To view game action photos, visit the photo gallery by clicking on the following link: http://photos.suburbanonesports.com/
PHILADELPHIA – Greg Welsh is one of the area’s premier starting pitchers.
He proved he could be a standout reliever as well.
The Council Rock South hurler worked an inning and a third of scoreless relief in Monday’s SOL National-BAL Carpenter Cup semifinal game against the SOL American-Continental before it was suspended because of rain.
When play resumed on Tuesday morning, Welsh was back on the mound, retiring the only four batters he faced to help preserve a 4-3 SOL National-BAL win.
“It’s definitely not typical for me to come into games because I’m used to being a starter, but I can adapt,” Welsh said.
The game was halted after Welsh – in a heavy downpour – walked the first batter he faced in the bottom of the seventh on Monday. He came back to strike out the side when play resumed on Tuesday.
“It was hard pitching in the rain yesterday,” Welsh said. “I was glad I had a sunny day to come out here and get back into it.
“I had a long warm-up to get my arm loose, and I just came out here throwing.”
That was bad news for the SOL American-Continental, which had Hatboro-Horsham’s Matt Hollenbeck on first when play resumed.
“I was kind of surprised he was back on the mound,” Wissahickon coach Shannon Gunby said of the Penn State-bound senior. “Obviously, I was kind of hoping for him not to be back on the mound.
“He got in trouble with the first batter – went 3-0 but ended up striking him out. He showed why he’s one of the quality pitchers, not only in the Suburban One Conference but also in Southeastern Pa., especially as a left-handed arm.”
Bensalem coach Rick Lee – a coach for the SOL National-BAL – understands how tough it is going against Welsh.
“I have faced him two years in a row,” the Owls’ coach said. “He’s a very, very, very smart pitcher.
“In the second Carpenter Cup game at Richie Ashburn (Field), his ball was a little flat, and they scored a couple of runs on him, but the thing about it is – his demeanor never changes. It’s the same from start to finish.”
The win propelled the SOL National-BAL into the championship game for the third time in as many years. The title game will be played at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park against a Jersey Shore squad that upended defending champion Burlington County 4-0 in the other semifinal on Monday.
“That’s huge,” said Welsh, who was a member of last year’s second place squad. “I wasn’t on the team two years ago, but for our team to go back to the championship game three years in a row shows how strong the Suburban One is, and I’m really excited to come out against Jersey Shore to show them we’re the best.”
Welsh wasn’t the only pitcher to come up big for the SOL National-BAL. Holy Ghost Prep’s Jim McDade notched the win, working two-and-a-third scoreless innings while not allowing a hit. Abington’s Jake Ruch found himself in the unfamiliar role of closer and did the job, throwing an inning and a third of scoreless relief to earn the save.
“I start usually (in high school) and the same thing for summer ball, but coming in to close – I love it,” Ruch said. “Shut the door.
“(There are) nerves, but at the same time, playing last year helped me out a lot. I felt more composed.”
After Ruch retired the only two batters he faced in the eighth, the SOL American-Continental put its leadoff runner on board when Central Bucks East’s Ryan Pater drew a walk to open the ninth. With Pater off and running on a steal attempt, Pennsbury’s Chris Wiertz tracked down a fly ball in center off the bat of Pennridge’s Dylan Tice and fired to first for the double play.
“That was huge,” Wiertz said. “It was a routine fly ball, and I just took my time to make a good throw.
“He (Pater) didn’t touch second on the way back, so he was out anyway, but it was a big play.”
That played loomed especially large when Hollenbeck and Hatboro-Horsham’s Casey Saverio followed with back-to-back singles.
“Dylan Tice is one of the better hitters in the area and Southeastern Pa. – do you bunt him or let him go up there swinging like he’s been doing all his life?” Gunby said. “That’s a tough situation.
“We took a chance of letting (Pater) run. It happened to be a pitch Dylan swung at, and the double play happened. The guys still battled. A basehit at the end, and we’re going to tie it up.”
Ruch put an exclamation point on the win by striking out the next batter he faced for the game’s final out.
“Being in the championship last year – it was rough losing it, but we got here again, so hopefully we can get the ‘W’ this year,” Ruch said.
“I’m ecstatic,” Wiertz added. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing to be playing on the Philadelphia Phillies field, so I’m loving it.”
Wiertz admitted that simply walking onto the field at Citizens Bank Park was a thrill.
“It’s smile ear to ear,” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and you cherish every moment of it.”
The win gave the National Conference bragging rights in the SOL.
“I know a lot of their kids from summer teams – like (Souderton’s) Keith Moyer, and it makes it a lot sweeter to win this game and show that the National (Conference) is the best,” Welsh said.
NOTES: Moyer tossed two scoreless innings for the SOL American-Continental on Tuesday. He helped his own cause by catching a bunt attempt and turning it into a huge double play. Moyer did not allow a hit and fanned two.
SOL NATIONAL-BAL 4, SOL AMERICAN CONTINENTAL 3
SOL National-BAL (4) – Bill Fleming ss 4 1 0 0; Kyle Davis ss 0 0 0 0; Mike Tentilucci cf 3 1 2 1; Chris Wiertz cf 1 0 0 0; Greg Olenski lf 4 0 1 1; Tyler Erhard lf 0 0 0 0; Steve Berardi lf 0 0 0 0; Brian Beyer c 3 1 1 0; John Burns c 1 0 0 0; Ryan Hartley 3b 1 0 1 1; Justin Thomas 3b 1 0 0 0; Tim Filer 1b 3 0 0 0; Ryan Seiz ph/1b 2 0 0 0; Jerry Mulderig 2 b 2 0 0 0; John Schiotis ph/2b 2 0 0 0; John Salvatore dh 3 0 0 0; Scott Schwartz dh 2 0 1 0; Tim Lazor rf 1 1 1 0; Nick Mascioli pr/rf 3 0 0 0; Darren Lauer p 0 0 0 0; Jim McDade p 0 0 0 0; Greg Welsh p 0 0 0 0; Jake Ruch p 0 0 0 0. TOTALS 36 4 7 3
SOL American-Continental (5) – Dan Seitzinger 2b 2 0 0 0; Ray Puskar 2b 1 0 0 0; Ryan King rf 2 0 0 0; Andrew Carr rf 2 0 0 0; Mark Romano 3b 2 0 0 0; Joey Casselberry 3b 2 0 1 0; David McInerney c 1 1 1 0; James Smith c 2 0 0 0; Matt Brown lf 1 1 0 0; Ryan Pater lf 1 0 0 0; Tyler Zeleny ss 1 1 0 0; Dylan Tice ss 2 0 0 0; J.T. Crits 1b 2 0 1 3; Matt Hollenbeck 1b 1 0 1 0; Mike Fontanella cf 2 0 0 0; Casey Saverio cf 2 0 1 0; Tim Troyer dh 1 0 0 0; Joe Mullin dh 3 0 0 0; Rob McKenna 0 0 0 0; Anthony Caringi p 0 0 0 0; Kurt Roberts p 0 0 0 0; Keith Moyer p 0 0 0 0. TOTALS 30 3 5 3
SOL National/BAL 011 200 000 4-7-0
SOL American/Continental 030 000 000 3-5-3
E-Puskar, Carr, Zeleny. DP-SOL National/BAL 1, SOL American-Continental 1. LOB-SOL National/BAL 14, SOL American-Continental 6. 2B-Beyer, Hartley, Crits. 3B-McInerney. SB-Hartley, Brown, Hollenbeck.
IP H R ER BB SO
SOL National/BAL
Lauer 2 2 3 3 2 2
McDade (W) 2.1 0 0 0 2 0
Welsh 3 1 0 0 1 3
Ruch 1.2 2 0 0 1 2
SOL American-Continental
McKenna 3 4 2 1 2 3
Caringi 2.2 2 2 2 4 2
Roberts 1.1 1 0 0 1 2
Moyer 2 0 0 0 0 2
- Log in to post comments
0
