North Penn topples rival Central Bucks West, clinches SOL Colonial title

TOWAMENCIN >> The steep climb made reaching the summit even sweeter.

“This time last year, we went from 6-6 to 6-7 and we didn’t win another game the rest of the year. And it was just a horrible end to the season. What a difference a year makes,” said Kevin Manero, coach of the newly-crowned kings of the Suburban One League Colonial Division. “The guys really are hungry. We have a lot of goals to accomplish this year but winning a division title today was a big one. This is a really tough conference and it’s a really tough division.

“It’s a nice accomplishment along the journey. And we still have other stops we wanna make. We got to the first destination and now we try to keep playing good ball and build some momentum going into the postseason.”

Jack Picozzi went the distance on the mound and Chase Jones helped key a robust fourth inning by the North Penn offense as the Knights rallied past Central Bucks West for a 5-3 victory on a sunny afternoon on the diamond at NP.

“It’s huge. Last year was just so disappointing for us and it was such a down year. And that’s just not who we are as a program,” said Picozzi, who struck out seven in earning the victory. “And I think this year, just the way we bounced back from that, that really proves what we’re made of. It just means a lot to be a part of this. And to know that forever, on that fence, I’m gonna see this year (on the list of league titles) and be able to remember this.”

 

Picozzi was solid throughout, limiting the rival Bucks (8-5 SOL Colonial) to three runs off of seven hits. He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth with minimal damage and then retired West in order in the seventh to usher in the celebration.

“Every game Jack has gone out this year, he’s gotten a little bit better,” Manero said. “His rhythm – from the get-go today – was real good. He had one little bad inning in the second but other than that he had good stuff today. The way he gutted it out at the end was super impressive. He had a tough situation in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and he got out of that.

“And then he came up in the seventh and got three outs like it was nothing. That’s what we want out of a senior arm.”

Said Picozzi: “I was attacking with the fastball a lot today. I was just trying to work ahead, get ahead in the count. I was mixing in a couple breaking balls here and there but it was mostly fastball today.”

 

The Bucks did push ahead 2-0 in the second on RBI hits from Alex Valdes and Kevin Bukowski, but after that Picozzi was in firm control and the North Penn bats connected for one plentiful burst.

The fourth innings saw the Knights collect six hits, including a hard chopper through the left side by Jones, his two-run double drawing NP even at two apiece.

Said Jones: “That felt really nice. That inning was huge for us. It gave us momentum and carried us through the game.”

Henry Wetzel’s line-drive single to right brought in another run to make it 3-2 Knights, and James Mangine smashed a triple to right center to plate a pair and widen the margin to 5-2.

North Penn was on its way.

“Like Jack said, last year wasn’t a great year. But we were determined,” Jones said, “to have a great year this year and get that title.”

Michael Koldhoff drew a bases-loaded walk – the only walk surrendered by Picozzi – to slice the margin to 5-3 in the sixth, but Picozzi calmly got the final two outs and rode the momentum into the seventh.

“The guys came out today and grinded out some really tough at-bats against a really good pitcher until they got their turn to hit,” Manero said of Bucks starter Sam Greer. “They put up that big number (in the fourth) and Jack Picozzi took care of things from there.

“A couple of these guys have been on the team for three years and they had a really good year two years ago (in reaching the state semis) and then last year was just a really tough one. So it is really a credit to how hungry they’ve been since last season ended.”

North Penn 5, Central Bucks West 3
CB West 020 001 0 – 3 7 0
North Penn 000 500 x – 5 7 2
WP: Jack Picozzi (7IP, 3R, 3ER, 7H, 7K, 1BB, 1HBP).
LP: Sam Greer (31/3IP, 5R, 5ER, 7H, 7K, 1BB).
3B: NP-James Mangine. 2B: NP-Picozzi, Chase Jones.
Multiple hits: CBW-Luke Birkhead 2-for-3; NP-Jones 2-for-3, R, 2RBI.