Lennon’s complete game lifts North Penn past unbeaten Hazleton in PIAA-6A 1st round

RICE TWP. >> It was a play Mike Lennon had prepared for all season. And when the time came, the North Penn senior executed it perfectly.

The Knights held a 3-1 lead on Hazleton in Monday afternoon’s PIAA Class 6A first round contest yet the unbeaten Cougars had a chance to turn things in their favor with runners at second and third with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

But when Hazleton opted for the squeeze bunt to bring it a run closer, Lennon was ready – hustling off the mound to scoop up the ball and shovel it to catcher Evin Sullivan in time for the tag.

“On that play, I was going for the ball and I had it in my glove and we’ve been practicing it the whole entire year,” Lennon said. “It’s been one of our biggest things – if we can flip the ball to the catcher in time without using our hands we’re going to save more time.”

Sullivan threw out a Cougar attempting to steal second and Lennon got a strikeout swinging, the left-handed West Chester commit pounding his glove and racing to the dugout as the Knights kept their two-run advantage intact.

“We’ve been in that position this whole entire year with the competition we played all year,” Lennon said. So I think the reason why we were able to get through that inning is we’re built to last, we’re built to make it.”

Lennon made sure the lead the Knights built at Mountain Top Legion Field did last, working out of some trouble in the final two frames to secure a 3-1 victory, giving North Penn is first win in state play since 2015.

“Just so proud of the way our guys stayed after it,” Knights coach Kevin Manero said. “We put together a lot of tenacious at-bats and did a lot of damage with two strikes. So I think that made them work on a hot day.

“And oh boy, Mike Lennon was so good today and he just beared down so much when he had to. And in a tight game like this with so little room for error against a team that can hit for power, they can bunt, they hit the ball over the field, he just settled in and really just was something special today.”

Lennon quieted a Hazleton (22-1) offense that had posted double-digits runs in 14 of its prior 15 games, the lefty striking out six, allowing one earned run on eight hits, walking two and hitting one batter in his complete-game effort.

“I’ve been dreaming of this ever since I was a kid,” Lennon said. “Ever since I was 8-years-old, I’ve been working at the camps and stuff that Manero has ran throughout the community and in the program and it’s just a pleasure to be a part of this team and just go out there and keep performing.”

North Penn’s bats, meanwhile, produced 10 hits – all singles – including four during a two-run top of the second that put the District 1 third-place side ahead for good.

“It feels amazing,” Sullivan said. “Coming in knowing they got a lot of guys, a lot of real legit dudes and coming in here and beating them on their home turf, that’s awesome. That’s so fun.”

Sullivan was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, Justin Egner went 3-for-4 with an RBI, Jeff Sabater finished 2-for-4 with a run while Ryan Sullivan scored twice for the Knights (19-6), who advance to face District 1 champ Neshaminy – a 7-5 winner over Parkland – in the quarterfinals noon Thursday at Methacton.

North Penn edged Neshaminy on the road in a Suburban One League crossover game May 3.

“We know the teams that are in our conference are tough and usually in the state tournament – we’ve been in these a couple times before – you’re going to have a game somewhere where you matchup with a team in the Suburban One League,” Manero said. “I know in ’09 we played Council Rock North in the second round, in 2013 we played Pennridge, in 2015 we played Pennsbury in the second round.

“Now, you get somebody back in our league and we know how tough those games can be, so yeah you just got play the same game you’ve been playing and one out at a time, one pitch a time and doesn’t really matter who’s on the other side of the field as long as you play the game the right way.”

Grant Russo was 3-for-4 wile Bryce Molinaro went 2-for-3 with a double for District 2/4 champ Hazleton, which was looking for its first PIAA win since 2014.

Cougars starting pitcher Nick Biasi took the loss, the junior left-handed Florida State commit giving up two runs – both earned on six hits, walked one and struck out six. Senior righty Michael Kilker pitched the last four frames, the West Virginia commit allowing one run – unearned – on four hits, walking four and striking out five.

Ryan Sullivan, NP’s No. 9 hitter, began the top of the third with a single while Sabater dropped a one-out single into left to put two on for Evin Sullivan. The Binghamton commit came through with a RBI single to right, bringing in Ryan Sullivan for the 1-0 lead.

“Well, they were saying I’m going to yank the ball and pull the ball and I said all right, well let’s not yank the ball,” Evin Sullivan said. “And I felt I did a pretty good job hitting to the right side.”

Two batters later, Egner made it 2-0 Knights as his RBI single through the ride side scored Sabater.

“We always try to score first, I think it’s obviously a lot easier game to play if you score first, especially against a team that hasn’t had to play from behind much” Manero said. “They’ve won every game with double-digits runs since the middle of April and that’s because they’re a very good baseball team. But for us to get an early lead and then tack a couple on was big.”

Hazleton pulled within 2-1 in the bottom of the third. After Schnell led off with a walk, Grant Russo singled while Luke Russo’s sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. Brett Antolick’s infield single to the left side plated Schnell but Grant Russo overran third base and was thrown out trying to get back to the bag. The next batter flew out to second baseman Jack Picozzi in right.

North Penn answered by regaining its two-run lead in the top of the fourth. Ryan Sullivan drew a two-out walk then scored from first when RJ Agriss singled to center and the ball got past the center fielder after he lost his footing.

Schnell singled to start the bottom of the fifth while Grant Russo followed with a bunt single – the throw getting past first but the backup from Picozzi limiting the damage. A balk advanced the runners to second and third. Luke Russo dropped a squeeze bunt but Lennon’s scoop-and-toss to Evin Sullivan got Schnell at home.

Hazleton still had runners on the corners with one out, but a caught stealing and strikeout had the Cougars still down 3-1.

“Today, I feel my curveball was a little bit off today,” Lennon said. “But I was able to keep my fastball down in the zone when I needed to so when there was big plays and stuff and I had to get a guy out I was able to get out of that inning.”

In the bottom of the sixth Hazleton put two on after a Molinaro two-out ground-rule double and Biasi being hit by a pitch. Lennon, however, struck out the next batter.

North Penn thought it had added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on pinch hitter Pat Breen’s two-out single to left but the third out at third was ruled to have come before the runner reaching home and the Knights’ lead remained two.

Hazleton put a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the second after Grant Russo went to second after a single and error but Lennon got an infield popup and a groundout.