This week’s notebook features Abington as well as some of the week’s top pitching performances.
By Scott Huff
Abington head coach Dave Torresani has great expectations for his 2013 Ghost baseball team.
“Sometimes you get a feel for how good a baseball team can be, and I have a good feeling about this team,” said Torresani as Abington hopes to rebound from a 2-12 Suburban One League National Conference season. “This team, so far, has had a very good appearance to it. But we know that we play in one of the best leagues in the state, and we are going to face some excellent teams.”
Abington has come out of its non-league schedule with a 2-1 record. In the 7-1 win over Upper Dublin and the 4-0 win over Plymouth Whitemarsh, the Ghosts have received superlative pitching from its senior tandem of Erik Walther and Sean Gallagher.
“Our hope is that they will continue to pitch that way all season – giving up only one unearned run in 13 innings,” said Torresani. “Erik is an excellent ice hockey player, and we are working on getting his pitch count up this spring. Hopefully he can go deeper into games, and we can split him and Sean up over the course of the week.
“We are thrilled with the one game that our freshman, Chris Clewell, pitched against Holy Ghost Prep,” added Torresani. “We lost the game, but for the first five innings we might have played the best baseball we have played this season.”
Abington – which finished the 2012 season with a 3-17 overall mark – led the Prep 2-1 after the f
irst five innings. The Ghosts eventually lost the game 7-2.
“We were able to find out about Chris after we played in the fall baseball league,” said Torresani. “That fall league that (Hatboro-Horsham head coach) Pete Moore started has been tremendous for baseball in this area.
“There is no question that the weather in the fall is the time to play baseball, and it gives players a longer time to play high school baseball,” added Torresani. “But the season is never going to change to the fall.”
In addition to Abington – Hatboro-Horsham, North Penn, Central Bucks East, Central Bucks West, Pennsbury, Cheltenham, Upper Moreland, Wissahickon, Plymouth Whitemarsh, and Norristown were all SOL participants.
The Ghost pitching of Walther, Gallagher, Clewell, and senior closer Eric Tidwell will carry much of the burden for the Abington success this season.
“We are going to have to get good pitching and play well defensively behind them,” said Torresani. “Our senior infield is going to have to play well in the field and also be able to manufacture runs at the top of the lineup.”
The Abington lineup features Tidwell batting first at shortstop; CJ Brennan batting second at second base; Trey Guaglionona batting third at first base; and Gallagher batting cleanup at third base.
“Eric was hurt and missed last season, and having him back makes us a lot better,” said Torresani. “But we are going to have to manufacture runs with the top of our lineup – a lot of bunting and moving the runners.”
In the 4-0 Abington win over PW, the Ghosts scored three of their four runs by way of RBI suicide squeeze bunts.
“Honestly, that is the way we are going to have to win games,” said Torresani. “Pitching, defense, and timely hitting. It doesn’t matter how we do it, as long as we can win games.”
SOL Pitching Gems of the Week
- Pennsbury hurler Brandon Garrettstruck out 10 hitters as the Falcons collected a win over Council Rock North in the SOL National Conference opener for both teams
- Plymouth Whitemarshhad a brilliant complete game two-hit effort from Mike Whalon as the Colonials edged Quakertown 2-0. Whalon fanned nine Panther hitters and issued just a pair of hits and a pair of walks.
- Harry S Truman had a superlative pitching effort turned in by Shane Monahan as the Tigers clawed Upper Merion 2-0. Monahan fired six shutout innings for Truman to earn the win.
- Ryan Kelly of Hatboro-Horsham fired a one-hit complete game shutout as the Hatters defeated Sidwell Friends. The game was played during Hatboro-Horsham’s recent trip to Disney World.
- Neshaminy senior Justin Andrews earned a victory with an impressive pitching stint against Central Bucks South. Andrews allowed just a single hit and single run over four innings against the hard-hitting Titans.
SOL College Honor Roll
Austin DiBonaventure (Plymouth Whitemash - Chestnut Hill)
Matt Meyers (Cheltenham – East Stroudsburg)
Eddie Posavec (North Penn – Binghampton)
Ryan Kelly (Hatboro-Horsham – St. Joseph’s University)
Zach Prendergast (Hatboro-Horsham – Seton Hall)
Brandon Garrett (Pennsbury – University of Rhode Island)
Ricky Dennis – (Central Bucks South – Monmouth)
Ben Moller (Central Bucks South – Marist)
Justin Andrews (Neshaminy – Monmouth)
On Deck In The Suburban One League
American Conference
Tuesday – April 2, 2013
Norristown Eagles @ Upper Merion Vikings
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials @ Upper Moreland Golden Bears
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals @ Wissahickon Trojans
Springfield Spartans @ Cheltenham Panthers
Thursday – April 4, 2013
Norristown Eagles @ Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals
Cheltenham Panthers @ Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials
Upper Moreland Golden Bears @ Upper Merion Vikings
Wissahickon Trojans @ Springfield Spartans
Continental Conference
Tuesday – April 2, 2013
Pennridge Rams @ Central Bucks South Titans
North Penn Knights @ Souderton Indians
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters @ Central Bucks East Patriots
Central Bucks West Bucks @ Quakertown Panthers
Thursday – April 4, 2013
Quakertown Panthers @ Pennridge Rams
Souderton Indians @ Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
Central Bucks South Titans @ North Penn Knights
Central Bucks East Patriots @ Central Bucks West Bucks
Friday – April 5, 2013
North Penn Knights @ Central Bucks East Patriots
National Conference
Tuesday – April 2, 2013
Council Rock North Indians @ William Tennent Panthers
Pennsbury Falcons @ Bensalem Owls
Council Rock South Golden Hawks @ Abington Ghosts
Neshaminy Redskins @ Harry S Truman Tigers
Thursday – April 4, 2013
Abington Ghosts @ Council Rock North Indians
Harry S Truman Tigers @ Council Rock South Golden Hawks
William Tennent Panthers @ Pennsbury Falcons
Bensalem Owls @ Neshaminy Redskins
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