Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Friday.
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 7, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 4
The Indians scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie and escape with the win in Thursday’s battle of neighboring rivals.
“Today’s hero was Shane Anhalt offensively,” Rock North coach Matt Schram said. “He tied the game in the top of the sixth with a solo home run.
“At that point, we tied it (3-3) and then we went up a run later that inning, and they came back and tied it on an error. That’s a typical North/South game. That’s how it works with them. In the seventh inning, they were in their bullpen, and their new pitcher came in and walked the bases loaded. Shane came up and he hit a single up the middle to score two runs.”
A third run crossed the plate on a fielder’s choice, and the Indians took a 7-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Andrew Brown retired the Golden Hawks in the bottom of the inning, and a much-needed win was in the books for the Indians, who had lost four of their five preceding games.
Playing no small role in the Indians’ recent slide is the fact that they have been without their three and four hitters – Josh Huddy and Leor Kedar – for the last five games. Both have been sidelined with injuries.
“That’s like the Sixers losing (Joel) Embiid, so we’ve been mixing and matching, and we haven’t had much offense,” Schram said. “Those are two big hitters, and that’s one of the reasons we’ve gone through this slump.
“We’ve been waiting for other guys to step up, trying other guys. A lot of guys are getting on the field. It’s been an interesting second half for us. It’s definitely changed our philosophy, it’s changed how we do things now. You usually wait for one of these guys to hit a double, get an extra base, and now we’re trying to move guys, bunt guys, run guys. I don’t mind doing it, but we’re missing some RBIs, we’re missing some long balls, we’re missing some stuff with these guys.”
The Indians had just six hits in the game – only one in a first inning that saw them score a pair. The Golden Hawks scored three runs in the bottom of the second to go on top 3-2. After a pair reached base on back-to-back walks to open the inning, Keith Lipincott hit an RBI single to right field. Another walk loaded the bases for Andrew Rubin, who brought in a run with a line drive single to left. Lipincott scored the go-ahead run on a groundout.
That 3-2 score held until the top of the sixth when the Indians went on top 4-3 only to watch the Golden Hawks knot the score in the bottom of the inning, and the stage was set for the dramatic finish.
“They threw their ace Matt Camp, and he was settling in and doing really well, being very effective, being efficient,” Schram said. “We were hitting the ball, but we weren’t getting great contact. We weren’t able to get multiple hits in an inning. He was doing a great job on the mound. Then in the sixth inning on a 3-2 pitch, Shane just blasted one over the left field fence, which clearly changed the momentum.
“It’s been a tough stretch for us because we’ve been battling – we’ve been battling the injuries, but we’ve been battling leadership as well because Hoddy is one of our captains. It’s just unfortunate. It’s one thing to lose one player, one big bat, but to lose two players who bat third and fourth – it’s hard enough to fill one spot.”
Anhalt led the Indians, finishing 2-for-3 with a home run, run scored and three RBIs. Jack Harar was 2-for-2 with an RBI.
For the Golden Hawks, Rubin (3-for-4, RBI) and Lipincott (2-for-3, 2R, RBI) led the way.
Brown notched the win in relief, allowing two hits and one run (unearned) while striking out two and walking one.
“Both teams could be 0-20 and to play this game, it’s like the World Series,” Schram said.
Council Rock North (10-5, 8-5 SOL) will host Bensalem on Tuesday, and Council Rock South (2-10, 1-10) will host Central Bucks East on Monday.
Council Rock North 200 002 3 7-6-1
Council Rock South 030 001 0 4-7-2
SOL Liberty Division
HATBORO-HORSHAM 6, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 5 (8 innings)
Coach Pete Moore has talked about the depth of his lineup and how critical that has been to the success of this year’s squad. Thursday’s come-from-behind win was an advertisement for that depth.
The Hatters’ six through nine hitters combined for nine of the team’s 12 hits – which included Noah Schlosser’s RBI double in the bottom of the eighth that gave the Hatters the walk-off win.
“If you look at today, we got three hits out of Nick Katherine in the six hole, three hits out of Logan Fischer in the seven hole,” Moore said. “Logan has been working his butt off lately trying to get back to the swing that he likes, and it’s great to see that hard work pay off for him. The face of the game was the eight hole with Noah Schlosser hitting the ball to the fence to win it for us. Zach Greenberg in the nine hole had two hits. Contributions throughout the lineup have been key.”
Comebacks and wild endings are nothing new when these two teams meet.
“This game was incredible – very similar to last year,” Moore said. “Last year at our place on May 10, PW was up 6-2 going into the last inning, and we came back and we won it in the seventh inning. This year we were down 5-1 going into the seventh and scored four runs in that inning to tie it and then had a 1-2-3 inning defensively in the top of the eighth, and we won it on a Noah Schlosser double to the fence in the eighth inning.”
The Hatters found a way to win despite seeing mound ace Cole Fisher struggle.
“It was great for us as a team to have to overcome some adversity,” Moore said. “Cole Fisher, our starting pitcher, has been tremendous all year, and he’s been battling through a hip and hamstring injury. Thought he was fully recovered, started on the mound for us, and in the third inning, it acted up on him, and we had to take him out after that inning. We gave up four runs in that inning, so we were down in a 4-0 hole.
“We went to Ryan Toporowski because we had used a couple of other pitchers this week already in two games, and Top did what he’s done all year. Gave us five innings of one-run ball, got the win and really calmed things down for us. Cole gutted through it and was able to play in the field. It was more of an issue when he was landing when he was pitching, but he was able to gut through it.”
Fischer emerged as one of the game’s heroes at the plate in the bottom of the seventh. The Hatters – thanks to singles by Katherine, Fischer and Greenberg – loaded the bases with one out. A bases-loaded walk to Trey Porter made it a 5-2 game, and another run crossed the plate on Jack Elwell’s groundout.
That brought Cole Fisher to the plate with two outs, the Hatters still trailing by two and runners on second and third.
“He was 0-for-3 coming up in the bottom of the seventh,” Moore said. “He fell behind 1-2, took a ball and then on a 2-2 count line drive into center field to tie the game. We ended up winning in the eighth. It was crazy.”
Earlier, the Colonials had things going their way. Logan Sharpe allowed just five hits and one run in five strong innings on the mound. The Colonials’ bats came alive in a four-run third inning that began with Gavin Rocks reaching base on a Hatter error. Jesse Jaconski followed with a double to left field, and Rocks scored on a Luke Gartland single. Michael Miller drove in a run with a double to left, and Luke Caucci’s RBI double to left plated a pair to put the Colonials on top 4-0. The two teams exchanged runs with the Hatters scoring in the bottom of the fifth, and the Colonials going on top 5-1 in the top of the sixth, setting the stage for the Hatters’ remarkable comeback.
Katherine (3-for-4, 2B, 2R), Fischer (3-for-4, 2B, 2R) and Greenberg (2-for-3, RBI) led the Hatters.
For the Colonials, Jaconski was 3-for-4 with a double and run scored. Miller (2-for-2, 2B, 2 RBIs) and Caucci (2-for-4 2B, 2 RBIs) also had multiple hits.
Hatboro-Horsham (14-2, 13-0 SOL) will host Abington on Tuesday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (11-5, 8-5) will travel to Upper Dublin on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 004 001 00 5-10-0
Hatboro-Horsham 000 010 41 6-12-2
WISSAHICKON 8, ABINGTON 1
The Trojans received standout pitching performances from Reed Bram and Danny Crump, and their offense – despite collecting just six hits – scored more than enough runs to earn the win. Bram started and threw 4.2 shutout innings, allowing two hits while striking out four and walking three. Crump threw the final 2.1 innings, allowing one run (unearned). He had three strikeouts and three walks.
“Reed Bram started the game and pitched awesome,” Wissahickon coach Andy Noga said. “Reed has been really impressive this year. He’s got great stuff and is just pitching with a ton of confidence this year.
“Danny Crump came in relief of Reed and shut the door. Danny and Reed have played catch together the last two years, so it was cool to see them both have a big impact on the game on the mound.”
The Trojans scored one run in the first and added three in the second to go on top 4-0. Shane Henrick and Morgan Wilson opened the inning with back-to-back singles. One out later, Luke Frank drew a walk to load the bases. Justin Miller drew a two-out walk (RBI) and Kasey Weiss lined a single to center to plate a pair.
In the fourth inning, the Trojans added a pair – the first scored on a wild pitch and the second on an error. They scored two more runs in the fifth, benefitting from three walks as well as an Aidan DeFeo single. The Ghosts broke up the Trojans’ shutout big with a run in the seventh.
Weiss led the Trojans at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBIs. Miller had a pair of RBIs.
“Kasey Weiss was locked in today,” Noga said. “Kasey is a big energy guy for us so when he has a good day offensively, then rest of the lineup usually follows his lead.
“Morgan Wilson made a really nice diving play early in the game to save a double down the line. Morgan continued to be a team guy and laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt that turned into a hit because of where he bunted it. We executed well in all phases of the game. It was a really good team win at a really good time.”
Wissahickon (8-8, 8-5 SOL) will travel to Quakertown on Tuesday, and Abington (9-6, 7-6) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday.
Abington 000 000 1 1-2-1
Wissahickon 130 220 x 8-6-0
SOL Freedom Division
WILLIAM TENNENT 4, CHELTENHAM 2
Senior Night celebrations don’t get much better than Josh Nydick’s. The Tennent senior stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh of a tie ball game with one runner on board and one out. After fouling off a pair of 3-2 pitches, Nydick smashed a two-run home run to center field for the dramatic walk-off win.
“It was certainly an exciting Senior Night for the boys,” Tennent coach Lucas Denzi said. “It all came down to the seventh where we were able to get on base and set the table for the heart of our lineup.
“Josh did a great job working the count and eventually delivered the big hit. Hopefully, we can use the momentum to carry us through the remaining weeks of the season.”
Tennent took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Tim Lawson, who singled and stole second, scored on Evan Devor’s single to right. In the bottom of the fifth, the host Panthers added a run. Nydick delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to give Tennent a 2-0 lead. The visiting Panthers evened the score in the top of the sixth, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
Kevin Kocher lined a single to left to lead off the bottom of the seventh but was caught stealing. Lawson singled to right, and the stage for set for Nydick’s big at-bat.
Nydick finished a productive day at the plate 3-for-4 with a home run, one run scored and three RBIs. He also threw five shutout innings to start the game, allowing just one hit while striking out eight and walking one. Alex Roop closed it out and notched the win.
Kocher (2-for-4) and Lawson (2-for-4, 3R) also had multi-hit games for Tennent.
“Hats off to Cheltenham as they played a great game,” Denzi said. “Number two for them pitched great on the mound, mixing speeds and locations.
“Ours guys did a great job sticking with it, and it truly was a team effort as all 11 seniors contributed in their own ways. Defensively, we made the routine plays which has been a concentration for us all year and it kept us in the game.”
William Tennent (3-10, 3-8 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (2-12, 0-11) is scheduled to host Upper Moreland on Friday.
Cheltenham 000 002 0 2-4-0
William Tennent 100 010 2 4-8-1
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
UPPER DUBLIN 14, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 7
The Flying Cardinals – after falling behind 2-0 after one inning – opened up a 12-2 lead. The Lions erupted for five runs in the bottom of the sixth but never could get any closer than 12-7 the rest of the way.
“We were in control for five innings, and we had a rough sixth,” UD coach Ed Wall said. “They put up a couple of runs and had some really good hits. They did fight back.
“It was a solid game. We had a bunch of doubles and Joe Levis had a triple, so I was really happy with our bats again today.”
The Lions benefitted from several UD miscues to go on top 2-0 when Matt Spadavecchia hit a two-out, two-run single. The Cardinals scored a run in the top of the second when Leo Soriano, who singled, scored on David Sharp’s single to center. They knotted the score with an unearned run in the third.
After a five-run fourth inning that saw the Cards benefit from several Lion errors, UD added a pair of runs in the fifth, thanks to a two-run double by O’Brien. They added three runs in the top of the sixth before the Lions’ bats came to life in the bottom of the inning. A two-run home run by Kyle Campbell highlighted the inning.
For the Lions, Campbell was 2-for-3 with a double and home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. No other New Hope player had more than one hit.
“We got everybody in, and it was Aidan McCarthy with the win,” Wall said. “Brodie Wedholm threw the fifth and sixth, and Austin Diehl came in to close it and gave up no runs and did a great job.”
Upper Dublin (10-4, 10-2 SOL) is scheduled to host Quakertown on Friday, and New Hope-Solebury (4-5-1, 3-5-1) will travel to Archbishop Wood for a non-league game on Saturday.
Upper Dublin 011 523 2 14
New Hope-Solebury 200 005 0 7
Non-league
NESHAMINY 8, HARRY S TRUMAN 6 (8 innings)
The opportunity to play at Trenton Thunder Stadium has been a long time coming for the Redskins, but it was worth the wait. Neshaminy and Truman both honored their team’s seniors in Thursday’s non-league game, and it was the Redskins’ nine seniors celebrating after earning the extra inning win.
“It was nice,” Neshaminy coach Dan Toner said. “I know a lot of other teams did it, and we’ve actually been trying to play this game for three years now. One time it rained, and we could never find another date. Then we had COVID, and we finally got back at it this year.”
The Tigers struck first with a run in the bottom of the first when Makai Jackson, who singled to lead off the frame, scored on James Baker’s two-out single. The Redskins got that run back and a whole lot more in a six-run second inning.
Bobby Hansen opened the inning with a double, and after Luke Hardnock was safe on a fielder’s choice, Dom Beecher lined a double to left that plated a pair. Another run scored on a groundout. Back-to-back walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for Jake Kozlowski, who brought home a pair with a single to right field. Another run scored on an error, and the Redskins led 6-1.
Truman scored three runs in the bottom of the third with singles by Mike Burns (RBI) and Andrew Armstrong (2 RBIs) the lone hits in the inning. The Tigers added a run in the fifth without collecting a hit to make it a 6-5 game, and they evened the score 6-6 when Ethan Helbling, who singled, scored on a wild pitch.
In the top of the eighth, the Redskins collected just one hit – a single by Gaige Ryan but benefitted from a pair of miscues as well as a hit batter to score two runs. Redskin ace Matt Mays retired the Tigers in order in the bottom of the inning, striking out a pair.
Mays, who notched the win, did not allow a hit in two scoreless innings, striking out three and walking none. He was the fourth Neshaminy pitcher to see action.
At the plate, the Redskins were led by Ryan (2-for-3, R), Kozlowski (2-for-3, 3 RBIs) and Dom Beecher (2-for-3, 2B, R, 2 RBIs).
“Dom Beecher had a nice day for us – he’s a senior, and he had two big hits,” Toner said. “Matt Mays came in and closed the game for us. We needed to keep him under 25 pitches just in case we’re able to go (Friday).”
For the Tigers, Armstrong was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Armstrong also threw five innings to close out the game, allowing two hits and two runs (unearned) while striking out two and walking three. Alex Matlack allowed one hit in 1.2 scoreless innings for the Tigers in a contest that saw plenty of players from both sides see game action.
“It was a good game – it was back and forth,” Toner said. “We scored a couple of runs early, and they did a good job shutting us down.
“We were able to get everyone in playing in the stadium, and it was a real good team win for us as well. We were hitting really well and then we had an awful game yesterday where we kind of lost track of our approach at the plate. Today it came back a little bit. We’re just trying to get consistent with our game.”
Neshaminy (6-5, 5-5 SOL) is scheduled to play Pennsbury on Friday, and Harry S Truman (7-9, 5-8) will host Bensalem on Monday.
Neshaminy 060 000 02 8-8-0
Harry S Truman 103 011 00 6-7-3
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