Neshaminy opens season with a win over Upper Dublin
LANGHORNE – Neshaminy senior Eddy Parry and 10 of his classmates were left wanting last season when the Skins were ousted in the second round of the District 1 playoffs by third-place finisher Downingtown West.
Wednesday afternoon in the season opener, Parry set the tone for the Skins, perhaps for the 2017 season, stroking three doubles and accounting for four RBI in a mercy-ruled 17-4 win over visiting non-league rival Upper Dublin, the defending champion from the Suburban One League (SOL) American Conference.
“Eddy is doing exactly what we’ve asked of him,” said Neshaminy first-year head coach Dan Toner. “We have him focused on driving the ball the other way. When he’s able to turn on it, they’re always real good shots.
“Three of them were that way and that’s right where we want him hitting – to that right-centerfield gap.
“That’s when he’s locked in.”
Parry hit his first two doubles to right-center off Cardinals starting junior righthander Ryan Besachio, the second of which put his team on top 6-0 with one out in the second inning.
Three ensuing doubles by seniors Eric Gale, Owen Foraker and Ben Raab had the Skins on top, 9-0, and sent Besachio to the showers. UD reliever Garrett C. Breslin was greeted by senior Evan Matthews with an RBI single but ended the inning by retiring the last two batters.
Trailing 10-0, Upper Dublin got three runs in on nary a hit in the third inning when senior righthander Zach Tredway started to tire. A four-year basketball and football player, Tredway – who walked four batters in the frame – had a good excuse for his apparent lack of endurance on the hill.
The senior righty hadn’t played a lick of baseball since freshman year. He looked pretty darn good in the first inning, striking out the side. And he recorded the win on the hill after limiting the Cardinals to three runs on one hit and four walks in 2 and 1/3 innings of work.
“I came in to do a job, just trying my best,” said Tredway.
“My arm started to get tired in the end. I didn’t want to let it get into my head. I was trying to finish it out.”
No matter. Neshaminy junior righty Kyle Rovny came on in relief in the top of the third inning, got the last two outs with minimal damage and allowed just a lone run in the final frame, which in this case was the top of the fifth.
“It felt really good,” said Tredway. “I was happy to get out here and help my team get the win.”
The Skins’ offense went to work right away in the bottom of the initial frame. Leadoff hitter Anthony Raposelli reached base on a single to the gap at short, went to second on an error, third on a double steal, then home on an error.
Parry stroked his first double, of the ground-ruled variety, over the fence in deep right-center, scoring Jerry Scavone. With one out, Foraker’s grounder to short scored shortstop Brian Nicolas, then Evans and second baseman Harold Landman added RBI singles to close out the Skins’ scoring in the first.
“It’s the best; they’re getting hits, they’re getting everything out there for me,” added Tredway. “All I have to do is throw strikes.”
“And they’re doing a great job in the field so I’m happy with it.”
Parry’s third-inning double pushed a pair of runs across, putting Neshaminy up, 12-3. Coming on in in the bottom of the fourth inning, Cardinals reliever Joey Monaghan retired the first two batters. However, the Skins exploded with five consecutive two-out singles by Raposelli, Scavone, Nicolas, Parry and Gale that put the home team on top, 15-3.
Raab’s single with the sacks jammed in the fourth capped Neshaminy’s offensive performance in the opener.
“We’ve been working hard all winter,” explained Parry. “Our coaches have been teaching us the little fundamentals that were helping us right here in this game.
“That’s definitely what pushed us through.”
Upper Dublin scored its fourth run in the top of the fifth inning on a leadoff walk by centerfielder J.T. Breslin, a single to center by second baseman Tom Reilly and a ground ball to short by first baseman Max Weinberg, who pushed a pair of runs across the plate in the contest.
The Skins open the season at 1-0 while the Cardinals fall to 1-1, after defeating SOL Continental Conference rival Souderton 3-2 last Friday, March 24. Besachio took the loss after allowing 10 runs on eight hits and three walks.
In addition to Parry, who went 4-for-4, multiple hitters for Neshaminy included Raposelli (2-for-4), Gale (2-for-4), Raab (2-for-3) and Matthews (2-for-4).
Parry (4), Foraker (3), Raab (3) and Matthews (2) had multiple RBIs in the game and Nicolas and Landman pushed single runs across the plate.
UD has another road match against a non-league rival pending on Friday vs. Council Rock South, weather permitting. Meanwhile, the ante gets lifted much higher for Neshaminy Thursday afternoon at home in a battle that counts in the league standings against defending District One 4A Champion Pennridge.
NOTES: Neshaminy opened districts last year with a 6-5 triumph over Owen J. Roberts before getting eliminated by the Whippets. The Cardinals toppled Harriton 4-3 before being ousted from the tournament after losses to CR North and Spring-Ford. Parry has committed to East Stroudsburg University.
Contact Steve Sherman at ssherman@21st-Centurymedia.com or @BucksLocalSport on Twitter
TOP PHOTO: Neshaminy senior Eddy Parry went 4-for-4 with three doubles and four RBI in the Skins’ 17-4 win over visiting Upper Dublin March 29 on Neshaminy’s home field.
(Steve Sherman – 21st-Century Media)
Neshaminy 17, Upper Dublin 4
(March 29 at Neshaminy)
Upper Dublin 003 01 – 5 2 2
Neshaminy 552 5X – 17 16 0
WP — Zach Tredway 2.1IP, 3R, 1H, 4BB, 5SO.
LP — Ryan Besachio 1.1IP, 10R, 8H, 3BB, 0SO.
MULTIPLE HITS: UD — none; N — Anthony Raposelli 2-for-4, Eddy Parry 4-for-4, Eric Gale 2-for-4, Ben Raab 2-for-3, Evan Matthews 2-for-4.
RBI: UD — Justin Horn, Max Weinberg 2, Jason O’Gara; N — Brian Nicolas, Parry 4, Gale 2, Owen Foraker 3, Ben Raab 3, Matthews 2, Harold Landman.
