six.
It turned out, H-H’s two hits, and the only run of the game, came in the top of the first.
Jaxson Bumpas reached on a single, went to second on a groundout, and then scored on an RBI single by Dom Rapino.
Hatboro-Horsham (8-6, 7-6 SOL) will travel to Pennridge for a non-league game Friday.
Abington (4-7, 4-7 SOL) will face Pennsbury in a non-league game Saturday (2 p.m.) at Trenton Thunder’s Arm & Hammer Stadium.
Hatboro-Horsham 100 000 0 – 1 2 3
Abington 000 000 0 – 0 5 0
SOL Freedom Division
Upper Moreland 13, William Tennent 12
The Golden Bears rallied from a five-run deficit to eventually take the lead in the fifth, but then had to hold off a furious William Tennent rally for the wild 13-12 win in Freedom Division play on Thursday.
The two teams combined for 25 runs, 25 hits, 10 errors, 12 walks and four hit batters.
“Nothing like going from a three-run lead to a five-run deficit in the span of a couple innings, but such is baseball sometimes,” said UM coach Jim Fasano. “We had every opportunity to throw in the towel and think about the bus ride home, but we didn’t. The kids deserve a ton of credit for that.”
Offensively, the Bears had six extra base hits, led by Nate Kelly, who went 3-for-5 with a triple, double and two RBIs. Pat Kilgus was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, Dylan Wood 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Luke Sword was 2-for-3 with a RBI.
“We struggled defensively today, but the bats picked us up,” Fasano said. “Tremendous at-bats, up and down the lineup, especially from Pat Kilgus, Jackson Townsend, Luke Sword, Colson Campbell and Dylan Wood.”
It was back-and-forth early. UM scored three in the first, Tennent countered with a seven-spot in the second, and one in the third to take a 8-3 lead. The Bears answered with four in the fourth and six in the fifth to make it 13-8, only to see Tennent score two in the fifth and two more in the sixth to make it a one-run game.
Kelly struck out the side in the seventh to finish off the Panthers and secure the win for UM.
“It was great to see senior Colin Fell out on the mound today, his first appearance in about eight weeks,” Fasano said. “We didn’t help him defensively, but he threw a ton of strikes and can be a big addition for us down the stretch.
“Nate Kelly threw two innings to close out the game. He is everything a coach wants in a player, and a person. Willing to do anything to help the team and he played outstanding shortstop today in addition to his three hits.”
Chase Solkoff and Sam Vernick had two hits each for Tennent. Conor Servis had four RBIs.
Upper Moreland (7-7, 6-5 SOL), No. 10 in the Class 5A power rankings, will host Wissahickon in a crossover game on Saturday at 11 a.m.
William Tennent (3-11, 2-10 SOL) will be on the road at Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Upper Moreland 300 460 0 – 13 15 5
Tennent 071 022 0 – 12 10 5
Cheltenham 6, Lower Moreland 3
Cheltenham came out swinging the bats early in this one, with four runs on four extra base hits in the top of the first and rode that to a 6-3 division road win at Lower Moreland
“Another big win, especially league play,” said Panthers coach Kevin Hite. “We got off to a great start. Jack ‘Chicken Wing’ Haugen started the game with a triple and we were rolling.”
Emile Chanoine followed Haugen’s triple with an RBI double. Two batters later it was 2-0 on an RBI groundout by Finn Kopp. Corey Bradley then followed with an RBI double and scored on a Kaedon Carrera groundout. AJ Gordon also doubled in the inning.
Lower Moreland did score a run in the bottom of the first, but Cheltenham upped its lead to 6-1 with two more in the top of the third. Nate Batiancila led off with a double and later scored on a RBI single by Bradley.
Haugen and Chianoine led a 10-hit attack with two hits each for the Panthers.
Batiancila led the way on the mound, going six to pick up the win. He allowed just one earned run on six hits, while striking out seven. Kopp picked up the save by striking out the final batter in the seventh.
“Sam Batiancila pitched another magnificent game and continued to hit the ball to help his cause,” Hite said. “Solid defense all around and freshman sensation Emile ‘The Natural’ Chanione made a spectacular catch in center field to save a run.
“I told them before the game to treat this like a playoff game and they responded.
“We have another big challenge on Monday when Upper Moreland will come calling. We will be ready.”
Cheltenham (5-9, 4-8 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Monday.
Lower Moreland (6-9, 3-9 SOL) will host New Hope-Solebury Tuesday.
Cheltenham 402 000 0 – 6 10 2
Lower Moreland 101 000 1 – 3 10 2
Springfield Twp 12, New Hope-Solebury 0 (5 innings)
It’s been a big week for Springfield offensively, as it blanked New Hope-Solebury in five innings 12-0 to even its record at 7-7 and remain atop the Freedom Division standings.
The Spartans won their two games this week by a combined 24-3 score.
“We did everything right for a change,” said coach Dennis Primavera. “We haven’t had a game like this in probably two years. We hit, we fielded.
“(New Hope is) having a down year. They have a really good coach. They’re having a tough year, but we still did the things we did. We could have burped. For me, it was fun to relax after the third inning.”
Springfield led off the game with five runs on six hits in the first inning. Chris Cahill led off with a single and Owen Hastings drove him home with a RBI triple. Matt Caruso had an RBI single, Mike Capoferri a two-run double and then Jon Matthews an RBI single.
The Spartans added five in the fourth and two in the fifth, finishing with 14 hits, as every player in the lineup had at least one. Cahill, Hastings, Nathan Levy, Capoferri and Max May had two hits each.
The Spartans finished with 12 runs on 14 hits in just five at-bats.
“I actually found a leadoff hitter now,” Primavera said. “It takes me a dozen games to figure out what the players can do. In one of our non-league games, I started to look at Chris Cahill. He’s started the last three or four games, and he’s doing the job.”
Nolan Kidwell pitched all five innings, scattering two hits and three walks, while striking out nine.
“He was hurt, and he’s been rehabbing,” Primavera said. ”This is the first game he’s really pitched. I used him as an opener last week in the crossover game (against Wissahickon). He was on a pitch count.
“He’s had some tendinitis elbow problems, but now he seems to be back. I’m pleased with his performance. I feel good for the kid.
“We have the Morelands next week. We have to do well against them. Unless things change, we will probably make the playoffs in the fourth position.
“We have to continue to play like we are. We’ve been playing well. They’re doing what they have to do. I said to them, ‘As coaches, we’ve done all we could. You know what to do. You need to go do it now.’’
Springfield Twp (7-7, 7-6 SOL) will travel to Germantown Friends for a non-league game Friday.
New Hope-Solebury (3-13, 1-12 SOL) will be on the road at Lower Moreland on Tuesday.
Springfield 500 52 – 12 14 1
New Hope 000 00 0 – 0 2 5
SOL Colonial Division
North Penn 6, Central Bucks West 1
To say North Penn has been streaky this season might be an understatement. Fortunately for the Knights, who won their fourth straight against CB West on Thursday, they’re trending up as the season hits its most
important stage.
“It’s not easy to win two on the road in one week, but it’s important with the position we’re in,” said North Penn coach Kevin Manero. “I give our guys a lot of credit for playing big right now.”
After starting the season with six straight wins, including three in the league, NP had a 1-5 stretch, followed by its current four-game winning streak, with three league games now remaining.
Nick Palovich set the tone on the mound Thursday. He went the distance, allowing just one run on four hits and one walk, while striking out 10. He threw just 81 pitches in seven innings.
“Nick Palovich really rose to the occasion today,” Manero said. “His command was tremendous, and his efficiency was really impressive.
“I thought we had a couple defining innings at the plate, extended our lead after they scored one and tacking one extra in the sixth. But Pally’s shutdown innings were the biggest. He kept us in control.”
With the bats, it started in the second for the Knights. Ben Grattan and Jeremiah Criger each had two-out RBI singles, and Chase Jones roped an RBI double to make it a 3-0 game.
It was 3-1 going into the sixth, which saw Henry Wetzel led off with a double. Grattan picked up another RRI with a sac fly and Criger another RBI with a fielder’s choice grounder.
Aaron Briggs had an RBI sac fly in the sixth for the final run.
North Penn pounded out 10 hits, drew five walks and stole five bases.
“We had some big moments by senior players that were great examples of heads-up baseball,” Manero said. “Henry Wetzel threw a trail runner out from center field to end a big threat and had a big day at the plate, AJ Briggs came up with some situational execution at the plate, and Ben Farley really got after it on the bases.”
North Penn (10-5, 8-5 SOL), No. 15 in the district power rankings, will host Souderton Tuesday.
Central Bucks West (6-8, 5-7 SOL), just on the inside of the playoff bubble at No. 24, will travel to Quakertown on Friday.
North Penn 030 002 1 – 6 10 0
CB West 000 010 0 – 1 4 1
Central Bucks East 5, Central Bucks South 1
Damian Frayne pitched a masterful seven innings, striking out 11 to help first-place CB East shake off a loss on Tuesday, with a big road win on Thursday night.
Frayne allowed just three hits and walked just two, and finished with 94 pitches over seven innings.
CB South’s lone run was a solo home run by Jake Yang in the bottom of the third that made it a 3-1 game.
For the Patriots, Chase Harlan hit a solo home run with two outs in the top of the first. Chase Fulford singled home Jack Mislan later in the inning.
Fulford made it 3-0 with an RBI double in the third. Another run scored on a double play in the fifth. Reece Moody tripled the lead off the seventh and scored on a wild pitch.
Fulford finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Moody was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Central Bucks East (11-4, 10-2 SOL), No. 4 in the district power rankings, will travel to Pennridge Monday.
Central Bucks South (5-8, 5-8 SOL), at No. 25 in the power rankings, will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
CB East 201 010 1 – 5 7 0
CB South 001 000 0 – 1 3 1
Souderton 10, Pennridge 5
In a battle between two teams just inside the playoff bubble, Souderton scored five times in the top of the fourth to erase an early deficit and went on to a 10-5 win over Pennridge at James Memorial Park on Tuesday night. The win was the fourth straight for the Indians.
“I am happy to see we are getting better every game and our hitting is starting to come around,” Souderton coach Mike Childs said. “We had 3 guys – Tyler Lutz, Austin Kreyenhagen, and Connor Klock – with multiple hits. Tyler Lutz led the way with three. The guys off the bench are contributing also. Nathan Woodbury had a triple to start the seventh.”
Souderton scored 10 runs on 11 hits and drew six walks. It had three extra base hits and also stole six bases.
Trailing 5-3, the Indians loaded the bases and plated a run on a walk to Chris McKenna. Tyler Lutz then hit a two-run single, followed by an Austin Kreyenhagen two-run single,
The Indians added two more in the sixth to round out the scoring.
Lutz led Souderton with three hits and three RBIs. Kreyenhangen had a double, two hits and three RBIs, while Connor Klock had two hits.
Kreyenhagen notched the win while Lutz also picked a save in relief, throwing four shutout innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out five.
Lutz led the Indians with a 3-for-4 day at the plate with three RBIs. Kreyenhagen was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, and Clock was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Ryder Olson, Andrew Render and Zach Swanson had two hits each for Pennridge.
Souderton (7-8, 6-6 SOL), No. 20 in the power rankings, will be on the road at North Penn on Tuesday.
Pennridge (7-6, 4-6 SOL), which started the day No. 23 in the District One power rankings, will host Hatboro-Horsham in a non-league game Friday.
Souderton 300 502 0 – 10 11 1
Pennridge 032 000 0 – 5 10 2
SOL Patriot Division
Council Rock North 6, Bensalem 0
Jude Hamilton did his job on the mound and Nick DiGiacomo had a big day at the plate, and the final result was a shutout road win for CR North over Bensalem, as the Indians appear to be fine-tuning their game with the playoffs looming.
Hamilton dominated on the mound. He allowed just four hits and one walk, while striking out eight. In a complete-game effort, he threw 98 pitches.
“Jude Hamilton threw a gem today,” said CR North coach Matt Schram. “He was effective and efficient and pitched like a seasoned varsity pitcher. DiGiacomo had an equally good day at the plate.”
The Indians grabbed a lead early with one in the top of the first on a two-out RBI triple by DiGiacomo. They made it 2-0 in the fourth as Will Scibona had a two-out RBI single.
They then blew the game wide open with four runs in the top of the seventh.
Scibona led off the inning with a triple and scored on a Leor Kedar sac fly to right. DiGiocomo followed with a double, and Payton Saw was intentionally walked to load the bases. One run scored on a balk, another on an error and then a Johnny Mulder groundout plated a run to make it 6-0.
DiGiacomo finished 4-for-4 with the triple, two doubles, one run scored and one RBI. Scibona was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Joe Rizzo and Kyle Book also had two hits each.
“Winning games in our league is extremely hard to do,” Schram said. “So, we were happy with being on the winning side today.”
Council Rock North (9-6, 6-5 SOL), No. 19 in the District One Class 6A power rankings, will host Bensalem on Monday in a make-up game.
Bensalem (3-12, 1-10 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North on Monday.
CR North 100 100 4 – 6 11 2
Bensalem 000 000 0 – 0 4 2
Non-league
Neshaminy 17, Harry S. Truman 7
In a game counted as a non-league game, played at Arm & Hammer Stadium in Trenton, Neshaminy pounded out 17 runs, including six in the bottom of the sixth for the mercy-rule finish and a 17-7 final score.
Neshaminy had 13 hits – six extra base hits – drew five walks and five batters were hit by pitches.
Center fielder Anthony Trommer led the way, going 3-for-4 with a triple, double, three runs scored and three RBIs.
Joel Bonner was 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs, and two RBIs and Ryan Fox was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Three pitchers saw time on the mound. Jared Kligerman went the first three innings, and allowed just one hit and one walk, while striking out three to earn the win. Chase Bonner closed out the game by not allowing an earned run over the final two innings.
Luke Olivero and Kevin Pickard had two hits each for Truman.
Neshaminy (13-2, 11-2 SOL), No. 3 in the district power rankings, will travel to Harry S Truman on Tuesday for a rematch that will count as a league game.
Harry S. Truman 000 133 – 7 5 3
Neshaminy 430 406 – 17 13 3
Holy Ghost Prep 5, Council Rock South 1
CR South managed just one sixth-inning run, committed four errors and dropped Thursday’s non-league game to Holy Ghost Prep by a 6-1 final score.
Holy Ghost scored three runs in the top of the second and left the rest of the way.
The Golden Hawks finished with four hits. Pirone singled in the sixth, and later scored on a Johnny Mendola RBI groundout.
Council Rock South (7-9, 6-7 SOL), No. 21 in the District One power rankings, will host Council Rock North on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
Holy Ghost 030 000 2 – 5 4 1
CR South 000 001 0 – 1 4 4
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