Phantoms slide by Norristown
Phoenixville pulls away from Norristown in former coach’s return
PHOENIXVILLE >> Host Phoenixville scored five runs in the fifth inning to break open a 3-2 game that resulted in an 8-2 Phantom victory over Norristown in a Pioneer Athletic Conference cross-divisional matchup at Doc Kennedy Field Wednesday afternoon.
Phoenixville is under the direction of second-year head coach Neil Herman. His predecessor, Jack Sturgeon, is in his first year of guiding Norristown. Sturgeon still teaches eighthgrade history at the Phoenixville Area Middle School so he knows the Phoenixville kids quite well, too.
The Phantoms scored two runs in the first inning, one the third and then five in the fifth to finish with eight runs on four hits. Phoenixville also committed five errors.
The Eagles scored one run in the first and one in the third in ending with two Brunson five hits. Norristown also made five errors defensively.
With five errors, Herman was displeased with the Phantoms’ performance despite the victory.
“A win is a win,” said Herman. “We definitely didn’t play the game we have played for two years. Today, we booted the ball. We played down.”
Luke Bagley and Colin Bowdish combined on the pitching win for Phoenixville. Bagley threw the first four innings and gave up four hits and two unearned runs for the win with three strikeouts and two walks. Bowdish came on in re- lief for a three-inning stint in which he yielded one hit and one run with four strikeouts and one walk.
Left-hander Nick Chiodo started on the hill for the Eagles and went four innings, giving up one hit and three runs (one earned) with five strikeouts and three walks. Tyler Pastella relieved for two innings and gave up three hits and five unearned runs with one strikeout and no
walks.
Herman credited Chiodo with being a junk-ball pitcher who kept the Phoenixville batters off balance.
Herman felt the Phantoms lacked intensity and energy until the fifth inning when they put the ball in play, capitalized on some Norristown mistakes and completed the victory.
“We made a lot of mistakes out there,” said Herman. “We didn’t play the way we play.”
Sturgeon is working to build the baseball program at Norristown with a young group players. The Eagles have shown a good attitude and willingness to learn his system. Sturgeon’s assistant coaches are Luke Stem, Rob Huston, Brett Huston and Jeff Craig. Rob Huston and his son, Brett, formerly worked with Sturgeon at Phoenixville.
“It is a process that we’re trying to do,” said Sturgeon. “It is always one bad inning for us. There is always one inning where we give away some runs. Overall, we did a good job for most of the game.”
Sturgeon said his team’s primary weakness right now is stringing hits together and scoring runs.
“They are great kids,” said Sturgeon, who coached Phoenixville to the PIAA Class AA state championship back in 2001. “We have a good group of freshmen at the middle school. Brian Hennessey, who is from here (Phoenixville), is coaching at East Norriton.
“We want to keep some of the best kids in our program,” said Sturgeon. “It was a little different coming here. But I amat a point where I have moved on, and Neil is doing a good job with these kids.”
NOTES » Phoenixville senior right fielder Kyle Bennick made an outstanding catch to rob Norristown’s Ben Carty of a hit to start the sixth inning Wednesday afternoon. ... Colton Brown doubled for Phoenixville with a run scored and one RBI. ... Pastel had two hits with a double and two runs for the Eagles. ... Norristown’s Antonio Dunn made a fine catch to take a hit away from Devon Goryl for the first out in the second inning.