LOWER SALFORD – With the go-ahead run on third base in the top of the sixth inning, Pennridge’s Joe Gregoire knew this was not the time for an unproductive at-bat.
“When I got up there I was just thinking put the ball in play – it doesn’t matter where,” the Rams senior right fielder said. “Back at the pitcher, doesn’t matter, up the middle, into the outfield, third base, it doesn’t really matter, just put it in play.”
Gregoire did just that, getting enough off a pitch for a groundout to bring home courtesy runner Owen Gruver and break the 2-2 tie with host Souderton in Tuesday afternoon’s SOL Colonial Division baseball contest at Vic Alderfer Memorial Ball Park.
“I just put the ball to third base, Gruver scores,” Gregoire said. “Even though I get out it’s just team baseball, we just got to keep playing.”
It was the second of two runs the Rams scraped together in the frame, having pulled even with the Indians on an errant throw to third after Will Munley’s bunt.
Pennridge held on to the lead from there, Ryder Olson stranding a pair of runners in the bottom of the seventh to secure the Rams’ 3-2 victory.
“Whether we’re on the losing end of games, winning end of games, I always tell the guys the game’s usually decided by a couple pitches,” Pennridge first-year coach Danny Long said. “You don’t know where they’re going to be at in the course of seven innings but it’s going to be decided by a couple pitches.”
Small ball generated most of the scoring for both sides, as the lone hit to drive in a run was Matt Atchley’s RBI double inside the left-field line in the top of the first inning.
“That’s been our strong point lately, it’s the bats and just today we didn’t generate a whole lot of contact on a lot of plays,” Souderton coach Mike Childs said. “So I got to give credit to their pitchers too.”
Rams starting pitcher Connor Murray did not factor in the decision but the freshman righty threw a solid four innings, allowing one run – earned – on two hits, walking two and striking out five.
Connor Smith picked up the win pitching the next two innings, giving up an unearned run on one hit and one walk while striking out three. Olson got the save after a walk and two strikeouts in the seventh.
“Not every inning’s going to be 1-2-3 through the order,” Long said. “I thought they did a really good job of, in the crunch time making big pitches.”
Souderton starter Greyson Norris took the loss, the right-hander allowing three runs – none earned – on four hits, walked three and struck out 10.
“He was pounding the zone a little bit then he got a little bit up,” said Childs of Norris. We just talked about pitch-count efficiency he needs to work on but, yeah, 10 strikeouts in his first outing, the first time on the mound this season, overall, I can’t complain about that.
The Indians (1-2, 0-2 division) tied the game in its half of the second as Joey Nase dove into home safely on Tyler Deery’s fielder’s choice. In the bottom of the fifth, Big Red took a 2-1 lead on Connor Klock’s RBI groundout.
Andrew Rendler led off the top of the sixth with a single while Tommy Ginnetti’s walk gave Pennridge (2-1, 1-1) two on with no outs.
Munley – hitting third in the lineup and playing second base after an injury to shortstop Atchley earlier in the game – put down a bunt. Souderton opted to throw to third and get the lead runner out on the play but the ball instead got past third, allowing Rendler to score and make it 2-2.
“I always tell the guys on the bench not in the starting lineup when your number’s called, make sure you’re ready,” Long said. “It takes more than nine guys on the field to win a baseball game, especially in this league. So they’re doing a really good job of that, so credit to them.”
Gruver, running for catcher Ginnetti, advanced to third on the play and came home on Gregoire’s RBI groundout the next at-bat.
“If that’s what it takes to win games, make the playoffs, be successful in our league – which is a hard league – then that’s what is going to take for us,” said Gregoire, who has committed to play football at Grove City College. “It doesn’t matter if we can’t get 10 hits in a game, if we have to bunt the ball 12 times we’ll do it.”
In the bottom of the sixth, Souderton’s Joey Nase drew a one-out walk but a strikeout then a caught stealing at second ended the inning.
Pinch hitter Nick Tuccillo began the bottom of the seventh with a walk. Souderton attempted bunts the next two at-bats but both eventually ended in strikeouts. Klock drew a walk to give Souderton two on with two outs, however Olson got the next batter to fly out to seal his save and the Rams’ first Colonial win.
“His kids were battling, they showed he energy and everything else, not that we didn’t but we started off right off the bat making a mistake and giving them a run,” Childs said. “It’s something we got to work on, we’ve been working on and it just stinks, starting off the season 0-2 but we know what we’re capable of, we know what we can do, we just got to keep working harder and be ready for a tough week next week.”
Both teams have home division matchups 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 – Souderton facing North Penn while Pennridge takes on Central Bucks East.
In the top of the first. Ginnetti reached on a one-out error with courtesy runner Munley stealing second then scoring when Atchley doubled to left. Atchley tried to score after he stole third and the ball got past the base but he was thrown out at home for the third out.
Souderton knotted things 1-1 in the second. Nase led off the bottom of the frame with a walk, took second on a passed ball then advanced to third on a groundout. Nase went home on a Deery grounder, Pennridge not connecting on the throw allowed Nase to slide safely in to score.
Evan Divens led off the bottom of the fifth with a single while an error on a Zack Pollock bunt gave Souderton two on with no outs. Divens stole third then came home on Klock’s RBI groundout for a 2-1 Indians lead.
Pennridge 3, Souderton 2
Pennridge 100 002 0 – 3 5 2
Souderton 01 001 00 – 2 3 2
WP: Connor Smith 2 IP 1 H 1 R 0 ER 1 BB 3 SO.
LP: Greyson Norris 6 IP 4 H 3 R 0 ER 3 BB 10 SO.
S: Ryder Olson 1 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 2 BB 2 SO.
2B: P-Matt Atchley.
