To view action photos of the Pennridge/Conestoga game, visit the photo gallery at the following link: http://photos.suburbanonesports.com/
It was a day of fantastic finishes in District One AAAA action.
Council Rock North used a late rally to earn a dramatic 11-8 win over Owen J. Roberts. West Chester East rallied from a 5-2 deficit to notch a 6-5 win over North Penn. Pennridge edged Conestoga 7-5, and Garnet Valley needed 10 innings to eke out a 5-2 win over Great Valley.
The Rams and Indians will join West Chester East and Garnet Valley in the district semifinals, and more importantly, they have punched their tickets to the state tournament. North Penn will vie with Conestoga, Great Valley and Owen J. Roberts for the final spot.
(N3) Council Rock North 11, (S2) Owen J. Roberts 8
Council Rock North was staring at an 8-4 deficit heading into the seventh inning of Friday’s quarterfinal at Owen J. Roberts.
Not to worry.
The Indians saved their best for last, exploding for seven runs in the final inning to escape with the big win. Four of the seven runs crossed the plate with two outs.
“They walked a few guys, made an error, and we had some very good at-bats where we were fighting with two strikes,” coach Dan Kusters said. “We had a few key hits.”
Ty Farrell delivered the inning’s big blow – a two-run double. Matt Hone also had an RBI single, and Jeff Goldberg, hitting out of the nine hole, delivered an infield single – a chopper over the pitcher’s head – to drive in another run.
Hone led the Indians’ 11-hit attack with three hits while Kelly Adams, Scott Runzer and Farrell each added a pair of hits.
“They’re a very, very nice ball club,” Kusters said of Owen J. Roberts. “They have guys that throw well, they make all the plays, and they have guys that swing the bat well.
“Our guys didn’t quit. They were resilient and fought the whole way through. We had some key at-bats.”
Some of those at-bats might go unnoticed – such as Lee Marvel’s two sacrifice bunts, one of which came with two strikes. Both runners that advanced on Marvel’s bunts scored.
Darren Lauer notched the win. Pat O’Leary worked a scoreless seventh to preserve the win. He was the fourth Indian pitcher to see action in a game that saw Adams receive the starting nod.
“It’s the post-season,” Kusters said. “You have to do what you have to do to win.
“We’re excited. Our seniors really have done a great job guiding the team this year. They never quit, they worked exceptionally hard, and they provided great leadership. I’m excited for those guys.”
Seniors on Rock North’s squad are Farrell (catcher), Runzer (pitcher/first base), Adams (centerfielder/pitcher), Hone (shortstop), Ryan Maley (third base), Ryan Venner (designated hitter) and Alex Goldberg (pitcher).
“They’ve done a nice job,” Kusters said. “We have a nice complimentary cast as well, but those seniors were the core that enabled us to do well this year.”
(N2) Pennridge 7, (S3) Conestoga 5
Eric Kammler had a monster day at the plate, driving in five of the Rams’ seven runs. It was Kammler’s three-run home run in the first inning after back-to-back walks to Dylan Tice and Ryan Metzler that set the tone for the game.
Kammler’s blast gave the Rams a 3-1 lead. They added four more runs in the fifth. Kammler also played a starring role in that inning, delivering a two-run single. Dan Wolfe got the inning started with a leadoff single. Ray Puskar, who singled up the middle, stole third and eventually scored on an error.The Rams needed all of those runs as the Pioneers answered with four runs of their own in the sixth.
Jared Schaffer notched the win on the mound.
“At this point when you’re still winning, you have to be pleased,” coach Tom Nuneviller said. “Schaffer did a nice job.”
According to Nuneviller, one of the team’s goals was earning a trip to the state tournament.
“When we went on our weekend trip, we always sit down on Saturday night and talk about team goals,” the Rams’ coach said. “Some of the goals that we set we’ve accomplished so far. There are a couple still out there.
“Every team sets the same goals every year. We were fortunate that Eric Kammler and Brad Herrmann were members of our 2007 team that got pretty deep in the state tournament. They knew what it was about, and they wanted to get back there.
“We have some young talented players. It was kind of initiated by the seniors, and the younger guys are kind of going along for the ride, and we’re still playing.”
(S1) West Chester East 6, (S4) North Penn 5 (See game feature)
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