By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
Defending a Carpenter Cup title doesn’t necessarily add to the pressure to win.
Just ask SOL National/ Bicentennial head coach Keith Smeraglio, who says it actually lessens the burden.
“It makes it easier,” stated Smeraglio, flatly. “We know we have a good team and the kids went out and played like it.
“The defense was great, we got timely hitting and we have a tremendous [pitching] staff.”
Earlier today (June 17) at Meiklejohn Stadium, the local boys shrugged off a third-inning 1-0 deficit, plating seven runs the rest of the way in a 7-3 tournament opening triumph over Berks County. The SOL/ Bicentennial won this one going away, despite the fact it was out-hit, 10-7, by Berks. That’s because the opposition stranded over a dozen batters along the basepaths.
“I think we had almost the same amount of hits but we had a lot of clutch hits,” commented Council Rock North senior Scott Runzer, who was 1-for-3 on the day. “With guys on third, we had at least two or three sac-flies. Doing things like that definitely helped us score some runs so that was clutch.”
Defensively, Smeraglio led with his trump card in starting Harry S Truman and Bristol Legion lefthander Josh Patman in the opener against Berks. Last year, it was a pair of lefties — Patman and New Hope-Solebury southpaw Vinnie Vorhees — who kept the opposition off-balance.
Vorhees set ‘em up and Patman knocked ‘em down.
First, it was the New Hope lefty striking out 12 batters combined in quarterfinal and semifinal triumphs respectively over Mercer and defending champ Chester.
Then, it was Patman who got the final out in both the 2008 Carpenter Cup semis and the finale. In the championship win over Lehigh Valley, he got the win, after recording the final two outs in the top of the ninth.
This time out however, it was a rough outing for Patman. After getting the first Berks batter to take a called third strike, he put the next two on board with a walk and a hit batsman. But Berks failed to take advantage of the situation, launching a popup and a fly ball to Nick Mascioli to end the inning.
Patman put another pair of batters on board in the second, issuing a free pass to Kyle Hartman and a single to centerfield by Jonah Pulford. Again, Berks failed to capitalize on the opportunity. When Nick Riegel single to short, Pulford advanced to second but Hartman was picked off at third base. Patman got out of the jam, inducing a force-out at second base to Neshaminy shortstop Rick Brebner.
On the other side of the hill, Berks pitcher Brad Smith was keeping the defending champs’ bats quiet, retiring the first six hitters in order.
“The first time out, everyone was trying to hit home runs and stuff, just jumping at balls,” stated Runzer. “The second time around, everyone relaxed and started swinging to get hits.”
The local boys finally started to make some noise in the third when the SOL-N/ BAL drew a walk and single by Brebener that put a pair of runners aboard. The men were stranded however when Chris Dock junior Ryan Seiz – last year’s hero in the finale with a 2-run walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth – struck out swinging.
Berks finally broke through in the third, scoring a run off Holy Ghost Prep righthander Andrew Strenge, of Morrisville. After retiring the first two batters, Strenge surrendered consecutive singles then an RBI double down the left field line by Hartman that scored Sean Hagen. With runners at second and third base, Andrew pitched out of the jam, fanning Pulford to keep it close.
It was HGP junior Greg Olenski who plated the first run for the SOL/ Bicentennial. After getting hit by a pitch, he advanced on a Scott Runzer single, went to third when a walk was issued to Shane Coleman then came home on a double-play grounder hit to short by Nick Mascioli.
Seiz redeemed himself in the fifth, putting the local boys on top for good by pushing CR South sophomore Bill Fleming across with an RBI triple. Olenski put the SOL on top by two, scoring Seiz with an ensuing RBI double.
The bottom of the fifth was a wild one for Berks. With CR South sophomore lefthander Greg Welsh in for Strenge, Berks sent six batters to the plate – two had reached on walks and another pair slapped singles. Add in a stolen base and a failed pickoff attempt and one might think an opposing rally would have been the result. When the dust settled, however, the enemy had but a single run to show for their trouble.
That’s because Neshaminy senior Tyler Orr nailed Blaise Fernandez trying to score from second base on Chris Lloyd’s single to right field. After inducing a popup to Frankelvin Reyes, Welsh put another pair of runners aboard, surrendering a single and a walk. The CR South lefty finally settled down, fanning Garrett Gitler to get out of the inning.
The locals really took advantage in the top of the sixth, plating three more runs on just two hits. SOL/ Bicentennial put a pair of runners aboard with Eric Ebert reaching on an error and Orr slapping a single to centerfield. It was Matt Hone coming through with the big hit, an RBI double down the left field line that pushed Ebert across.
Kelly Adams then plated Orr with a sac-fly to right field. Bristol junior Adam Moore repeated the feat with a sac-fly to left field that scored Hone.
The bottom sixth looked like another shaky one for the locals, defensively, especially when Berks put their first two batters on board on an error and a walk. Again, Welsh settled down, inducing a ground ball to Tim Ravel and striking out Fernandez.
Orr scored the final tally for the SOL in the eighth. After drawing a walk, he advanced on a fielder’s choice, went to third on an error then came home on a ground ball hit to short by Corey Hower.
After waiting around for nearly 2 hours, Neshaminy junior Ray Hyjurick finally got his chance to pitch in the seventh. Ray made the most of it, retiring the side in order. After surrendering a double to C Faust to open the eighth, he recorded the next three outs on a fly ball to left field and a pair of grounders.
After the game, Hyjurick spoke of what it was like waiting in the wings.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking but it’s also exciting — you can’t wait to get into the game and play here.
With his team holding a commanding lead, Smeraglio countered with Abington junior Jake Ruch. The 11th-grader allowed a walk but nary a run putting this one in the books favor the boys from Bucks County.
Another factor that helped the locals was that both CR South and North made it to the postseason this year, with the Indians advancing all the way to the state quarters.
“It was a good run — we made it to the quarterfinals in states,” commented CR North infielder Scott Runzer, who is headed to West Chester. “The team we lost to — North Penn — ended up winning it so that was tough.
“The good thing was that all the guys from North were able to stay sharp coming into Carpenter Cup playing so late into the [varsity] season.
With North part of the Continental Conference last year, Runzer was not part of the 2008 Carpenter Cup champions. So Runzer would really like to see this team repeat last year’s feat. With his current squad wearing a target on its back, he knows the task will not be easy. Still he believes this group has the talent.
“Everyone is coming out to beat us since this team won last year,” stated Runzer.
“I know we have the potential to repeat; we have really good pitching and I know we can hit the ball too.
That much was proven today in a 7-3 win, favor: the locals.
***
NOTES: From here, the SOL-N/ Bicentennial returns to Meiklejohn at 12:3o p.m. this Friday, June 19 where they’ll take on Lehigh Valley, 3-1 winners over Inter-AC. Lehigh will surely looking to avenge last year’s loss to the locals in the tournament finale.

Labels: Baseball, CR North, CR North Baseball

Newtown Legion Coach Bob Maley could not schedule any games for Post 440 while Council Rock North conducted its postseason run. North opened state tournament play June 1 with a win over Central High School. Slated to play a state quarterfinal pairing against North Penn on Thursday, June 4 and again on Friday, June 5, the Indians were stuck inside with the rains coming down outside. The battle against the Knights finally took place on Saturday with North Penn edging the Rock, 2-1.
Now, Maley can finally gather his Legion team, though the makeup games are too numerous to mention them all.
There are two Newtown games added to this week's baseball lineup including a home game at noon, Sunday, June 14 against Yardley-Western. And next Wednesday's road match-up against Northampton has been turned into a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader.
-Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Newtown Legion Post 440
Updated Schedule

Northampton at Newtown Wednesday 6-10-09 5:45 p.m.
Falls at Newtown Thursday 6-11-09 5:45 p.m.
Newtown at Yardley/Morrisville Friday 6-12-09 5:45 p.m.
Yardley/Morrisville at Newtown Saturday 6-13-09 12:00
Yardley/Western at Newtown Sunday 6-14-09 12:00
Yardley/Western at Newtown Monday 6-15-09 5:45 p.m.
Bristol at Newtown Tuesday 6-16-09 5:45 p.m.
Newtown at Northampton Wednesday 6-17-09 (5:30 p.m. Doubleheader)
Newtown at Yardley/Western Monday 6-22-09 5:45 p.m.
Lower Southampton at Newtown Thursday 6-25-09 5:45 p.m.
Newtown at Yardley/Western Sunday 6-28-09 1 p.m.
Falls at Newtown Monday 6-29-09 5:45 p.m.
Newtown at Falls Tuesday 6-30-09 5:45 p.m.
Newtown at Bristol Wednesday 7-1-09 5:45 p.m.
Lower South at Newtown Thursday 7-2-09 5:45 p.m.
Yardley/Morrisville at Newtown Friday 7-3-09 5:45 p.m.
Newtown at Lower South Sunday 7-5-09 (1 p.m. Doubleheader)
Newtown at Bristol Monday 7-6-09 5:45
Bristol at Newtown TBD TBD TBD
***
FIELDS
Bristol: Truman High School
Falls: Pennsbury High School
Lower South: Copper Kettle Field
Yardely/Morrisville: Phila Biblical University
Northampton: Northampton Civic Center
Yardley/Western: Conwell-Egan High School

Doubleheader at Northampton on 6/17 will start at 5:30 p.m.

Doubleheader at Lower Southampton on 7/5 will start at 1 p.m.

Labels: CR North, CR North Baseball

By Mary Jane Souder
For BucksLocalSports

ROYERSFORD — It had the look and feel of a risky play with little chance of succeeding.
But this was an advertisement for the value of perseverance.
Twice with Jimmy Smith barreling towards home from third on called suicide squeeze plays in Saturday's PIAA quarterfinal game against North Penn, Knights batter Mark Grassie attempted to bunt fastballs well out of the strike zone.
The first, Grassie somehow managed to get a piece of for a foul tip that saved the base runner. The second, he missed, but with no one anywhere near third, Smith beat the third baseman back to the bag.
North Penn fans exhaled.
"They were fastballs that rode away," Grassie said of his first two attempts. "I couldn't seem to reach out there and get them. With the squeeze, you have to try to get them.
"I tried."
Would Grassie get a third try?
"I knew coach (Bob) McCreary had confidence in me to get bunts down," he said. "I've been bunting a lot the whole year. I really have it hammered in my brain.
"He really believes I can do it."
That belief prompted the Knights' coach to call for the suicide squeeze yet one more time. Grassie wasn't surprised.
"I've actually gotten it with two strikes a couple of times this year," he said.
This time, Grassie didn't see a fastball out of the strike zone but rather a curveball. He knew exactly what to do with it, laying down a bunt toward the mound that easily scored Smith — who doubled to lead off the inning — with the game's first run. North Penn went on to defeat Council Rock North 2-1 June 6 in a PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinal contest.
"I knew there were two strikes, but I have to say I really wasn't that nervous," said Grassie, who was safe at first with his first of two hits on the day. "I felt really confident. I think that's the reason I got the bunt down.
"It was a curveball that started down the middle and dropped to my knees. That's actually a pretty good pitch to bunt, rather than one up high.
"I knew he (Rock North pitcher Scott Runzer) might be coming with a curveball because he threw me two fastballs right before that, so I knew I had to stay low and drop that bunt down because we really needed that run to get us going."
The run put the Knights on top 1-0 in the third, and the significance of Grassie's ability to execute was underscored in Rock North's sixth when - with Kelly Adams on third with one out and the Knights clinging to a 2-1 lead — the Indians failed to push the tying run across with back-to-back bunts.
On the first, Ryan Venner bunted the ball back to the mound on a safety squeeze. Pitcher Eric Ruth looked Adams back at third and fired to Grassie, who was covering first, for the second out. The threat ended when Tim Filer's bunt for a base hit was fielded by Ruth, who threw to first to retire Filer and the Indians.
"Ruth throws the ball very well," Rock North coach Dan Kusters said of his decision to call for a pair of bunts. "He wasn't necessarily throwing the ball by our guys, but in that situation with a runner on third, we need to do whatever we can to get the runner in.
"Tim is a very good bunter, and that third baseman was so far back. He had a chance to put it down and tie the game."
It didn't happen, and on the other side of the diamond, the Knights were celebrating because McCreary's unwavering faith in Grassie's ability to lay down a bunt turned out to be well-founded.
"He's a good fundamental player, and as a nine hitter you're looking for him to put a bat on the ball," the Knights' coach said. "I just had a gut (feeling) to try a suicide squeeze there.
"It didn't work out the first couple of times, but I said, 'What the heck— try again,' and thankfully for us, it worked."
And because it did the Knights are in the most enviable position — the state semifinals, just one win away from a spot in the state championship game.

Labels: Baseball, CR North, CR North Baseball

Trailing Owen J. Roberts, 8-4, in the top of the seventh inning May 22 in the district quarterfinals, Council Rock North senior catcher Tyler Farrell rode a pitch into the gap in right center scoring Jesse Goldberg and Matt Hone and giving the Rock the lead for good.
The final tally was an 11-8 victory over the Wildcats, a win that not only propelled the Rock to states, it also advanced North to the D-I semifinals May 26 where the Indians edged Garnet Valley, 3-2, to get to the district championship.
***
Compiled by Sports Editor Steve Sherman

Labels: CR North, CR North Baseball

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

This year’s District One AAAA runnerup, Council Rock North would like nothing better than to win a state championship.
The Indians opened state play on Monday with a 6-2 victory over District 12 runnerup Central.
They head to round two at 3 p.m. today in Boyertown (weather permitting) in a quarterfinal pairing against SOL Continental Conference rival North Penn.
“I think anyone who starts playing high school baseball wants to win a state championship if they can,” stated Indians catcher Tyler Farrell.
“It might not always be realistic but once you have a shot at it, you can see it in sight and you want to fulfill it.
"You wanna go out there and win it.”
In their state opening triumph over Central High, Ryan Hartley got things moving in the right direction when he drove in the Rock’s first run with a second-inning, two-out single to left that scored Tim Filer, on board second with a single and a stolen base.
The Indians added another run in the third on a Scott Runzer single that scored Jesse Goldberg.
The Indians then sacked Central starter Stephen Schall in the fourth, building a 5-1 edge. Hartley again was a catalyst, leading off with a bloop single to right then advancing to second on a groundout.
Goldberg and shortstop Matt Hone laid down consecutive bunts with both runners reaching to load the bases, paving the way to a 3-run Indian outburst.
Runzer did the rest, scattering four hits and three walks while striking out five. At the plate, he added a pair of RBIs on 2 hits.
The 6-2 victory over Central put the Indians on their way. A win over North Penn and two more nets the Rock Keystone Gold.
“We really want to finish our senior year of right—with a state championship,” said Hone Wednesday afternoon in a post-practice interview.
“That would mean so much to all of us.”
***
A week ago, Council Rock North made it all the way to the district championship, knocking off Methacton, Owen J. Roberts and Garnet Valley to get to the title tilt. The Indians showed their ability to bounce back, rebounding from deficits in all three district pairings to advance.
“When we get down, nobody gets scared,” explained Hone. “We seem to battle back and stay with it. We always have a shot. We’re never worried about [trailing].”
The SOL National Conference runnerup, finishing two games behind sister school CR South, North hardly remembers now how its season started off. But boxscores don’t lie and the truth is that the Rock suffered a 22-0 drubbing at the hands of SOL Continental rival CB South in its season opener at home.
Starter Scott Runzer surrendered four runs and threw 62 pitches in the first two frames. Even though the senior righthander gave way to reliever in the third, things wouldn’t get any better for the Indians in the third. Three different North pitchers surrendered 16 runs and seven walks in an inning that saw 20 Titans come to the plate.
“That’s baseball,” stated Farrell. “It was one of those days when nothing that you do can go right and everything they do goes right.”
Game two didn’t get much better with North suffering a 7-4 loss to Germantown Academy in an effort marred by three Indian errors.
“It was just one of those days you put it behind you; the next day you go out there and you get them,” explained Farrell. “You try harder and you make sure that you don’t make those errors.
“You try to win the next game and the game after that.”
***
FALCONS SCALPED
The first two losses might have been ugly but the good news was they were non-league affairs. Game three was a league battle with Pennsbury so it counted.
For a long while in this one, North struggled. By the bottom of the fourth inning, the Indians were looking at a 6-1 deficit. With zeroes on the board in frames two through five, no one thought Rock would rebound. But North did just that, plating six runs in the top of the sixth, ignited by a 2-run homer by Ryan Venner and an RBI double by Lee Marvel.
The Falcons came back to tie in the bottom of the frame, sending the battle to the seventh tied 7-all. But Bill Hartley came through in the visitor’s half of the inning, pushing Venner home with the winning run on an RBI single.
Farrell added pair of hits of his own to the Rock’s effort.
“It seems to be a common thread in some games,” stated Farrell of his team’s ability to bounce back. “We definitely fought hard. It looked like we were out of it but we showed some fight and some spirit and we came back and bulldogged our way into it.”
North followed the win over the Falcons with another come from behind win. This time, the Indians rallied to score five runs in the sixth inning to defeat Truman, 11-7.
“After that, we started on a roll downhill; it was like an avalanche gaining, gaining—you couldn’t stop us
Indeed, Rock rolled to victory in battles against Tennent (7-2), Neshaminy (5-4), Bensalem (12-0) and again beating Pennsbury, this time in a 13-0 thumping of the Falcons
“It’s just a matter of doing your job and taking care of your responsibility,” stated Farrell.
“If you take of the things you have to take care of, the other things will fall in line.”
Oh, there were other setbacks suffered by the Rock throughout the season but none as bad as the 22-0 spanking they endured in the opener. Truman came back and bit the Indians in a 5-3 loss. South won both battles 3-2 the first time and 12-0 blister near the end of the season.
The players say none of that matters now. It’s the state playoffs and the Indians are on fire.
“We’re playing better now than we did in the regular season,” stated Hone. “We’ve been playing our best baseball lately and that’s really all that matters.”
***
Photo caption: Kelly Adams on the mound in another win for the Indians.
Photo by William Anderton

Labels: Baseball, CR North, CR North Baseball

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Seven is a lucky number.
Was for Council Rock North this year in the District One--AAAA baseball tournament.
Trailing Owen J. Roberts, 8-4, May 22 in the district quarters, that's the number of runs the Indians plated in the top of the seventh to help stage an improbable comeback win.
An 11-8 victory over the Wildcats was the final tally, a win that not only propelled the Rock back to states, it also advanced North to the D-I semifinals May 26 where the Indians edged Garnet Valley 3-2 to get to the title tilt.
North outfielder Ryan Venner got the Rock rally going with an infield RBI single hit deep to the hole that scored infielder Scott Runzer, cutting the OJR lead to 8-5.
With two outs, CRN outfielder Jesse Goldberg singled in first baseman Tom Filer to draw the Indians within a pair of runs and also keeping the bases loaded.
Two more runs scored on a soft tapper to third by shortstop Matt Hone. Two more runs came across on the play when the throw to first base by Wildcats infielder Jesse Dahms was off the mark.
All of a sudden, this game was tied with Goldberg ending up at third and Hone at second. That set up catcher Tyler Farrell, who rode a pitch into the gap in right center scoring both runners and giving the Rock the lead for good.
Farrell was 2-for-4 for the game while also pushing 4 runs across.
Also for North (11-5 overall, 8-2 SOL), Hone was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Adams was 2-for-5 with an RBI, Venner 3-for-4 with an RBI. Goldberg pushed 2 runs across the plate.
Rock’s 3-2 win over Garnet Valley in the district semis came via the strikeout and the error--the strikeout on the side of North, miscues on the side of the Jaguars.
The Rock righthander used the strikeout--he had a dozen of them--to keep the GV batters at bay. Trailing 1-0 after two, the Indians tied it up when a popup by Ryan Hartley dropped behind second base, scoring Kelly Adams.
In the fifth inning, Goldberg scored the go-ahead run on a tough chopper to second base by Farrell that was misplayed by GV infielder Joe DeCarlo. Farrell came across with the winning tally when Runzer reached base on an error by Jags first baseman Matt Hendrixson.
GV got a run back in the visitors’ seventh but Kyle Davis grounded out to short to end it, sending the Rock to the D-I title game.
While North fell short of its quest to win the district championship with West Chester East notching a 6-2 win over the Indians last Thursday in Boyertown, the Rock proved once again that, come time for the postseason, it is a force to be reckoned with.
North opens state tournament play this Monday, June 1 against the runnerup from District 12 (Phila. Public League).
After falling behind Methacton several times May 20 in their district opener, the Indians mounted a 5-run rally in the home fifth to emerge with an 8-5 triumph over the Warriors. The outburst was aided by three consecutive bases-loaded walks and was highlighted by a 2-run single by Hone.
“We were hitting the ball hard early on so I felt confident that we would have some chances to score some runs,” stated North head coach Dan Kusters. “We were able to capitalize on a few walks and errors with some timely hitting.”
After surrendering 3 runs on 4 hits in the top of the first, Runzer settled down and scattered just 7 hits over the last six innings to notch a complete-game victory. He struck out six and walked four.
“Scott is a competitor,” stated Kusters, flatly. “He did not have his best stuff, but he battled and got big outs when we needed them. He was very effective from the 4th inning on.”
At the plate, Runzer hit 2-for-3. On the season, he is hitting over .500 with 26 RBIs, 19 runs, 13 doubles, 4 home runs, and 1 triple.
Hone also had a big day, going 2-for-3 with 3 RBI. Farrell and Filer were 2-for-4 on the afternoon.
Unsung heroes for the Indians included Ryan Hartley with his defense at second base, Jesse Goldberg with great defense in right field and Ryan Venner who drew a pair of walks.

Labels: Baseball, CR North, CR North Baseball