Pennridge edges North Penn in SOL Colonial opener, improves to 3-0

WEST ROCKHILL >> Last season, the Pennridge baseball team picked up a victory over North Penn early in April. Things, however, went downhill from there for the Rams, who lost their next nine and won just twice more the rest of 2021.

So after finding a way to again edge the Knights Tuesday afternoon, Pennridge is set on avoiding a repeat of what followed its previous win over its SOL Colonial Division rival.

“I think the experience last year, kind of getting knocked on the chin every single time we played baseball against any team was sort of a motivating factor to what is Pennridge baseball,” Rams coach Craig Whitten said. “And they’re tired of being the doormat. They’re tired of being the bottom of the laughing stock of the league. So they took a lot of lumps last year and hopefully that turns into some stuff this year.”

North Penn scored twice in the top of the fourth to pull even 3-3 but Pennridge broke the tie in its half of the fifth, plating a run on an error and held on for the 4-3 victory in the division opener for both teams at James Memorial Park.

“We’re 3-0 right now so hopefully we can keep the momentum going,” Rams sophomore second baseman Matt Atchley said. “Picking up the team and doing as much as we can together. Hopefully we can just change what we did from last year, it’ll be an awesome time.”

Jaden Morgan was 2-for-2 with a leadoff home run in the third, two RBIs and also pitched the first 3 1/3 innings for Pennridge (3-0, 1-0). Atchley reached base on all three of his plate appearances and scored twice – coming home for the go-ahead run in the fifth as Ashton McCloskey reached first after an error on his two-out grounder.

“North Penn is North Penn – they’re a well-coached team, fundamentally sound,” Whitten said. “We took advantage of some of the miscues, some of the errant throws, some of the breaks that we got – that’s baseball – so we were able to capitalize on a couple of their mistakes and got the job done.”

Back-to-back RBI infield singles by North Penn’s Jack Picozzi and Ryan Sullivan in the fourth knotted the contest at three. The Knights loaded the bases with two outs later in the inning but Rams left-hander Patrick Mill kept things even with a strikeout.

North Penn (2-1, 0-1) could only collect one more hit over the final frames – a Sullivan single to left in the sixth – and ended the day leaving a total of 10 runners on base.

“We came up with some big hits in our game on Saturday (against Hazleton) and today we didn’t ,” Knights coach Kevin Manero said. “But I think you create big hits, you don’t just get them and we took way too many strikes with one strike on the count. We put ourselves in entirely too many two-strike counts.

“I thought our approach at the plate early on was good, we had to make him throw strikes and we did, we didn’t go out of the zone but then in those middle innings and late innings when the pitchers were out of the zone we got to go up there ready to swing and we just let too many pitches go by and put ourselves in too many pitcher’s counts.”

Mill earned the win for Pennridge, coming in for starter Morgan with one out in the fourth. Mill allowed no runs or walks, one hit and struck out three in 1 2/3 innings. Ryan DeHaven took over on the mound at the start of the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings for the save.

Morgan went 3 1/3 innings, giving up three runs – all earned – on two hits. He walked four, hit four batters and struck out four.

“Pat Mill just compliments Jaden so well,” Whitten said. “They have different styles, different arm slots, different velocities so our pitching pretty much got the job done. And I know DeHaven coming in was going to get the job done no matter who he pitches against.”

Christian Oh took the loss for North Penn, allowing one run – unearned – on two hits in two innings. He had one strikeout and no walks. Knights starter Joey Mendez went four innings, gave up three runs – two earned – on four hits, walked three and struck out seven.

“We had a couple of free 90s late in the game hurt us,” Manero said. “In high school, the 90-foot war is the game and I got to give our pitchers a lot of credit. We have some very inexperienced guys varsity-wise this year and they went out today and they gave us a chance to win.”

North Penn visits Central Bucks West 3:45 p.m. Wednesday then hosts Souderton 3:45 p.m. Thursday. Pennridge is home against CB West 5:45 p.m. Thursday.

“Most of the guys were on varsity last year so I think we’ve all grown together,” Atchley said. “And I think it’s going to be a good time.”

Atchley led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, took second on a wild pitch then advanced to third as Joey Calabretti went to first on a dropped third strike.

After a pop out to second base and a fly out to right, McCloskey hit a ground ball to third but the Knights first baseman was ruled off the bag on the play and McCloskey was safe, allowing Atchley to score for a 4-3 Rams lead.

“I thought he called it too early,” Manero said. “The guy wasn’t at the bag yet so you can’t really call that play until they play’s finished. You can stretch your heel off and then put your heel back on and still be there in time. I thought that was probably something he should of waited on.”

Pennridge took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Atchley drew a one-out walk, went to second on a wild pitch then third on Calabretti’s single through the left side. The next at-bat Morgan’s single to right brought home Atchley.

The Rams made it 2-0 in the second. Joey Santora led off with a walk then after consecutive strikeouts DeHaven kept the inning going with a single. An errant pickoff throw to first by the catcher allowed Santora’s courtesy runner Garrett Navitsky to score from second.

“We scored in the first, we started to get our energy there and it was awesome,” Atchley said. “Once we got the lead and we just kept going – didn’t give up.”

North Penn made it 2-1 in its top of the third as Picozzi – who led off the inning with a walk – scored from second when Ben Farley’s high two-out fly ball dropped into left center for a single.

Morgan struck out the next batter to end NP’s half of the inning then came to the plate to start the bottom of the third and belted a solo homer to center, giving Pennridge back the two-run advantage.

“As much as I love the DH, as much I always got DH-ed for when I pitched, these guys can straight-up rake,” Whitten said. “So they got to find their ways in the lineup somehow. It just makes it easier if Jaden’s hitting hard.”

In the top of the fourth with runners on second and third and one out, Picozzi hit an RBI infield single up the middle to pull the Knights to within 3-2. Sullivan – who finished 2-for-4 – followed with an RBI single to the infield’s left side to make it 3-3.

Pennridge 4, North Penn 3
North Penn 001 200 0 – 3 4 2
Pennridge 111 010 x – 4 6 2
WP: Patrick Mill 1.2 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BBB 3 SO.
LP: Christian Oh 2 IP 2 H 1 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 SO.
S: Ryan DeHaven 2 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 SO.
HR: Jaden Morgan.
North Penn: Ryan Sullivan 2-4, RBI.
Pennridge: Morgan 2-2, 2 RBI, R; Matt Atchley 1-1, 2 R.