Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Thursday. CB West/Souderton photos courtesy of Tracy Valko, Bensalem/CR South photos courtesy of Greg Lindsay & Hatboro-Horsham/Abington photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for galleries of all three games. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports' BASEBALL GALLERIES.
SOL Colonial Division
Central Bucks West 1, Souderton 0
Sometimes, it’s just your game.
CB West pitcher Ernie Sanchez was on right from the start, and when it was over he’d made a little history with a complete-game, no hitter in an 1-0 win for the Bucks that clinched the three-game series against the
Indians.
Sanchez allowed just two walks and struck out five. He never allowed more than one runner on base in any inning, and in the seventh, after hitting a batter with one out, he recorded a strikeout to end the game.
He threw 91 pitches, and for good measure, was 2-for-3 with the game’s only RBI in the first inning.
“Ernie was outstanding today,” said CB West coach Thomas Spratt. “He did a great job being efficient and was able to throw all his pitches for strikes. He was able to work backwards, pitched to contact and we had great defense behind him. (Alex) Valdes had a diving catch in the first inning.
“Ernie throwing a no hitter and having the only RBI on senior day, to punch a ticket into playoffs is pretty special. Super happy for him and our guys.”
Souderton’s Trent Lutz allowed just that one first-inning run and blanked the Bucks the rest of the way, with eight strikeouts.
Key Inning: Bottom of the 1st: With two out, Jack Hogenauer doubled to center field, and the next batter, Ernie Sanchez, roped a single to right to score the run.
Up next: Central Bucks West (12-7, 8-7 SOL) will travel to Harriton for a non-league game Friday, and Souderton (9-8-1, 8-7) will travel to Quakertown for a non-league game Monday.
Souderton 000 000 0 - 0 0 0
CB West 100 000 x - 1 6 1
Central Bucks East 6, Central Bucks South 3
After a week of rain, CB East and CB South finally got Game 1 of their series in on Thursday, and the Patriots battled throughout, going up 4-3 after two and then tacking on a pair of insurance runs late for the 6-3 win.
“These guys all know each other,” said Patriots coach Kyle Dennis. “There was some good-natured back-and-forth between the dugouts, which is fun. Any time you can beat people you know is always nice.
“Our guys are competing every day. I give them credit. They’ve had a tough run of things. We’ve been battling injuries, but we don’t want to make excuses. They’re resilient kids, they work hard every day. They haven’t gotten the wins they wanted, but that hasn’t stopped them from being great kids.”
By the Numbers: CB East: Nolan Behm (2-for-4), Sean Hill, Jr. (1 double, 2 RBIs), Brendan Keiser (HR, 1 RBI, 2 runs), Jason Albert (WP, 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K).
CB South: Jake Yang (3-for-4, 1 double), Blake Bell (2-for-3, HR, 1 RBI).
Key Inning: Bottom of the 2nd: Trailing 3-2, CB East rallied with two to regain the lead. Brendan Keiser and Dustin Weber walked to lead off the inning, and with two outs, Tyler Muzsi singled home a run to tie it. Nolan Behm singled to load the bases, and a two-out walk to Anthony Niro put East in front for good.
CB East coach Kyle Dennis: “They got on us early. We didn’t do a great job with a couple facets of the game early, and they did a nice job scoring a couple runs early.
“But I’ve got to give credit to my guys. (South’s) pitcher, Luke Hillegass is very good. He had some command issues in the first few innings, we worked a couple of walks. Sean Hill, our center fielder, has been hitting in the middle of our order, and he came up with a two-out double to give us a lead.
“They came back with a home run in the second and we were down a run again. We clawed our way throughout the game. There wasn’t any big moment, we just scratched and clawed. It was a good high school baseball game.”
–On the mound: “Jason Albert did a great job for us. He pitched six innings, hit his pitch limit and we had to get him out of there. He scattered six hits, two runs. He didn’t have many strikeouts, but he pitched to contact and pitched well-enough to win.”
Up next: Central Bucks East (7-10, 4-0 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks South (10-7, 7-6) Friday.
CB South 120 000 0 - 3 8 0
CB East 220 011 x - 6 7 2
Pennridge 6, North Penn 3
North Penn had a chance to clinch the Colonial Division title outright with a win. Pennridge had other ideas.
An early home run by Tommy Ginnetti set the tone early, and Pennridge powered past the Knights for a 6-3 win at James Memorial Park.
North Penn did end up clinching that division championship, however, thanks to CB South’s loss to CB East on Thursday.
The win should help Pennridge in its hope for a berth into the District One playoffs, as it started the day in the No. 26 position for the 24-team field.
“We have played well the last few weeks and have come up a couple pitches short in a few one run games so it is nice to pick up a big win today,” said Rams coach Dan Long. “This team is very resilient and it showed today.”
By the Numbers: Pennridge: Tommy Ginnetti (HR, 3 RBIs), Connor Murray (2-for-3, WP, 5 1/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K), Zach Swanson (2 RBIs), Brayden Robinson (2-for-3, 1 double).
North Penn: Kevin Brace (2-for-4), Chase Jones (HR, 2 RBIs), Mason Coyne (2-for-3), Christian Barnes (2-for-4, 1 RBI).
Key Inning: Bottom of the 2nd: Antonio Lillo singled to lead off the inning, Brayden Robinson doubled with one out, and then with two outs and runners on second and third, Tommy Ginnetti homer to right field to give the Rams the 3-0 lead.
Pennridge coach Dan Long: “Tommy Ginnetti had a big swing in the second inning to jump start our offense. We did a good job of adding on in the third with a sac fly and in the fourth with a two-run single by Zach Swanson.
“Connor Murray did a great job on the mound and got more efficient as the game went on.”
Up Next: The two teams finish up the division schedule Friday night as North Penn (15-4, 10-4 SOL) hosts Pennridge (10-9, 5-9) at Hostelley Field (7 p.m.).
North Penn 001 002 0 - 3 9 2
Pennridge 031 200 x - 6 10 0
SOL Patriot Division
Neshaminy 2, Pennsbury 0
After losses on Tuesday and Wednesday, Neshaminy flipped the script on Thursday, and rode the pitching of Chase Bonner and a pair of sixth inning runs to blank visiting Pennsbury 2-0.
Thursday, Bonner did his part, throwing 93 pitches in seven innings, allowing six hits, but didn’t walk a batter, while striking out five.
“Chase Bonner took the mound for us today and had another excellent, complete game win,” said Neshaminy coach Dan Toner. “When you talk about the total package, Chase is it. He is a threat at the plate, has a fantastic glove in the field and can also take the mound and shut down opposing teams. The kid has the it factor all coaches look for.”
By the Numbers: Neshaminy: Dan Marable (2-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 SBs), Chase Bonner (7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K).
Pennsbury: Pierce Perry (6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K).
Key Inning: Bottom of the 6th: Brandon Lall opened the single with a single, and then with one out, Dan Marable roped an RBI single to break the scoreless tie. Mike Sassano later stole home for the insurance run to make it 2-0.
Neshaminy coach Dan Toner: “Today was a must win game for us, as we needed to avoid a sweep and also get back in the win column. We were at a huge deficit this week as our players, which consist mostly of juniors, returned home from their junior class trip on Monday night. Add playing Pennsbury and facing their pitching staff, the odds were definitely not in our favor. We deal with this each year, as do other schools, and you just hope you can stay in the groove once they return.
“Unfortunately for us, our bats went pretty much silent for this series…including Game 3.
“We were able to manufacture some runs in the sixth inning, but it wasn’t easy. We had to execute bunts, stolen bases and a first and third play to get the runs across, accompanied with a huge, Dan Marable RBI single.”
–Props: “Dan (Marable) is putting together one of the best sophomore seasons I have witnessed as a coach. He can hit for average and power, along with being one of the fastest players we have had in the program. He is an absolute game changer and has been coming through for us all year long.
“In the fourth inning, and possibly the game changing play, Brandon Lall made one of the most impressive defensive plays I’ve seen from a high school player. With two outs, and runners at first and third, a Pennsbury player ripped a ball in the hole at short. Brandon made a full lay out, dive, got to his feet and threw a laser across the diamond to make the third out. Brandon’s glove is impressive to witness.
“Congrats to Pennsbury on winning the Patriot Division. Over the past couple years, they have established that you must go through them to capture the title.”
Up next: Neshaminy (11-6, 10-4 SOL) will face Abington in a non-league game at Trenton Thunder Ballpark Saturday (7 pm), and Pennsbury (14-4-1, 11-4) will host Upper Dublin in a non-league game Monday (7pm).
Pennsbury 000 000 0 - 0 6 0
Neshaminy 000 002 x - 2 6 0
Bensalem 8, Council Rock North 6
The third game of the season series was back-and-forth the whole way, but in the end a big sixth inning was the difference as Bensalem salvaged a win after back-to-back losses to CR North earlier in the week.
The Owls held leads of 2-0 and 6-4, only to see CR North rally back each time. Two Indians runs in the fifth tied it at 6.
Bensalem answered with two in the sixth to go up 8-6, and then in the top of the seventh, reliever Trevor Morris worked around a hit batter and a pair of walks that loaded the bases to record the final two outs to close out the game.
By the Numbers: Bensalem: Pete Pasquarella (2-for-4, 1 double, 1 RBI), Jimmy McGinty (1 double, 1 RBI), Ryan Strazz (2 runs, 1 double, 1 RBI), Trevor Morris (WP, 4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K).
CR North: Preston Martin (2-for-3, 2 RBIs), Joe Rizzo (2 RBIs).
Bensalem coach Harry Daut, Jr: “It was a hard-fought game from our guys.
“Jim McGinty made an awesome catch to keep the game close, and he had a big hit late in the game. The big blow came from Ryan Strazz that gave us the lead. Pete Pasquarella and Tyler Anderson provided insurance after that big hit.
“Trevor Morris showed a lot of heart and shut the door.”
Key Inning: Bottom of the 6th: Pete Pasquarella reached on a single, and then with two outs, Jimmy McGinty and Ryan Strazz hit back-to-back doubles to give Bensalem the lead for good.
Up next: Bensalem (12-7, 7-7 SOL) will travel to Neshaminy on Wednesday, and Council Rock North (12-7, 8-6) will be on the road at Council Rock South Monday.
CR North 002 220 0 - 6 8 1
Bensalem 020 402 x - 8 7 1
Council Rock South 11, Harry S Truman 2
A big second inning was the difference as CR South finished off the important three-game sweep of Harry S. Truman 11-2 on Thursday afternoon.
The Golden Hawks started the day sitting in the No. 24 spot in the District One power rankings for the upcoming Class 6A district playoffs. They play Council Rock North in the league finale on Monday.
Tied at 1, CR South scored six runs in the second to blow it open.
For the game, it scored 11 runs on eight hits - by eight different players - while also taking advantage of seven walks and three hit batters.
CR South scored 27 runs in the three games against Truman.
By the Numbers: CR South: Billy O’Neill (WP, 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), Jake Wilkinson (1 double, 2 RBIs), Cole Alcoff (1 double, 1 RBI).
Key Inning: Bottom of the 2nd: After three walks to load the bases, Owen McLean drew a one-out walk to plate a run. Billy O’Neill followed with a two-run single, followed by a sac fly by Johnny Mendola. The final two runs of the inning scored on back-to-back errors.
CR South coach Greg Paprocki: “Great team win on Senior Day. I am proud of the way these guys responded to a tough week last week.
“This win takes us to 7-7 in the league. We host (CR) North Monday in our final game of the series with them. We believe we are in the district playoffs if we win that game.
Up next: Council Rock South (9-9, 7-7 SOL) will host Council Rock North Monday, and Harry S Truman closed out its season with an overall record of 2-17.
Truman 100 001 0 - 2 6 4
CR South 160 004 x - 11 8 1
SOL Liberty Division
Upper Dublin 4, Quakertown 1
After dropping the first game of this series to decide the Liberty Division title, Upper Dublin responded in a big way, as it clinched the championship with a 4-1 win over Quakertown on Thursday afternoon.
As was the case in Wednesday’s 3-1 win, the Flying Cardinals had excellent pitching on Thursday. Evan Sanders pitched the first 6 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run, before hitting the 100-pitch limit. Chase Greiner retired the final two batters in the seventh to close out the game for UD.
“I’m so proud of the toughness and resiliency that our team shows,” said UD coach Ed Wall. “Some of our guys may have had a rough at bat but they come out and execute on defense the very next inning.
“Evan Sanders pitched a fantastic game and benefited from an equally great defense behind him. All but one position player had an assist if not a putout. It is really great to watch Evan throw a ton of strikes and the guys behind him just take care of the baseball and get outs.”
By the Numbers: UD: Eric Berman (3-for-4), Eddie Stoffel (1 double, 2 RBIs), Oliver Gill (1 double, 1 RBI), Evan Sanders (WP, 6 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K).
Key Inning: Top of the third: David Morris led off with a double, followed by an Eric Berman single. With runners on the corners, Eric Stoffel doubled to center field to score both runners. Oliver Gill followed with an RBI double to left to make it 3-0.
UD coach Ed Wall: “We have some things to sharpen up offensively and defensively to get ready for playoffs though and we’ll take care of next week.”
--Props: “I loved watching our bats today as well. Our guys work so hard on our offense, so I was glad to see us break out a little today with our doubles parade that included Dave Morris, Oliver Gill and Eddie Stoffel that were all in a row plus an Eric Berman single mixed in. Austin Dahl’s late triple helped provide some breathing room when he later scored in the inning.
“Chase Greiner came in for the save and we're excited to see him execute in a big spot with bases loaded.
“This is a really special group of guys who play for each other and feed off of each other’s big plays.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (13-6, 11-4 SOL) will be on the road at Pennsbury for a on-league game Monday (7pm), and Quakertown (10-8, 9-6) will host Souderton for its Senior Night game Monday (7 pm).
Upper Dublin 003 001 0 - 4 7 0
Quakertown 000 100 0 - 1 5 1
Wissahickon 1, Plymouth Whitemarsh 0
Three pitchers stepped up with a gem, and one run in the third inning proved enough, as Wissahickon won a big one on Thursday, taking the three-game series with Plymouth Whitemarsh with a 1-0 victory.
“Couldn’t be prouder of our guys for this series win,” said Trojans coach Andy Noga. “That’s a really talented ball club we faced this week, and our guys were able to pull off a road series win. We’re really excited about the postseason with how we’ve hit our stride in the last few weeks.
“We started the league season 0-4. That’s a reality check for the coaches and players. A lot of credit goes to our captains for staying bought into how we wanted to do things and echoing that to their teammates. We know our league is a battle from top to bottom, so we feel battle tested. We are feeling excited about the chance to play some playoff baseball soon.”
Ryan Kim pitched the first three innings for the Trojans, allowing one hit and three walks, while striking out three. Thomas Puerzer also struck out three, scattered five hits, and he was the winning pitcher. Christian Sinopoli finished the game off with a scoreless seventh for the save.
“Today was a great pitchers’ duel and had the feel of a series Game 1 more so than a Game 3,” Noga said. “We turned the game over to Ryan Kim, with the intention of having it be an all hands on deck bullpen game. Ryan has been a mainstay in our lineup, but has not factored in on the bump for us this year, so this was head first into the deep end and all he did was come in and give us three clean innings to start.
“From there we went to Thomas Puerzer. We have trusted Thomas in a bunch of different roles this year and knew he was the guy for those crucial middle innings today. He got himself out of two huge situations in the mid innings, with the help of a massive double play on a bases loaded one out situation.
“And then old reliable, Christian Sinopoli, came in to slam the door as he has done for us all season.
“Our pitching coach Colin Kennedy and catcher Josh Stonesifer did a great job today. It was fun to watch them all go to work together.”
Jack Weiss led off the top of the third inning with a home run to left field for the game’s only run.
PW’s Max Eagland allowed just the one earned run on three hits, without walking a batter and striking out fourth.
–Props: “Mark Selverian had a huge defensive play in the bottom of the 7th,” Noga said. “Offensively, it was tough sledding for us, we have to give Eagland credit, a complete game three-hitter is extremely impressive.
“We found a new way to win today, courtesy of the long ball from sophomore Jack Weiss, whose swing we worked hard on in practice this week to simplify and make more replicable. He took the coaching well and came through in a huge spot with his first career home run.”
Up next: Wissahickon (11-8, 8-7 SOL) will host Cheltenham in a non-league game Tuesday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (9-10, 7-8) will travel to Souderton for a non-league game Tuesday.
Wissahickon 001 000 0 - 1 3 2
PW 000 000 0 - 0 6 0
Hatboro-Horsham 5, Abington 2
After a big win Wednesday, Hatboro-Horsham got after it quickly on Thursday, with four runs in the first two innings and the pitching took over from there on the way to the 5-2 victory.
Shane Mills earned the complete-game victory on the mound, allowing just one earned run on two hits, while striking out six.
“The boys knew that a playoff berth was probably at stake and stepped up to get the job done,” said Hatters coach Bill DeBoer. “Shane Mills threw a 70-pitch complete game and was in control of all his pitches (47 strikes/23 balls) and hitting his spots. Just an outstanding job from him.”
By the Numbers: H-H: Cole Incudine (2-for-3), Jamie O’Neill (2-for-3, 1 double, 2 RBIs), Chris Yeager (2-for-2), Shane Mills (WP, 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K),
Key Inning: Top of the 1st: Cole Incudine and Chase Canney led off the game with back-to-back singles for H-H. Two batters later, Jamie O’Neill drove in both runs with a double to left field.
H-H coach Bill DeBoer: “Jamie O'Neill continued to swing a hot bat to get us on the board in the first, after Cole Incudine and Chase Canney both singled to start the game then moved up on a passed ball.
“Chris Yeager contributed with two hits along with Kenny Lutz and Isaiah Brown each with a hit and run scored.
“The Hatters have played stellar defense with only one error in the past two games to assist with the great pitching performances.”
Up next: Hatboro-Horsham (7-12, 6-9 SOL) will host Avon Grove in a non-league season game on Wednesday, and Abington (4-12, 4-11) will face Neshaminy in a non-league game at Trenton Thunder Ballpark on Saturday (7 pm).
H-H 220 010 0 - 5 9 1
Abington 000 010 1 - 2 2 2
SOL Freedom Division
Springfield Twp 9, William Tennent 4
William Tennent didn’t make it easy, looking to spoil Springfield’s division-title clinching celebration with four runs through the first three innings on Thursday afternoon.
But the Spartans again showed why they’ve been the top team in the Freedom Division, rallying from 4-3 deficit with four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth for a 9-4 victory.
“The game started rough for us,” said Springfield coach Rob Bond. “William Tennent put some really great swings on the ball and knocked us around a bit. Some miscues early didn’t help either.
“Our starter, Max May, got into a groove and was able to keep us in the game until the bats started clicking. Max went six innings, which is what he has done all year for us. Ryan Trader came in for the final inning.
“The team is proud of what they have accomplished so far. Their first goal was the league title and it was great to see them accomplish that goal.
“After completing a season, using the series format, it all comes down to pitching depth. This year, we felt very comfortable with the depth that we have. When you only see a team’s ace one time, it makes for interesting games. It will be interesting to see how long this goes, but as of now, the team really seems to take a liking to the format.”
By the Numbers: Springfield: Matt Sokel (2-for-3, 1 RBI), Jon Matthews (3 RBIs), Bob Hartman (1 triple,1 RBI, 2 runs), Max May (WP, 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K).
Key Inning: Bottom of the 5th: Bob Hartman, Owen Hastings and Mike Capoferri led off the inning with walks to load the bases. A Matt Sokel sacrifice scored one run to tie it, followed by two hit batters, and an RBI fielder’s choice by Matt Caruso to make it a 7-4 game.
Up next: Springfield Twp () will be on the road at La Salle for a non-league game Saturday (10 am), and William Tennent closed out its regular season with a 6-14 record.
Tennent 103 000 0 - 4 7 2
Springfield 012 042 x - 9 9 1
Upper Moreland 5, New Hope-Solebury 1
Three pitchers combined for a four-hitter, not allowing an earned run, and clutch hitting in the third and the fifth innings was the difference as Upper Moreland defeated New Hope-Solebury for the second time in three days, this time by a 3-1 final score.
Nick Simons started for the Golden Bears, and in two innings allowed just one unearned run, scattering two hits and four walks. Luke Sword pitched four shutout innings, allowing just a pair of hits with four strikeouts. Josh Darsney finished the game off with a scoreless seventh.
“Solid all-around performance today by our guys,” said coach Jim Fasano. “We are one win closer to securing a bye in the first round and a second round home playoff game which was one of our goals to begin the season.
“Luke Sword came in with the bases loaded and no outs in the third inning and didn’t allow a single inherited runner to score. This is the second time in a week he’s been put in a difficult spot as a reliever and gotten some huge outs for us.”
By the Numbers: UM: Chase Rampula (2-for-3), Pat Kilgus (1 double, 1 RBI), Luke Sword (3 RBIs, WP, 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K).
Key Inning: Top of the 3rd: With two on and two out, Lucas Zipper scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. Two batters later, Luke Sword hit a two-run single to center field.
UM coach Jim Fasano: “Luke also had another two-out hit with runners in scoring position that provided a huge lift to our guys. Two-out hits are hard to come by, and he’s been clutch on the mound and box lately.
“Chase Rampula had a line drive single and a beautiful bunt base hit. The kid has really settled into the 9-hole in our lineup and is the best bunter I’ve ever seen at the high school level. As a wise man once told me, bunting causes chaos in high school baseball.
“Beef Kilgus hit an absolute rocket of a double to left center field to drive in a big insurance run.
“Still a lot of work to be done. New Hope is well coached and a tough team. They have a bunch of young guys contributing and are going to be a serious problem in the next year or two.
“Big congrats to Springfield on winning the division. They are a good, solid, veteran team and have a real chance to win 4A D1 and advance to states. Nice group of young men too.”
Up next: Upper Moreland (13-5, 12-2 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury (6-11, 3-11) on Monday.
Upper Moreland 003 020 0 - 5 7 3
New Hope 001 000 0 - 1 4 0
Cheltenham 9, Lower Moreland 5
Sitting in the No. 27 spot in the District One power rankings heading into the final two league games on Thursday and Friday, Cheltenham knew it needed to take care of business to keep alive any hopes of earning a spot in the 24-team playoff field.
After surrendering a three-run lead in Lower Moreland’s four-run fifth inning, the Panthers battled back with six runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn a 9-5 victory.
Cheltenham scored six runs on five hits and two walks in that sixth inning.
“Definitely another game that got interesting,” said Panthers coach Lukas Nakkula. “We got out to a 3-0 lead, but LM fought back to take a 4-3 lead. Fortunately, our bats came alive in the sixth inning and we were able to string some hits together and put up six runs to secure the win.
“Great to get a win on Senior Day.”
By the Numbers: Cheltenham: Xavi Chanoine (1 double, 1 RBI), AJ Gordon (2-for-3, 1 RBI), Freedy Kelman (WP, 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K).
Key Inning: Bottom of the 6th: Jack Haugen walked to lead off the inning, followed by an Eamon Ivory single. With one out, Gordon singled to drive in the tying run. Finn Kopp then walked with the bases loaded, Stephen Kerrin Jr. hit an RBI single, Freedy Kelman hit an RBI single, Emile Chanoine an RBI fielder’s choice, and then Xavi Chanoine roped an RBI double.
Up next: Cheltenham (9-8, 7-7 SOL) will host Lower Moreland (4-15, 2-12) on Friday for the third game of its series.
Lower Moreland 000 040 1 - 5 5 0
Cheltenham 101 106 x - 9 8 2
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