Reporter/Times Herald Baseball Roundup: North Penn rallies to beat Neshaminy; La Salle walks past Prep

North Penn 3, Neshaminy 2 >> North Penn rallied from a 2-0 deficit with a run in each of the final three innings – Evin Sullivan driving in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the top of the seventh to give the Knights the win in the Suburban One League crossover contest Monday afternoon.

Sullivan finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, Jeff Sabater scored two runs while Eric Hamilton threw two scoreless inning in relief to pick up the victory for the Knights (7-4, 5-4 District 1, 2-3 SOL Colonial), who won their second straight.

Neshaminy led 2-0 after a run in both the first and third. North Penn made it 2-1 in the top of the fifth after Sabater scored on an error after a Sullivan single while a Justin Egner RBI double in the sixth pulled the Knights even.

Sabater started the top of the seventh with a single, stole second and scored on Sullivan’s double for a 3-2 NP lead. Neshaminy got the tying run on base in the bottom of the inning after Mike Donato’s two-out single but Hamilton struck out the next batter.

Hamilton gave up no runs on two hits, no walks and struck out four in two innings on the mound. NP starting pitcher Michael Lennon went five innings, gave up two runs – both earned – on six hits, walked four and struck out seven.

Donato was 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI for Neshaminy (8-3, 6-3, 3-1 SOL Patriot), who lost their second straight. Zack Bowman went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

In the bottom of the first, Bowman hit a two-out double then came home on Donato’s RBI single. Neshaminy went up two in the third when Josh Martoccio doubled then scored on an RBI single by Bowman.

La Salle 7, St. Joseph’s Prep 3 >> La Salle stayed perfect in the Philadelphia Catholic League by drawing 14 walks – three by Jake Whitlinger – and jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings to earn the win over visiting St. Joseph’s Prep.

Dan Wagner and Mason Sermarini both had two walks and two RBIs while Joe Cattie doubled and collected three RBIs for the Explorers (12-2, 8-0 PCL).

La Salle began the bottom of the first with three consecutive walks to load the bases. A Cattie RBI fielder’s choice scored the game’s first run while Sermarini came home on a passed ball to make it 2-0.

In the bottom of the second, Wagner was hit by a pitch with two outs to load the bases. Sermarini was hit by a pitch and Cattie walked to extend the Explorers’ lead to 4-0. Wagner scored as Justin Machita reached on an error – Prep throwing out a running at home on the play to keep the margin at five.

Two errors allowed the Hawks to plate two runs in the top of the third but La Salle answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth on a Sermarini RBI sacrifice fly and Cattie RBI double to go up 7-2.

Explorers starting pitcher Connor Bogansky got the win, giving up two runs – one earned – on five hits, walked two and struck out three. Cole Kochanowicz picked up the save as he did not allow a run, hit or walk and struck out three in pitching the final 1 1/3 innings.

Jimmy King was 2-for-2 with two runs scored for St. Joe’s Prep (5-2 PCL). La Salle visits Archbishop Wood 4 p.m. Wednesday in a matchup between the final two unbeaten teams in Catholic League play.

Neumann-Goretti 11, Lansdale Catholic 0 (5) >> Neumann-Goretti scored 10 runs in the bottom of the first – the last two on AJ McGettigan’s two-RBI triple – as the Saints went on to best Lansdale Catholic in five innings for a PCL win.

Andrew Frederickson and Kevin O’Neill each collected a hit for LC (7-5, 2-5 league) with Frederickson doubling in the fourth.

McGettigan finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run while Sal Laimo was 2-for-2 with a two doubles, a walk, an RBI and two run scored for Neumann-Goretti (6-2 PCL), who plated its final run in the fourth.

Jameson Masino was 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, Damian Suarez had a double, two RBIs and a run scored while Gavin Verbitski registered two RBIs and a run scored.