Upper Dublin’s offense explodes in win over Abington

ABINGTON >> Upper Dublin’s Nick Harley thought he had his first home run of the season two different times earlier this week against Springfield Montco.

Once it was ruled to have bounced off the fence and over – resulting in a double – and the other was called a foul ball.

Against Abington Wednesday afternoon, there was no doubt about it. Harley sent a two-run shot over the fence in right-center field to highlight the Cardinals dominant offensive effort in a five-inning 13-1 Suburban One League Liberty Division win at Abington Senior High School.

“I was due for that,” Harley said. “In the Springfield game it went out and they didn’t count it – hit the top of the fence and then I hit a foul home run. I felt like today I was due.

“Whenever I’m up there I always think fastball and if it’s a curve just adjust to the curve. I remember my first at-bat I got a little jammed, so I had to be early on this one. It was all good.”

The Upper Dublin (9-4, 9-2 SOL Liberty) offense totaled 11 hits while working six walks and getting hit by two pitches. Harley, Kyle Rizzo and Jared Levis each had multi-hit games and the lineup combined for six extra-base hits.

The scoring started in the top of the first inning. Tristan Cairnes hit into an error with two outs, allowing a run to score from second base and make it 1-0. Levis followed with a walk before Leo Soriano made it a 3-0 game with a two-run double.

After Abington trimmed its deficit to 3-1 in the bottom half of the first, the Cardinals offense was back on the attack in the top of the second. Nick Lombardo made it 5-1 with a two-run double before Harley’s two-run blast made it 7-1.

Four more runs crossed the plate in the top of the third. David Sharp and Levis hit RBI singles while Harley ripped a two-run double, extending the Cardinals lead to 11-1.

Rizzo hit an RBI double in the top of the fourth before Lombardo grounded out to score a run, rounding out the scoring in the 13-1 win.

“They lit it up today,” Upper Dublin coach Ed Wall said. “Obviously Nick Harley with his bomb that he hit, but we had a number of guys – Soriano early had a big rip to the fence for a double, (Ethan) Madnick was finding holes out there, too. These guys work really hard in the cage and they’ve been doing a great job.”

While the offense was putting up crooked numbers, Cairnes was working through the Abington lineup. In five innings, the right-hander struck out four batters to one walk and allowed one run on three hits.

“(The offense scoring) makes it so much easier,” Cairnes, who was throwing first-pitch strikes and commanding his curveball, said. “There’s no pressure at all. I just need to throw strikes and then I have my fielder’s behind me, makes it even easier. I’m just throwing to contact.”

“Tristan with another shutout performance out there, did a great job,” Wall said. “Didn’t shut them out literally, but really was in control the whole way. It was really good to see.”

The Ghosts (9-5, 7-5 SOL Liberty) only run came in the bottom of the first inning when Matt Worek hit a solo home run. Worek went 2-for-2 at the plate, also singling in the bottom of the fourth.

LJ Wolfe took the loss for Abington. In two innings he allowed seven runs – four earned – on five hits. He struck out three batters to two walks.

Chase Wolf, Johnny Dzielawa and Brian Murtha each threw one inning in relief.

Upper Dublin 13, Abington 1

Upper Dublin 344 20 – 13

Abington 100 00 – 1

WP: Tristan Cairnes 5 IP 4 K 1 BB 3 H 1 R

LP: LJ Wolfe 2 IP 3 K 2 BB 5 H 7 R

2B: UD: Kyle Rizzo, Nick Lombardo, Nick Harley, Leo Soriano, Ethan Madnick.

HR: UD: Nick Harley. AB: Matt Worek.