North Penn notched a key win over Neshaminy in a crossover game Monday.
NORTH PENN 3, NESHAMINY 2
The Knights saved their best for last, rallying from a 2-0 deficit with one run in each of the last three innings to earn the important come-from-behind win in Monday’s crossover game at Neshaminy.
“I told our guys before the game that we were 4-4 in the district and they were 6-2,” NP coach Kevin Manero said. “A ball we hit against CB East in the bottom of the seventh – if it’s one inch to the right, we’re 5-3. Then we had a very bizarre loss to Pennridge early in the year that could have gone either way a thousand times, and we could have easily won that game and been 6-2. My point was – that’s how close we’ve been, and that’s how baseball is in this conference. You’re an out here or a play there or an inch here or there from having a much better or worse record than you have.
“I told the guys that because I think they need to realize how close they are to breaking out and turning some of these games into wins. I thought going down there today against a good team – that was a big win that we gutted out and probably one of those kind of wins we needed more for our self confidence than anything.”
Playing no small role in the win were the performances on the mound of Mike Lennon and Eric Hamilton. Lennon started the game and threw five innings, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out seven and walking four.
“I give a lot of credit to our pitchers,” Manero said. “Mike Lennon has been fantastic. He throws a ton of strikes, he stays down in the zone. In two consecutive innings, he got out of an inning with Neshaminy having a runner on second base with two outs.
“He dug deep and made really big pitches to get out of those situations, and he kept giving us a chance. In the bottom of the fourth, they had a man on second and he got out of it, and we came back and scored a run. In the bottom of the fifth, he did it again. He came up with a big strikeout to leave a couple of Neshminy runners on, and we followed that up with a run. He’s been real tough.”
Eric Hamilton earned the win with two shutout innings in relief, allowing two hits while striking out four and walking none.
“Eric Hamilton has just been tremendous for us out of the bullpen,” Manero said. “He came in and really pitched well in the sixth and seventh inning. The pitching really held the fort down after the third inning and gave us a chance to come back and score some runs.”
Runs were few and far between for both sides. The Redskins struck first with a single run in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Zack Bowman doubled to right, and he scored on Mike Donato’s line single to center.
Neshaminy upped its lead to 2-0 with a run in the third when Josh Martoccio, who doubled to right with one out, scored on Bowman’s single to center.
The Knights put a run on the board in the fifth. With two outs, Jeffrey Sabater was hit by a pitch, and Evin Sullivan followed with a single to right. A bobble in the outfield allowed Sabater to race home all the way from first.
The Knights scored the equalizer in the sixth. Jack Picozzi led off the inning with a single to left and moved up to second on Colin Orndorff’s sacrifice. Justin Egner delivered the big hit of the inning – an RBI double.
In the seventh, Sabater led off the inning with a single and scored the go-ahead run when Evin Sullivan doubled to left.
Hamilton made sure that lead stood, retiring the first two batters he faced before Donato collected a two-out single. He never advanced beyond first as Hamilton came up with a strikeout to close out the game.
Sullivan’s 2-for-3 day with a double and RBI led the Knights.
For the Redskins, Donato was 3-for-3 with an RBI while Bowman was 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and run scored.
Lost in the shuffle for Neshaminy was the strong outing of starter Liam DelGuerico, who allowed just one hit and one run (unearned) in five strong innings. He struck out eight and walked four and was lifted after throwing 90 pitches. The Knights scored a pair of runs off Matt Mays, who relieved DelGuerico.
North Penn – 13th in the latest District One 6A power rankings – is still without three players due to COVID-19 protocols and their starting designated hitter, who was injured over the weekend, is out indefinitely.
North Penn (7-4, 2-3 SOL) will travel to Harry S Truman on Tuesday, and Neshaminy (8-3, 3-1) will host Central Bucks East on Tuesday. The Redskins are 11th in the latest power rankings.
North Penn 000 011 1 3-6-1
Neshaminy 101 000 0 2-8-1
HOLY GHOST PREP 8, QUAKERTOWN 0
A pair of Holy Ghost pitchers combined for the shutout win in Monday’s non-league game. Matt Long, who earned the win, threw 97 pitches in six strong innings, scattering four hits while striking out 10 and walking three. Tyler McCord did not allow a hit in a scoreless seventh.
Brandon Pierce accounted for two of Quakertown’s four hits, finishing the game 2-for-3.
Daniel Schwalm absorbed the loss, allowing six hits and eight runs – none earned in four innings. Jack Qualteria and Anthony Rostick each tossed a scoreless inning in relief. Rostick struck out the side in the sixth.
Quakertown (7-6, 2-3 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Quakertown 000 000 0 0-4-5
Holy Ghost Prep 020 600 x 8-6-1
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