Loden homers, collects 3 hits to power Wissahickon past Plymouth Whitemarsh
WHITEMARSH >> Once Wissahickon found its stroke, the Trojans never lost it.
“This is a big win. We needed this win,” No. 2 hitter and shortstop Steven Loden said after a sunny afternoon on the diamond at PW. “We really fought back. We had a tough loss to Quakertown on Tuesday but we came back and won.
“We got down early and really fought. (PW’s Ben Mascio) is a good pitcher and they’re a good team. They’re a good group over there and they’re gonna be good for a couple years. Our guys really played well. Everyone played well.”
Wiss cranked out 11 hits, including three by Loden, and with home runs by Loden and Andrew Booth, the Trojans powered their way to a 7-3 comeback victory over the Colonials in a Suburban One League American Conference matchup.
“(Starting pitcher) Mike Gorman threw great, Booth had the launch home run, Michael Steitz, our leadoff guy, has had a good couple games now,” Loden said. “We had a good outing.”
Outta Here
Booth’s home run, near the 345-foot sign in left, got the Trojans going, cutting the deficit to 3-1 in the fourth.
After Brian Menhardt singled and Steitz walked to start the fifth, Loden went deep — clearing the fence near the 345-foot sign in right — to put the Trojans ahead for good, 4-3.
“(Mascio) hung a pitch and we took care of it. I’m happy it got out,” Loden said. “Coach (Andy) Noga was just telling me to stay back and (get a hit) through the middle. I was just trying to hit it up the middle and luckily it got out.”
Wiss added to its lead in the sixth.
Charlie Osterneck’s bloop single to shallow right scored one to extend the margin to 5-3, and then Steitz ripped a single up the middle to drive in two and make it 7-3.
Gorman pitched six strong innings for the Trojans (6-2 conference), allowing three runs off of seven hits while striking out 10 and walking two.
Colonials Jump Out
The Colonials (5-4 conference) matched the Trojans with four extra-base hits, including a double and a triple by No. 3 hitter Stephen Longo.
Longo’s RBI double in the first was followed by his RBI triple in the third, and with Brad Krenicky belting a double to center to score Longo, it was 3-0 PW.
“Ben (Mascio) pitched a great game. We were stringing hits together in the early innings. We thought everything was gonna go fine,” Longo said. “We struck out a lot. Twelve strikeouts is not good.
“I think we may have taken our foot off the gas pedal a little bit. We’re gonna bounce back. We have a game (Friday at Souderton Area) and we’re hoping to come out on top.”
Wiss is back in action Monday, at Springfield Montco.
