Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Friday. Quakertown/Abington photos courtesy of John Gleeson, and CB West/CB South photos courtesy of Tracy Valko, and Pennsbury/Harry S Truman photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for galleries. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports' BASEBALL GALLERIES.
SOL Patriot Division
Neshaminy 11, Bensalem 1 (6 innings)
Early runs and quality pitching was a good formula for success for Neshaminy on Friday and all week against Bensalem, as it wrapped up the series sweep with an 11-1 run win.
In the three games, Neshaminy outscored Bensalem 33-1, and all three games were mercy-rule shortened.
Friday, Neshaminy had 11 runs on 13 hits - including five extra base hits - and drew five walks. On the mound, senior Chase Bonner didn’t allow an earned run over five innings.
Key Players: N-Matt Gryn (3-for-3, 2 RBIs, 3 runs), Noah Wallace (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs), Sam Hitchen (2-for-4, 2 triples), Chase Bonner (WP, 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K).
Key Inning: Top of the 2nd - Up 1-0, Nick Sassano and Matt Gryn opened the inning with back-to-back singles. With two outs, Dan Marable hit an RBI single, Chase Bonner walked with the bases loaded, and Brandon Lall had a RBI single to make it a 4-0 game.
Neshaminy coach Dan Toner:
“We finished out the series sweep today with our best offensive showing. We scored in five of the six innings. Some innings it was moving guys around and getting them in and other innings we had the big hits. Our base running was fantastic today as well.
“Our goal was to close out today’s game with our third mercy rule and not allow a run for the third straight game. We accomplished the first part and kind of accomplished the second. The only run we gave up in the series was unearned, and we should have been out of the inning.
“I was very pleased with our pitching staff and defense throughout the entire series.”
–The Pitching: “Chase Bonner was in command the entire game today. He’s a tough pitcher for any team to have to deal with on Game 3.”
–Offensively: “Sam Hitchen decided to out-do his two-double game on Wednesday, with two triples today, Noah Wallace hit an absolute tank of a home run, and Chase Bonner and Dylan Cloud added doubles to the mix. Matt Gryn had a fantastic day at the plate as well, going 3-for-3.”
Next up: Neshaminy (5-2, 3-0 SOL) starts a three-game series at Council Rock North on Monday. Bensalem (1-7, 0-3 SOL) looks to bounce back at home against Harry S Truman Monday.
Neshaminy 134 102 - 11 13 2
Bensalem 001 000 - 0 3 2
Pennsbury 18, Harry S Truman 4
Pennsbury scored 18 runs on eight hits through four innings on the way to its second mercy-rule win over Truman this week, in a game that included a remarkable 15 walks for the Falcons.
Six runs in the bottom of the first set the tone, and then after Truman cut it to 7-4, the Falcons countered with eight in the bottom of the third to put it out of reach.
Pennsbury outscored Truman 47-6 over three games.
Key Players: P-Brandon Zuckerman (2-for-2, double, 2 RBIs, 2 runs), Henry Garlits (2-for-3, 3 RBIs, 2 runs), Quinton Shaffer (WP, 2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 BB)
Key Inning: Bottom of the 1st - The Falcons started quickly, as Carlton Crane drew a walk, Pierce Perry singled and Brandon Zuckerman followed with a two-run double to left field. Danny Seidler had an RBI groundout, Henry Garlits a RBI single, Michael Sogness stole home, and Finn Burke picked up an RBI single.
Pennsbury coach Joe Pesci:
“We scored six in the first - our first five batters got on and scored. So that was nice to jump out like that. We gave up one and then we gave up three in the third. We struggled against them today with some walks and a lot of deep counts, and then, like the other day, we had a bunch of hit by pitches. So, we kind of were shooting ourselves in the foot there. And they had a clutch hit after a couple walks and a throwing error that ended up scoring their runs for them.
“But we took advantage of 15 walks. We're hitting when we can, so, we had eight hits today, but we also had two or three sac flies. We had some second and third groundouts that scored runs. So, even though we didn’t have hits, we had productive outs, which was awesome. I always talk to the kids about that. Move runners or score runners. So that was huge.
“Then I think the game got away from them a little bit. We made subs and, again, those kids are getting walked. We got a couple different pitchers in today, and we did turn our whole lineup over and got 18 position players in again. So, it's positive that we're coming out where we're doing what we're supposed to.”
–Moving Forward: “In these types of games, we're still searching for an identity. We’re 9-0, and we’re scoring a ton of runs, but we know that there’s going to be a massive test coming up in the next three weeks, especially on Monday with Council Rock South.”
Next up: Pennsbury (9-0, 3-0 SOL) hosts Council Rock South for the first of three Monday. Truman (0-5, 0-3 SOL) plays at Bensalem.
Truman 013 00 - 4 2 2
Pennsbury 618 3x - 18 8 2
SOL Colonial Division
North Penn 9, Central Bucks East 1
After a couple close losses and some inconsistency at the plate and in the field, North Penn needed to find a way on Friday, and it did just that, scoring nine runs over the final four innings to post a 9-1 win over Central Bucks East.
Grayson Fontaine allowed an unearned run in the first inning after a leadoff error and two-out single, but dominated the rest of the way with a complete-game, three-hitter.
“Grayson really stepped up today on a day we really needed a win,” said Knights coach Kevin Manero. “He was a complete pitcher, and his shutdown innings enabled us to take control of what was a tight game for a while.”
Key Players: NP-Grayson Fontaine (WP, 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K), Danny Cho (2-for-3, double, 1 RBI), Christian Barnes (2-for-4, 2 RBIs, 2 runs), Logan Waynick (3 RBIs), Mason Franek (2-for-4).
Key Inning: Top of the 4th - Trailing 1-0, Christian Barnes led off the inning with a single, went to second on a one-out single by Bud Murphy, and then scored on a Jase Hopwood single. North Penn took the lead on sac fly by Logan Waynick.
North Penn coach Kevin Manero:
“Our starting pitching this week was everything we could ever ask for. Three complete games, 27 Ks and 3 BBs is a heck of a first week.
“But, of course, knowing we had those starts makes it frustrating to be 1-2 on the week. But we are cleaning some things up and I really believe this is a talented group that just needs to mature. I think we took a big step in that direction today.
“There’s a heck of a lot of good pitching in the conference right now. It takes clean baseball to win those games against those arms. That seems to be a big takeaway after week one around the conference.”
Next up: North Penn (4-3, 1-2 SOL) opens a series at Central Bucks South Monday. CB East (3-2, 2-1 SOL) hosts Souderton Monday in the first of three.
North Penn 000 231 3 9-10-2
Central Bucks East 100 000 0 1-3-4
Central Bucks West 10, Central Bucks South 0 (5 innings)
Two days after putting up a 10-spot against rival CB South, CB West did it again Friday, completing the three-game sweep of the Titans with a mercy-rule shortened 10-0 win.
Jacob Greer had a big game at the plate and on the mound. He went 2-for-2, including a two-run home run to left that made it 5-0 in the second. Greer also was the winning pitcher, throwing four shutout innings,
allowing just three hits and a walk.
Key Players: CBW- Jacob Greer (WP, 4 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; 2-for-2, HR, 2 RBIs); Noah Gerstein (2-for-2, double, triple, 2 RBIs), Bobby Seaner (1-for-2, double, 2 RBIs).
Key Inning: Bottom of the 1st - Jacob Greer got the Bucks started with a leadoff single, and then stole both second and third. He came around to score on an error. Bobby Seaner followed with a RBI double to make it 2-0.
CB West coach Tom Spratt:
“Super happy with the pitching staff today. Proud of Jackson Hornick, coming in and shutting the door in his first appearance.
“We hit the ball really well today. Bobby Seaner has been putting together some great at bats.
“Great series against a good team.
Next up: CB West (6-1, 3-0 SOL) looks to keep rolling next week against Pennridge, starting at home Monday. CB South (2-5, 0-3 SOL) hosts North Penn.
Central Bucks South 000 00 0-3-2
Central Bucks West 243 01 10-9-1
Pennridge 6, Souderton 5
A great, early-season rivalry series ended with another one-run thriller, and Friday host Pennridge pulled out the series win with a 6-5 win over Souderton at James Memorial Park.
The Rams trailed 5-1 after four innings, but then plated five in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead, taking advantage of four singles and four walks to get back into the game.
“We continued to show our resiliency today,” said coach Dan Long. “We struggled offensively as a group this week, but we stacked some great at-bats together today.
Key Players: P-Tim Croyle (2-for-2, 2 RBIs), Anthony Cox (WP, 5 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)
S-Evan Divens (HR, 3 RBIs), Brett Pollock (2-of-4, double, 2 runs).
Key Inning: Bottom of the 5th - Nick Calabretti led off with a walk, followed by a TJ McGuigan single and an RBI single by Brayden Robinson. Tommy Ginnetti then singled, Wyatt Moyer scored one with an RBI groundout, and a Tim Croyle single scored two runs to tie the game at 5. Calabretti came up again with the bases loaded and drew a walk to give Pennridge a 6-5 lead.
Pennridge coach Dan Long:
–Props: “Anthony Cox was great for us in relief today. He really gave us a chance to win in the back half of the game.”
Next up: Pennridge (4-1, 2-1 SOL) opens its series with CB West on the road Monday. Souderton (2-5, 1-2 SOL) plays at CB East.
Souderton 300 200 0 - 5 3 1
Pennridge 010 050 x - 6 8 2
SOL Freedom Division
Cheltenham 11, Springfield Twp 6
At one point, Cheltenham trailed this game by a 5-1 score, but after that, the Panthers did what they did all week against visiting Springfield - hit and score runs.
Cheltenham scored seven runs over the final three innings and pulled off the series sweep with an 11-6 win on Friday.
Billy Fishman and Jack Haugen combined for seven hits and six RBIs for the Panthers.
Key Players: C- Billy Fishman (4-for-4, double, 2 RBIs, 3 runs), Jack Haugen (3-for-4, double, 4 RBIs), Eamon Ivory (2-for-4, 2 runs), Sean Trainor (WP, 4 IP, 3 ER, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)
S- Jake Gibson (2-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 runs), Nathan Brockmeyer (2-for-3).
Key Inning: Bottom of the 4th- Trailing 5-4, Cheltenham took the lead for good, starting with a Billy Fishman double to lead off in the inning. Then, with two outs, Jack Haugen singled home two runs to make it a 6-5 game.
Cheltenham coach Lukas Nakkula:
“It was great to get the win today to seal the series this week. We got down early today but did a good job of battling back, and we swung the bat well all game to get the win.”
–Props: Sean Trainor was huge out of the bullpen today for us. Billy Fishman had four hits, and Jack Haugen had three hits to lead our offense today.
“Overall, it was a big series this week, and our offense was great up and down the lineup to lead us to a series sweep. Good start to the season and looking to keep it going.”
Next up: Cheltenham (5-1, 4-0 SOL) faces a good test next week against Upper Moreland, starting at home Monday. Springfield (1-5, 0-3 SOL) plays at rival Lower Moreland on Monday.
Springfield 050 000 1 - 6 8 4
Cheltenham 130 022 3 - 11 11 1
New Hope-Solebury 11, Lower Moreland 1 (5 innings)
New Hope continued its dominance of the Freedom Division’s other Lions, this time by an 11-1 final score, in a game that was called after five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.
New Hope scored 36 runs in three games against Lower Moreland.
Friday, the Lions scored seven runs in the first two innings to build a big lead early, and in the end finished with 11 runs on 11 hits by nine different players.
Key Players: NH-Anthony Whelan (2-for-2, 3 RBIs), Kieran Patel (2-for-2, double, 2 runs), Blake McCagg (1-for-1, 2 BB, 2 RBIs, 3 runs), JT Bach (WP, 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K).
Key Inning: Bottom of the 2nd - Up 2-0 to start the inning, New Hope added five more runs to stretch the lead. JT Bach had a RBI single with the bases loaded to get things started, Blake McCagg followed with a two-run double, and then Lucas Kevorkian made it 6-0 with an RBI single. The final run of the inning came on an error.
New Hope coach Tony Vlahovic:
“JT Bach was impressive with his first start on the mound. He pitched ahead and had command with all his pitches. I love his ‘cool as can be’ demeanor on the hill.”
At the plate: “Offensively, our lineup is really barreling the ball and the quality at bats have been throughout the lineup. JT Bach has been a real catalyst and Blake McCagg, Lucas Kevorkian and the Plebani brothers have been hitting the ball hard.
“Even though the team is young, they are aggressive and playing with a lot of confidence. They are fun to watch and coach.
“(Lower Moreland coach Mike Guido) has done a good job with his young players, and they have some solid leaders in Eddie Webber and Jackson Calder.”
Next up: New Hope (6-0, 3-0 SOL) looks to remain hot Monday in its series opener at William Tennent. Lower Moreland (2-5, 0-3 SOL) hosts Springfield for the first of three Monday.
Lower Moreland 000 01 - 1 5 1
New Hope 250 31 - 11 11 1
Upper Moreland 15, William Tennent 0
Three games and three dominant pitching performances later, Upper Moreland remained unbeaten and is now 3-0 in division play after a mercy-rule shortened 15-0 win at William Tennent on Friday.
UM pitchers allowed just one run in three games against Tennent.
Friday, Gavin Shaffert and Jimmy Murray combined on a three-hit shutout, with Shaffert picking up the win with four shutout innings.
Key Players: UM-Lucas Zipper (3-for-3, 2 double, 5 RBIs), Chase Rampulla (2-for-2, double, 3 RBIs, 2 runs), Jackson Townsend (2-for-4, 2 runs), Luke Sword (2-for-2, double), Gavin Shaffert (WP, 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K).
Key Inning: Top of the 1st - Chase Rampulla singled and stole second, and then scored on Lucas Zipper RBI single. Luke Sword doubled to score another run, Zach O’Connor hit an RBI single, and Michael Harder followed with another RBI single to make it 4-0.
Upper Moreland coach Jim Fasano:
--Shaffert delivers: “Another great starting pitching performance by Gavin Shaffert, who battled through a hamstring injury to cover first base on a couple PFPs and dominate on the mound. Just a tremendous athlete who’s a heck of a rec ball basketball player and is committed to PSU Harrisburg.
--Props: “Three hits and five RBIs for Lucas Zipper, whose dad played D1 hockey at Rhode Island and is following in the footsteps. I always believe in bloodlines and if the dad was a player, the kid usually is too.
“Speaking of bloodlines, Chase Rampulla’s dad’s picture is in the hallways at UM, and one day his may be up there as well if he continues having performances like today – he was 2-for-2 with three RBIs, a double and a sacrifice bunt. Talk about spanning the gamut.
“We had a bunch of contributions up and down the lineup, Fifteen hits is a nice day at the office from our boys. Every starter recorded a hit and that doesn’t come around too often.
--Looking ahead: “Winning today sets up a showdown with Cheltenham next week. All you can ask for in competitive sports is an opportunity and we have that starting Monday.
“I believe in our guys and am excited to play Wood tomorrow, then we shift our focus to Cheltenham.”
Next up: Upper Moreland (6-0, 3-0 SOL) looks to keep it going next week, starting Monday at Cheltenham. Tennent (1-4, 0-4 SOL) hosts New Hope-Solebury Monday.
Upper Moreland 433 14 - 15 15 0
Tennent 000 00 - 0 3 4
SOL Liberty Division
Quakertown 15, Abington 2
On the road Friday afternoon, Quakertown put an exclamation point on its three-game sweep of Abington, scoring nine runs in the top of the seventh inning to put away a 15-2 victory.
The Panthers, who led 3-1 after five innings, scored 15 runs on 15 hits, eight of which came in the seventh. Carter Tucholski and CJ Peacher had three hits each, while Brady Martin and Max Drews had three RBIs each.
Key Players: Q-CJ Peacher (3-for-4, triple, 2 RBIs, 3 runs), Max Drews (2-for-4, HR, 3 RBIs), Brady Martin (2-for-4, 3 RBIs), Carter Tucholski (2-for-5, 2 runs), Lochlan Everitt (WP, 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 Ks).
Key Inning: Top of the 7th - The first 10 batters reached base for the Panthers, including a two-run single by Brady Martin, an RBI single by CJ Peacher, an RBI single by Chase Davis, and a three-run home run by Max Drews.
Quakertown coach Jon Pallone:
“The score of this game is a little deceptive. It was a one-run game through four innings and a two-run game going into the sixth.
–Props: “Lochlan Everitt did a great job on the mound. He showed good command and was aggressive in the zone. CJ Peacher and Carter Tucholski each had three hits.
“Max Drews is a great story. Wednesday, he caught and we DHed for him. When we made some pitching changes, he had to come out of the game. He immediately went down to warm up our 
next pitcher. He’s a selfless guy who quietly does the things the team needs to get done. Today he got a shot in the lineup and had many good at bats, including a HR. He then went in to finish the game on the mound.
–About Abington: “Phineus Capone, their catcher, was a difficult out for us all week. Fortunately, we were able to scramble his hits to keep the damage down. Tim Campbell and Gavin Grasso were tough outs all series too.
“It was a tough week that our guys had to battle. We need to learn from our mistakes and continue to improve moving forward. Our relief pitchers did a great job all week, throwing six innings and not giving up a run, eight strikeouts and no walks with only two hits. Not many teams have three guys in the bullpen that they can confidently go to like us. They’re selfless guys that want to win and be in the moment.”
Next up: Quakertown (5-1, 3-0 SOL) plays at Hatboro-Horsham in the first of three on Monday. Abington (1-4, 1-4 SOL) looks for a bounce back week, starting at home Monday against Wissahickon.
Quakertown 020 013 9 - 15 15 2
Abington 001 001 0 - 2 5 2
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