North Penn puts on power display in win over William Tennent

WARMINSTER >> North Penn smashed 10 extra-base hits Tuesday, including three home runs.

Every starter scored and eight of them knocked in runs.

In the fifth inning alone, the Knights batted around and connected for seven consecutive hits.

Said Hunter Hamlin, who clubbed a home run and a double out of the eight hole: “Innings like (the fifth) help when we’re not playing our best baseball. We’ve been playing good baseball but sometimes we’re a little off and then all of a sudden we erupt with these big innings.

“And they’re definitely an advantage point we have versus a lot of people.”

North Penn slugged its way to a 15-7 victory over William Tennent, as the Knights improved to a perfect 9-0 in the Suburban One League Continental Conference.

Hamlin’s two-run homer tied things up at three apiece in the second, and he later doubled as part of the eight-run fifth in which the Knights surged ahead for good.

“I was just seeing the ball really well,” North Penn’s DH said. “I was looking at counts — we work on it a lot. I was sitting in fastball counts and they were coming with fastballs. As an eight hitter, you’re always at an advantage with fastballs and fortunately I took advantage of them.”

David Linsalata threw four and a third innings for Tennent (3-5 conference) and left the mound with two on and the Panthers ahead 6-4. Joe Shannon would come on in relief and took the loss for Tennent.

Kolby Barrow threw four innings to get the win for NP.

Ryan Bealer, Rob Weiss, Tyler Siddal and Jake Drelick also had doubles in that monster fifth inning for the Knights.

“(Ten extra-base hits) is crazy. We’re very capable of that,” Hamlin said.

Joe Picozzi and Billy Collins smashed the other two home runs for North Penn, which overcame early deficits of 3-1 and 6-4.

One Through Nine

The Knights were a tough out at any spot, including up top.

“I was real happy with Tyler Siddal today in the leadoff spot,” said Knights coach Kevin Manero. “He had been struggling a little bit the last couple games but he was really smoking the ball today. And we’re getting good production from him and Drelick at the one and two spot.

“And then when you have the ability to get contributions one through nine is good — Hunter Hamlin, coming in at the eight spot and driving the ball, that makes it tough (for opponents) when you don’t have a part of the lineup that’s quiet.”

Sharpening Their Swords

The Knights just wanna clean some things up as they continue their push towards the postseason.

“I pulled out a lineup card from 2015 the other day,” Manero said of the state title season, one of three for NP (2009, 2013). “That was arguably the best team North Penn has ever had. And I looked at the lineup card and I looked at us now.

“I said to the guys, we have a nice team. We can do good things, but the difference is that the 2015 team, they were consistent, rarely gave base runners up, rarely gave up a walk, and played very clean, tight baseball. Right now, we’re not very consistent in that area. We’re 9-0 but we know we need to play better baseball.”

Coming Along

Armando Delgado continues to impress for the Panthers since cracking the starting lineup. The DH launched a two-run home run in the fourth to give Tennent its 6-4 lead.

“He’s been wanting to play. He kept telling me he was ready,” William Tennent coach Rick Penecale said. “He’s been working hard in practice and I told him I’d give him a shot. I put him in there and he’s come up big.”

Xavier Delgado tripled and Greg Delgado doubled for the Panthers, who came out connecting but fell behind in the fifth.

“There’s a reason why they’re the team they are,” Penecale said of the Knights. “They play big games. They play championship games. They know how to win. And they can turn it on. That was a pretty impressive inning — there was nothing cheap.

“They hit rockets. One through nine, they can hit. They’re just an experienced, battle-tested team. And I thought we played well. They’re just a little bit better than we are right now.”

North Penn 15, William Tennent 7
North Penn 121 080 3 — 15 15 2
Tennent 301 210 0 — 7 6 0
WP: Kolby Barrow (4IP, 6R, 4ER, 5H, 6K, 1BB).
LP: Joe Shannon (0IP, 5R, 5ER, 5H, 0K, 0BB).
HR: NP-Joe Picozzi, Billy Collins, Hunter Hamlin; WT-Armando Delgado. 3B: WT-Xavier Delgado. 2B: NP-Tyler Siddal, Jake Drelick, Zack Miles, Ryan Bealer 2, Hamlin, Rob Weiss; WT-Greg Delgado.
Multiple hits: NP-Siddal 2-for-5, 2R, RBI; Drelick 2-for-4, HBP, 2R, RBI; Collins 2-for-4, HBP, 2R, 4RBI; Bealer 2-for-4, 2R, RBI; Hamlin 2-for-3, BB, 2R, 4RBI; Weiss 2-for-4, R, RBI.