Abington rallies late to beat Quakertown, earn PIAA berth
ABINGTON >> Abington found itself in a familiar position Tuesday afternoon.
The Ghosts trailed Quakertown by one run going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but there was no concern in the home dugout. They’ve played close games all spring with 14 regular season games and two district playoff games being decided by three runs or fewer.
Seven of the first eight batters of the inning reached base – the only out being a productive sacrifice bunt – and No. 4 Abington scored five runs to take control in what proved to be an 8-4 District 1-6A playback win over No. 23 Quakertown to send the Ghosts to the state playoffs for what’s believed to be the first time.
“It’s been that way all season,” Abington coach Bill Degen said. “We’ve been able to pull out a couple walkoff wins late in the season, tough one-run games we’ve battled back. It would be really nice to get a couple more run lead and cruise somewhere, but this just seems to feel better when you win a tight game.”
“We’re never going to quit, that’s one thing,” Abington senior Matt Worek said. “Our coach told us never to quit and we never will. Everybody just got base hits and that won us the baseball game.”
Trailing 4-3, LJ Wolff got the bottom of the sixth started with an infield single. Jaden Hernandez followed by reaching on an error to put runners on first and second. Chase Goodson laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Wolff and Hernandez to second and third.
Mason Kishpaugh tied the game with a grounder to third. Wolff got a great jump off third base and beat the throw to the plate, tying the score, 4-4.
Worek followed with a long at-bat. After a tough call went against him on a check swing, he fouled off a few pitches before ripping a double down the left field line. Hernandez and Kishpaugh scored, putting the Ghosts ahead, 6-4.
“I was just trying to put the ball in play, on the ground, make defenders do something” Worek said. “I got my pitch and I just went down the left field line and scored two runs.”
After a Mike Judge walk, Alex Dardaris hit an RBI single and Logan Moss followed with an RBI double to make it 8-4.
“It’s got to go one out at a time,” Quakertown coach Jon Pallone said. “You have to make one play at a time, one out at a time, and we just went against a good ball club this deep in the playoffs. We just didn’t do it today. I’m proud of our effort.”
Chase Wolfe shut the door in the top of the seventh, retiring the Panthers in order, to secure the Ghosts a spot in the PIAA-6A state tournament.
“I don’t have any words to describe it, it’s a great feeling,” Worek said of earning the state berth. “Everybody’s doing their jobs. Everybody’s working hard. We’re really good right now.”
“This team is just amazing,” Degen said. “We’ve battled through so much this year. These guys just work hard, do their jobs, pass it to the next guy. They’ve been really coachable all year. Everybody has had an important part on this team.”
Abington needed to rally after Quakertown scored three runs in the top of the sixth to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead.
Cooper Natisin led off the top of the sixth with a double before Vinny Pellegrini walked. A double steal put two runners in scoring position and Matt Marsten delivered with a two-run single to tie the game, 3-3, and knock Abington’s starter, Wolff, out of the game. Marsten advanced to second on the throw home.
Marsten moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Caleb Everitt grounder, beating the throw home from third, to put the Panthers ahead, 4-3.
Abington’s Calvin Judge got the next three batters out to keep it a one-run game.
Wolff went five-plus innings for the Ghosts. He struck out 11 batters to three walks and allowed four runs on six hits.
Pellegrini started for Quakertown and went five innings. He struck out two batters to two walks and allowed three runs on seven hits. Marsten took the loss, allowing five runs in 1/3 inning and Natisin recorded the final two outs of the sixth.
Quakertown took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Danny Qualteria singled, stole second base and scored on a Cole Reich single. Qualteria walked in the first inning and stole second and third.
Abington answered immediately in the bottom of the third. Worek worked a one-out walk, advanced to second on a Judge single and scored when Dardaris grounded into an error, tying the game, 1-1.
The Ghosts took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Kishpaugh led off with a single, moved to second on a Worek sacrifice bunt and advanced to third when Judge grounded out to shortstop. Dardaris hit an RBI single before Moss ripped an RBI double.
Moss finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs while Worek was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Dardaris was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Natisin led Quakertown with two hits. He hit a double and a triple while scoring one run.
The loss ends Quakertown’s season. After starting 1-6, the Panthers fought back to earn the 23rd seed in the 24-team District 1-6A playoff field. They reached the district quarterfinals before a couple back-to-back losses ended their season just short of the program’s first state playoff berth.
“We learned a lot in the beginning of the year and we had to make some adjustments,” Pallone said. “We asked the guys to make some changes in what they were doing on the field and in their approach to things and they answered. They did what we asked them to do and more. They did more and I’m proud of the way they never gave up, even in this game now, they gave up. That’s not who these guys are and that’s what really makes me proud to be coaching them. It’s a good group to coach.”
Abington 8, Quakertown 4
Quakertown 001 003 0 – 4
Abington 001 025 x – 8
WP: Calvin Judge 1 IP 0 K 0 BB 0 H 0 R
LP: Matt Marsten 0.1 IP 0 K 1 BB 2 H 5 R
2B: Q: Cooper Natisin. A: Logan Moss 2, Matt Worek.
3B: Q: Cooper Natisin.
