Check out the recaps for SOL baseball teams in action Friday. New Hope-Upper Moreland photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of photos. (North Penn photo courtesy of Cindy Manero/NP baseball). CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports' BASEBALL GALLERIES.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 6, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 3
A regular season that has not been without its share rough spots ended on a high note for the Patriots, who notched a win over the Titans in Friday’s rubber match.
“This team has been through a great deal this season,” East coach Kyle Dennis said. “We lost teammate Sam Hanson early this season, right around Easter. Sam was a wonderful young man and beloved by his teammates. This was a tragedy that struck our entire team hard, and I am astounded by these young men for their ability to compete with so much on their minds.
“If that tragedy wasn’t enough for these young man to work through, we also had six different starters go down with injuries that either prevented their season from starting, disrupted their season in the middle, or ended their season abruptly.
“This group has shown incredible resilience and mental toughness to compete in what I believe is the strongest conference around from top to bottom. I am proud of them and excited that their regular season ended on a positive note.”
In Friday’s win, Mason Hill notched the win, allowing two hits and three runs (one earned) in 5 2/3 innings. Finn Gale recorded the save, retiring the only four batters he faced to close it out.
The Patriots benefitted from a walk and hit batter as well as a sac fly by Sean Hill to put a run on the board in the first. They added a run in the second when Christopher Funicella, who led off the inning with a double, scored on a two-out error.
East upped its lead to 5-1 in the fifth on its way to the hard-fought win.
By the numbers: Central Bucks East: Christopher Funicella (2-for-4, 2B, 1R), Sean Hill (1-for-2, 2B, 2RBIs, 1R)
Mason Hill (W) (5.2 IP, 2H, 3R, 1ER, 3BB, 7K), Finn Gale (S) (1.1 IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K)
Key inning: Top of fifth – The Patriots led 3-1 heading into the fifth when they added two runs that gave them much-needed insurance. Sean Hill drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on Jason Abert’s one-out single. Abert advanced to second on a passed ball, Cole Gillman and Brayden Carr drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Abert scored on an error, and the Patriots led 5-1.
Central Bucks East coach Kyle Dennis:
--Hill & Gale come up big: “Our young pitchers continued to show poise and the ability to compete and get hitters out. Sophomore Mason Hill had another solid outing, earning his third win of the year. He went 5 2/3 innings, only allowing two hits and striking out seven. He is wrapping up his sophomore season with a 1.25 ERA.
“Sophomore Finn Gale earned the save throwing the final 1 1/3 innings, allowing no hits and striking out three. This was his first save of the season, and he has done a great job in starting, relieving and closing roles.
“These two players have shown incredible toughness pitching in a conference loaded with offensive talent and pitching against top level upperclassmen arms. They have bright futures in our program and beyond.”
Funicella delivers: “CJ Funicella, a senior, had a great day at the plate as the only guy with multiple hits, including a double. Senior Sean Hill continued to be our strongest offensive player this season getting us a sac fly in the first to take an early lead and another RBI double late in the game.”
Up next: Central Bucks East is 26th in the latest District 1 6A rankings for a field that will include 24 teams.
Central Bucks East 110 121 0 6-4-3
Central Bucks South 010 011 0 3-2-3
SOL Freedom Division
WILLIAM TENNENT 6, SPRINGFIELD TWP 4
The Panthers bounced back to notch a hard-fought win after dropping the first two games of their series to the Spartans. Tennent broke a 4-4 tie with a two-run fifth.
“After a tough start to the week, it was a nice team win,” Tennent coach Lucas Denczi said. “From the three guys who strung together a strong outing on the mound to the boys at the plate, everyone pulled their weight.”
Earlier in the game, the Panthers took a 2-0 lead in a first inning highlighted by an RBI double by Cody Dever and a run-scoring single by Kyle White.
The Spartans answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning that included a two-run double by Mike Capoferri as well as an RBI single by Zac Breslin. They also benefited from a two-out error.
Tennent knotted the score in the fourth. A leadoff walk to Mike Woehr was followed by a double by Brandon Alburger. Zach Chubb’s single plated a run, and Alburger scored on Lucas Lorenz’s sacrifice bunt.
Lucas Mann earned the win with 4.1 strong shutout innings in relief. He allowed just two hits. Chubb closed it out with a 1-2-3 seventh.
By the numbers: William Tennent: Cody Devor (3-for-3, 2B, 1RBI, 2R), Zach Chubb (2-for-3, 1RBI), Mike Woehr (1-for-3, 2RBIs, 1R), Brandon Alburger (1-for-3, 2B)
Lucas Mann (W) (4.1 IP, 2H, 0R, 3BB, 3K), Zach Chubb (1.0, 0H, 0R)
Key inning: Bottom of fifth – With the score deadlocked 4-4, the Panthers scored a pair of runs. With one out, Cody Devor doubled to center, and Kyle White followed and drew a walk. He was replaced by courtesy runner JD Dingas. Both runner advanced on a passed ball and both scored when Mike Woehr singled to center, giving the Panthers a 6-4 lead.
William Tennent baseball coach Lucas Denczi:
--Dever delivers: “Cody Devor has been a team leader the last three years and has had a bit of a tough start to the season. It was great to see him break though with a three-hit performance. We are hoping to carry some momentum into a busy final week of the regular season.”
Up next: William Tennent will host Cheltenham on Monday in the second game of its three-game series. The Panthers won the first on March 27. Springfield Twp will travel to Wissahickon for an SOL non-league crossover game.
Springfield Twp 040 000 0 4-6-1
William Tennent 200 220 x 6-9-2
SOL crossover non-league
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 3, UPPER MORELAND 2
Sparked by the stellar outing of Anthony Whelan on the mound, the Lions put a damper on Upper Moreland’s Senior Night by winning the third game of the series after dropping the first two game
s to the division champions.
“I am very proud of our team after losing the first two games to Upper Moreland where UM dominated us in every aspect of both games,” said New Hope-Solebury coach Tony Vlahovic, whose team lost the first two games by a combined 33-7 score. “It would have been easy to go through the motions and lose game three. We practiced hard yesterday and set our focus on thinking the game and leaving the other two games behind.”
Whelan – who needed just 84 pitches - allowed three hits and one earned run in the complete game performance.
The two teams were deadlocked at 2-2 heading into the fifth inning when Charlie Plebani delivered a clutch two-out RBI single that plated McCagg, who walked to open the inning. The Lions benefitted from an error in the inning.
By the numbers: New Hope-Solebury: Blake McCagg (2-for-3, 2r), Charlie Plebani (2-for-2, 1RBI)
Anthony Whelan (W) (7.0 IP, 3H, 2R, 0ER, 1BB, 6K)
Upper Moreland: Nick Simons (L) (4.0 IP, 5H, 3R, 1ER, 4BB, 6K), Luke Sword (3.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 4K)
Key inning: Top of the first – Blake McCagg hit a one-out single, and Lucas Kevorkian was safe on an error. Anthony Whelan lined a single to center field with McCagg scoring on an error on the play. After a walk to Charlie Plebani, courtesy runner Jack Matro scored on a fielder’s choice by Nathan Plebani.
New Hope-Solebury coach Tony Vlahovic
“Coach Jim Fasano and his staff at UM have built a champion program and I hope they dominate in districts and States.
“Great way for our young team to finish the SOL schedule tonight.”
--Whelan stands tall: “Tonight, Anthony Whelan was dominant on the mound. All four of his pitches were working, and he pounded the strike zone. We talked about the UM lineup - which is strong 1-9 - and decided to mix in the off speed early and then the hard stuff. Anthony pitched the best game of the season at the right time.”
--Support for Whelan: “Our offense was led by Blake McCagg and clutch hitting by Charlie Plebani with his game winning RBI to give us a 3-2 lead.
“Our defense backed Anthony's performance, and Lucas Kevorkian was solid behind the plate and did a great job of blocking.
Up next: New Hope-Solebury – third in the latest District 1 2A rankings – will host Lawrence in a non-league game Wednesday.
New Hope-Solebury 200 010 0 3-6-2
Upper Moreland 010 100 0 2-3-4
LOWER MORELAND 5, ABINGTON 2
The Lions got a welcome win in Friday’s SOL non-league crossover game at Abington, opening up a lead with with a five-run third and going on to earn the win.
Eddie Weber delivered on the mound, allowing just five hits and two runs – both unearned – while striking out five and walking three. Jackson Jordan recorded the final two out outs.
By the numbers: Lower Moreland: Gavin Blumhardt (2-for-3, 3B, 1RBI, 1R), Bradley Horsnall (1-for-3, 2RBIs, 1R), Jackson Calder (2B, 1RBI, 1R),
Eddie Weber (W) (6.1 IP, 5H, 2R, 0ER 3BB, 5K), Jackson Jordan (0.2 IP, 0 H, 0R)
Key inning: Top of third: The Lions broke a scoreless tie with a five-run outburst, benefitting from a pair of walks and an error. Highlights of the inning included an RBI double by Jackson Calder that was followed by Bradley Horsnall’s two-run single and an RBI single by Gavin Blumhardt. The fifth run scored on a miscue.
Up next: Lower Moreland will host William Tennent on Thursday.
Lower Moreland 005 000 0 5-5-1
Abington 002 000 0 2-5-1
Non-league
SPRING-FORD 11, NORTH PENN 2
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