Long helps Pennridge beat Hatboro-Horsham to end 2-game skid
PERKASIE >> Dan Long’s leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning helped point Pennridge on the way to victory.
His skills on the mound helped make sure they got there.
“We put ourselves in a position to score some runs and then they turn to Danny,” Hatboro-Horsham coach Pete Moore said. “A similar thing happened last time we played them. We started to get their starter in trouble and then Danny came in and closed the door.
“And he did it twice today. He’s a competitor. I’ve seen that from him for the last four years and I have a lot of respect for him and the way he plays the game.”
Long came on to pitch in the top of the fifth, striking out Shaun Thomas to get the Rams out of a bases-loaded jam. He later returned to the mound in the top of the seventh with two on and one out, striking out Brian Edgington and getting Billy Carr to ground out, as Pennridge locked down a 4-1 victory over the Hatters at Second Street Park on Wednesday.
“Every conference game is big, especially this late in the season, so we’re fighting for every single one of them,” said Long, who would get the win in relief, retiring all three batters he faced.
The Rams ended their two-game skid, improving to 7-5 in the Suburban One League Continental Conference with two conference games remaining, including a home game Thursday against Central Bucks West.
The Hatters, after winning two in a row, are now 5-7 in the Continental and will finish a suspended game at Central Bucks South on Friday, with Hatboro ahead 4-1 in the third.
Pennridge began Senior Day with Long’s towering homer to left center.
“Coach (Tom Nuneviller) put me up into the leadoff spot so it was good to get the game going because our offense had maybe been struggling a little bit,” Long said. “Hopefully today got us back on track — we had some good swings on the ball.”
Rams starter Ian Kacergis protected that 1-0 lead, throwing four shutout innings.
“You gotta tip your cap to him,” Nuneviller said of Kacergis, who would pitch the first four and two thirds innings and then return for the sixth and a portion of the seventh. “He came out and pitched extremely well. I thought his velocity today was better than I’ve ever seen it. He was fired up. He got out of a jam or two and was excited coming off the mound. And we needed that today.”
The Hatters put something together in the fifth, with Eddie Schultz laying down a perfect bunt down the third-base line, scoring Kyle Katz to even the score at one apiece.
Long came on to get the final out of the inning, keeping the score 1-1, and then Pennridge would pull in front in the bottom half.
Katz, who pitched well for Hatboro, retired the first two batters but then Long drew a walk to give the Rams a base runner.
Jason Souder ripped a single up the middle and — with a bobble in center and then a throwing error to third — Long raced home to put Pennridge in front, 2-1. Joe Robinson knocked in Souder to increase the lead to 3-1 that inning and then an RBI single by Luke Nuneviller provided a bigger cushion in the sixth.
Katz hung tough for the Hatters, battling his way back from an elbow injury.
“The effort he showed today — it was just a gutsy performance coming out and giving us five innings when he hadn’t thrown more than one inning in a month and a half,” Moore said. “I’m proud to coach a kid like that.”
The Hatters look to stay in the hunt with a win Friday while Pennridge aims for another victory on Thursday, back at Second Street Park.
“A couple days ago we were fighting for first place and then CB South knocks us off and North Penn knocks us off,” coach Nuneviller said. “So we were spiraling downward and we needed the kids to rebound a little bit.
“Coach Dert (assistant coach Mike Dertouzos) said to the guys, ‘hey, whatever you did Monday after the game didn’t work, so maybe you need to go home and watch a movie or relax or just get baseball off your mind for a little bit. So whatever they did seemed to work today.”
