Mercury Baseball Roundup (April 16): Phoenixville wins PAC title rematch with Spring-Ford

Phoenixville 5, Spring-Ford 2 >> In a rematch of the most recent Pioneer Athletic Conference championship game, the reigning champion Phantoms took down the Rams during Friday’s PAC Crossover contest.

Kade Breisblatt held Spring-Ford’s offense in check, limiting the Rams to two runs (one earned) in six innings of work. Just like in the PAC title game in 2019, Jason Bilotti came on for the save, tossing a scoreless seventh.

Phoenixville’s offense scored four runs in the top of the third, which proved all the Phantoms would need. Drew Kingsbury hit a double and drove in three runs. Bilotti knocked in another pair of runs.

Jack Kisela went 2-for-3 for Spring-Ford. Jackson Malouf gave the Rams four innings of strong relief, striking out nine and walking one as he allowed just one run (no earned) on three hits.

Pope John Paul II 8, Norristown 3 >> Brendan Kenning and Nik Rubendall homered for the Golden Panthers in Friday’s PAC Crossover win over the Eagles.

Kenning went 2-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored. He also added two shutout innings of scoreless relief. Rubendall had a 2-for-2 day with two RBI. Matt Kossey earned the win with five strong innings, giving up just two hits and striking out seven while allowing three runs.

Perkiomen Valley 13, Pottsgrove 3 >> Michael Tinneny had a big day at the plate in the Vikings’ six-inning PAC Crossover win over the Falcons on Friday.

Tinneny went 3-for-4 with a triple and five RBI to lead PV’s offensive charge. Jack Colyer (double), Jake Stasyk (double), Tyler Lapetina, Luke Ott and Kyle Krupa (four runs) all had two-hit days for PV.

Andrew McGowan tossed five innings for PV, allowing three runs, before Ashton Mehler tossed the final frame, striking out all three batters he faced.

Avery Spencer was a bright spot for the Falcons, going 3-for-3 with three triples. Yasir Gardner-Sizer went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.

Owen J. Roberts 15, Norristown 0 >> Wildcats’ pitchers Cameron Brashear and Christian Grillo combined for the three-inning shutout in Friday’s PAC Liberty win over the Eagles.

Brashear struck out four and allowed two hits in the first two innings before Grillo pitched a scoreless third. Tristan Dietrich went 2-for-2 with a double to lead OJR at the plate.

Methacton 12, Upper Merion 6>> The Warriors plated three-or-more runs in three of the first four innings on the way to Friday’s PAC Crossover win over the Vikings.

Nolan McCloskey went 2-for3 with a pair of runs scored. Mario D’Addesi also tallied a pair of hits. Starting pitcher Tyler Weil-Kasper helped his own cause with three RBI.

Matt Christian didn’t allow an earned run in four innings in relief of Weil-Kasper (five strikeouts, four earned runs) to finish off the victory.

Boyertown 4, Upper Perkiomen 2 >> Evan Hetrick and Tyler Sharayko combined to pitch the Bears past the Indians in Friday’s PAC Crossover contest.

Hetrick relented two runs (one earned) in the first two innings before following with two scoreless frames as he earned the win. Sharayko allowed just one hit and no runs in the next three. Neither walked a batter.

Cole Hertzler made up the majority of Boyertown’s offensive production, going 2-for-2 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Ethan Martin and Tanner McCafferty also doubled and scored runs.

Braden Rieg and Blake Gehman were strong in relief for UP after the Indians gave up three runs in the first inning. Gehman struck out five and allowed one run in 3.2 innings. Gehman struck out six and didn’t allow a hit in three shutout innings.

Perkiomen School 19, Solebury 1 >> The Panthers plated 12 runs in the first inning on the way to Friday’s Penn Jersey League romp, finished in three innings due ot the Mercy rule.

Owen Taylor drove in runs in the first with two singles, finishing with four RBI for the game. Ryan Stubblefield didn’t register an official at-bat but finished with two RBI after being hit by a pitch in four consecutive plate appearances.

Shane Baird allowed one run on three hits in three innings, striking out four with no walks.