And the beat goes on…
Suburban One League Continental Conference
Championship Showdown
North Penn Knights (9-4) vs. Pennridge Rams (9-4)
@ Pennridge – Tuesday – May 13.2014
It doesn’t get much better than this if you are a fan of North Penn-Pennridge baseball.
The Knights and the Rams will battle it out for conference supremacy Tuesday at Second Street Park in Perkasie. Both North Penn and Pennridge are no strangers to playing in big baseball games.
A season ago North Penn earned a state title and played Pennridge four times during the course of the season. Ironically, Pennridge won three of those games with a pair of regular season wins (4-0 & 18-8) – and a victory in the PIAA Quad-A District One semifinals (4-3). However, North Penn defeated the Rams 3-0 in the PIAA Quad-A Eastern Finals by a 3-0 score on its way to the state title.
This year the Knights defeated the Rams 5-3 in the first regular season meeting of the two teams.
“We have worked hard to get to where we want to be – playing for a league championship,” said North Penn head coach Kevin Manero. “Both teams are going to be ready for this game. Both teams will be able to field its best lineup.”
“We have been playing our best baseball of the season the last couple of weeks,” said Pennridge head coach Tom Nuneviller. “And this is the time for that – we have won five league games in a row.”
Both the Knights and the Rams will advance to the PIAA Quad-A District One postseason – but only one of them will advance as SOL Continental Conference champions.
Hatboro-Horsham (8-6) has had a difficult time in the conference lately losing four of its last five games. The latest loss was a 4-2 setback to Central Bucks West (6-8) Monday despite a solid pitching effort from Colin Kennedy. Pat Kelley drove home all four runs for the Bucks in the first inning on a grand slam homer. The Hatters are one of those ‘bubble teams’ for district playoffs.
Central Bucks East (7-6) is also a bubble team after the Patriots defeated Souderton (6-7) by a 3-2 margin on Monoday. Brandon Birkhead earned the key win for CB East, which must win its final conference game of the season at Central Bucks South (6-7) to remain on the bubble.
Souderton and CB South hope to get to .500 with wins in the final games of the season. The Indians will play at Quakertown (2-11) Tuesday, while CB South hosts CB East.
That Was The Week That Was in the SOL Continental Conference
Pennridge (9-4) captured three huge wins in its run for the conference title. The Rams opened the week with a 7-3 win over Hatboro-Horsham – followed with a 7-3 victory over Souderton – and closed the week with a 6-4 nine-inning win over Central Bucks East. In the win over the Hatters, Dan Long smoked a two-run homer to fuel the offense. In the win over the Indians, Long again blasted a two-run homer to pace the Rams. In the win over the Patriots – Long delivered the game winning hit and was the winning pitcher.
North Penn (9-4) won two of three conference games in its run for the conference title. The Knights opened the week with an 11-3 win over Hatboro-Horsham – followed with a 13-0 loss to Central Bucks East – and closed the week with an 11-4 win over Central Bucks West. In the win over the Hatters, Jered Melone had three hits and three RBI. In the win over the Bucks, Kellen Williamson was the winning pitcher and Chris Kearsey sparked the offense with four hits.
Quakertown (2-11) won its first two conference games of the season as the Panthers defeated Central Bucks East 2-1 and edged Central Bucks South 3-2. Q-town also lost an 11-3 contest to Hatboro-Horsham. In the win over the Patriots, Vinny LaCava fired a complete game with four strikeouts and did not allow an earned run. In the win over the Titans, LaCava had three hits and John Lilley hit a homerun. Sage Fuhrmeister was the winning pitcher.
Central Bucks South (6-7) played spoiler with a pair of wins over conference contenders. The Titans opened the week with a 4-1 win over Central Bucks West, followed with a 7-1 rout of contending Souderton and closed the week with a 2-1 win over contending Hatboro-Horsham. Matt Radwanski threw a three-hit complete game win over the Bucks. In the win over the Indians, Alex Spector delivered the key hit and Mike Kuyper was the winning pitcher. In the win over the Hatters, freshman Denny Klepchick was the winning pitcher and had seven strikeouts.
Central Bucks East (6-6) won one of three conference games as the Patriots struggle to stay in the race. The lone CB East win was impressive with a 13-0 rout of North Penn, but the Patriots lost to both Quakertown (2-1) and Pennridge (6-4). In the win over the Knights, Brandon Birkhead had a huge day as both the winning pitcher and leading hitter. Birkhead had seven strikeouts in five innings on the bump and collected three RBI at the plate.
Hatboro-Horsham (8-5) had a marathon week with four games and the Hatters were able to claim just a single win. Hatboro-Horsham opened the week with a 7-3 loss to Pennridge - followed with an 11-3 loss to North Penn – followed with an 11-3 win over Quakertown – and closed the week with a 2-1 loss to Central Bucks South. In the win over the Panthers, Colin Kennedy earned the win while Ryan Murray and Joe Simmons collected key hits.
Souderton (6-6) had a tough week as the Indians dropped both of their conference games. Souderton opened the week with a 7-3 loss to Pennridge and closed the week with a 7-1 loss to Central Bucks South. In the loss to the Rams, Dylan Morrissette hit a homerun and had three RBI.
Central Bucks West (6-7) had a tough week as the Bucks dropped both of their conference games. CB West opened the week with a 4-1 loss to Central Bucks South and closed the week with an 11-4 loss to North Penn.
Suburban One League National Conference
Championship Showdown
Council Rock South Golden Hawks (9-3) vs. Council Rock North Indians (9-4)
@ Council Rock North – Tuesday – May 13,2014
It doesn’t get much better than this if you are a fan of Council Rock baseball.
If Council Rock South wins Tuesday’s game against Council Rock North, the Golden Hawks would be outright champions of the conference even though Rock South has a make-up home game with Bensalem Wednesday.
If Council Rock North wins Tuesday’s game the Indians could win the title outright if Rock South lost to Bensalem Wednesday.
If Council Rock North wins Tuesday and if Council Rock South wins Wednesday – then both Rock North and Rock South would both finish at the top of the standings with 10-4 records.
Got it? Sure you do.
The first time that CR South played CR North in conference play the Golden Hawks soared to a 3-2 victory over the Indians. Greg Paprocki was the winning pitcher for Rock South in that contest and Nick Ponente delivered the winning hit.
“To be able to play Council Rock North for a league title is special,” said Council Rock South head coach Ted Kirner. “We have had some tough losses in the league to both Truman (2-11) and Tennent (5-7), but we were able to build upon what we learned in those games.”
“There couldn’t be a more interesting finish to the season,” said Council Rock head coach Matt Schram. “Our league plays great baseball, and for us and South to play for the title is great for both schools.”
Another very interesting match-up Tuesday will feature Neshaminy (8-5) at Pennsbury (8-5).
The winner of this game will punch its ticket for the upcoming PIAA Quad-A District One playoffs with nine wins, while the loser will be ‘on the bubble’ with eight victories.
In conclusion – Council Rock South, Council Rock North, and either Pennsbury of Neshaminy will make the postseason. The loser of the Pennsbury-Neshaminy game should also make the postseason - but with no guarantee.
Abington, William Tennent, Bensalem, and Truman will all conclude seasons this week and will have to wait until next year.
That Was The Week That Was in the SOL National Conference
Council Rock South (9-3) remained in sole possession of first place with a pair of conference wins in three outings. The Golden Hawks opened the week with a 4-2 win over Pennsbury and closed the week with a 6-5 victory over William Tennent. CR South also lost 4-1 to Neshaminy. In the win over the Falcons, Jordan Silverman was the winning pitcher, while Matt Walsh collected the win for the Hawks in the victory over Tennent.
Council Rock North (9-4) had a spectacular week as the Indians won all four of its conference games. CR North opened the week with a 2-1 win over Pennsbury – followed with a 13-0 rout of Bensalem – followed with an 11-3 victory over Neshaminy – and closed the week with an 8-1 win over Truman. In the3 win over the Falcons, Danny Whitney delivered the game winning single and made a winning pitcher out of Matt Hand who fired a complete game. In the win over the Owls, Brandon McIlwain was the winning pitcher as Aden Tully and Tyler Callendar fueled the offense. In the win over the Skins, Callendar had 4 RBI and both McIlwain and JR Hicks hit homers. In the win over the Tigers, McIlwain hit a homerun and had 3 RBI.
Neshaminy (8-5) moved into a second place tie in the standings as the Redskins won two of three conference games. Neshaminy opened the week with a 3-1 win over Abington and followed with a 4-1 win over first place Council Rock South. The Skins also lost an 11-3 contest to Council Rock North. In the win over the Ghosts, Jordan Angelo threw a complete game 2-hitter. In the win over the Hawks, Jake Franzen was the winning pitcher and Todd McDonald fueled the offense with a homerun.
Pennsbury (8-5) remained in second place in the standings as the Falcons won two of three conference games last week. Pennsbury opened the week with an 11-1 victory over Truman and closed the week with an 11-0 win over Abington. The Falcons lost a 4-2 contest to first place Council Rock South. In the win over the Tigers, Justin Jacko hit a homerun and Brody McFadden was the winning pitcher. In the win over the Ghosts, McFadden was again the winning pitcher while Jacko, Matt Kaiser, Shaughn Wright, and Brendan Campbell all had key hits.
Bensalem (4-7) had a good week as the Owls won two of three conference games. Bensalem opened the week with a 5-0 win over Truman – followed with a 13-0 loss to Council Rock North – and closed the week with a 7-6 win over William Tennent. In the win over the Tigers, Chris Reyes was the winning pitcher firing a 6-hit shutout. In the win over the Panthers, Reyes was again the winning pitcher while Jason Mulvey delivered the game-winning walk off hit.
William Tennent (5-7) lost a pair of one-run games and collected a win last week. The Panthers defeated Abington 14-9 as the top 4 hitters in the Panther lineup – Brett Kozlowski, Paul McElroy, Vinnie Case, and Ben Zeitz – combined to to 11-17. Tennent dropped tough luck losses to both Council Rock South (6-5) and Bensalem (7-6).
Abington (5-8) had a tough week as the Ghosts dropped all three of their conference games. Abington opened the week with a 3-1 loss to Neshaminy – followed with a 14-9 loss to William Tennent – and closed the week with an 11-0 loss to Pennsbury.
Truman (2-11) also had a tough week as the Tigers dropped all three of their conference games. Truman opened the week with a 5-0 loss to Bensalem – followed with an 11-1 loss to Pennsbury – and closed the week with an 8-1 loss to Council Rock North.
Suburban One League American Conference
Conference Champions – Cheltenham Panthers
At the outset of the season most observers of the SOL American Conference felt that defending champion Upper Moreland had all the pieces needed to repeat as conference champions. And when the Golden Bears fashioned a 10-3 record with a game left on the schedule today against Upper Dublin – most would think that a terrific 11-3 record would be enough for Upper Moreland to repeat.
Think again.
Cheltenham clinched a conference championship last week when the Panthers improved their record to 12-1 with a 1-0 win over Upper Dublin. Cheltenham will close out its season with an away game with Norristown today.
“I knew coming into the season that we would be able to pitch and play defense,” said Cheltenham head coach Frank Decembrino. “And once we began hitting the baseball midway through the season, I thought we had shot at being successful.
“We still have Norristown to think about, we want to finish the season strong,” added Decembrino. “The players are very aware of districts – but first things first.”
Cheltenham will be slotted in the PIAA Quad-A postseason with the double-digit wins. Both Plymouth Whitemarsh (8-5) and Wissahickon (7-6) have a shot at the postseason. The Colonials will host Springfield (2-9) today, while the Trojans travel to Upper Moreland (10-3).
Upper Moreland will easily qualify for the PIAA Class AAA playoffs – while Upper Merion will have to hope for the best as a second qualifier. Springfield will also have to watch-and-wait for an invitation to the Class AA district playoffs.
Stay tuned.
That Was The Week That Was in the SOL American Conference
Cheltenham (12-1) was crowned conference champions as the Panthers won two of three conference games. Cheltenham opened the week with a 4-3 victory over Upper Dublin and closed the week with a 5-4 victory over Upper Merion which clinched the title. The lone conference loss of the season came midweek when the Panthers lost to Upper Moreland 9-3. In the 9-inning win over the Cardinals, Calvin Salazar earned the win in relief. In the win over the Vikings, the Panthers rallied from a 3-0 deficit to claim both the win and the conference championship.
Upper Moreland (10-3) continues to play great baseball as the Golden Bears collected three conference victories last week. Upper Moreland opened the week with a 6-2 win over Norristown – followed with a 9-3 victory over Cheltenham – and closed the week with a 12-2 win over Springfield. In the win over the Eagles, Eddie Decker had 3 hits and Tommy Robinson was the winning pitcher. In the win over the Panthers, Pat Driscoll had 4 RBI and Mike Cavanuagh had 3 RBI to spark the offense. In the win over the Spartans, Eddie Decker was the winning pitcher and also had 4 RBI at the plate.
Wissahickon (7-6) won two of three conference games to move into fourth place in the standings. The Trojans opened the week with a 4-1 victory over Plymouth Whitemarsh and closed the week with a 10-6 win over Norristown. Wissahickon also lost to Upper Merion by a 4-3 score. In the win over the Colonials, Jason Segal tossed a complete game 3-hitter, while Ryan Becker collected 3 RBI. In the win over the Eagles, Logan Willians was the winning pitcher with throwing 5 innings with 8 strikeouts and Segal fueled the offense with 3 RBI.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (8-5) moved to third place in the standings as the Colonials lost two of three games. PW captured a 3-1 win over Norristown as Zach Metz captured the win and Will Kane led the offense. The Colonials opened the week with a 4-1 loss to Wissahickon and closed the week with a 1-0 loss to Upper Dublin. In the loss to the Cardinals, Mike Whalon was threw 7-innings of shutout baseball.
Upper Dublin (6-7) lost two of three conference games last week. The Flying Cardinals opened the week with a 4-3 loss to Cheltenham – followed with an 11-2 loss to Springfield – and closed the week with a 1-0 victory over Plymouth Whitemarsh. In the win over the Colonials, Dan Jacobson was masterful throwing 8 innings of shutout baseball allowing just 2 hits and striking out 7. Thomas Juelke delivered the game-winning hit for the Cardinals.
Upper Merion (3-8) split a pair of conference games last week as the Vikings sailed to a 4-3 win over Wissahickon and fell 5-4 to Cheltenham. In the win over the Trojans, Alex DelGuidice stroked the game winning hit and made a winning pitcher out of brother Andrew Del Guidice.
Springfield (2-9) split a pair of conference games last week as the Spartans defeated Upper Dublin 11-2 and lost to Upper Moreland 12-2. In the win over the Cardinals, Julian Salzer was the winning pitcher. Chris Binet had 5 hits and 3 RBI to lead the offense, while Mike Johnston and Jeff Hammons each had 2 hits.
Norristown (1-10) had a tough week as the Eagles lost all three of their conference games. Norristown opened the week with a 6-2 loss to Upper Moreland – followed with a 3-1 loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh – and closed the week with a 10-6 loss to Wissahickon. In the loss to PW, JT Vaughn threw a terrific game in defeat.
Suburban One Sports.com
Top Ten
1. Cheltenham Panthers
2. Council Rock South Golden Hawks
3. Pennridge Rams
4. North Penn Knights
5. Council Rock North Indians
6. Neshaminy Redskins
7. Pennsbury Falcons
8. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
9. Upper Moreland Golden Bears
10. Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials
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