Mighty Titans focused on title
Hatfield-Towamencin needs to win out to earn berth in region tourney
“A nine-run inning means there’s less for us to worry about coaching, I call it ‘breathing room,’ and it was really nice to get so much breathing room early in this game.” — H-T manager Joe Drelick
HATFIELD » Zach Moretski started the Hatfield-Towamencin half of the second inning with a double.
He was far from done for the day and even in the inning, for that matter. The Titans took Moretski’s lead and kept putting guys on base and got the order all the way around to Moretski’s spot again and this time, the bases were loaded.
Moretski managed to oneup himself, crushing a high fastball to deep left field for a bases-clearing triple.
When the damage had all been done, Hatfield-Towamencin had plated nine runs in the frame and would go on to defeat Plumstead 11-4 in
the first game of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon at School Road Park.
“That’s the first time that’s ever happened to me,” Moretski said of having two extra-base hits in the same inning. “It was awesome. We haven’t had an inning like that all year. The pitching’s been strong but it was great for our offense to find a rhythm and score 11 runs.”
The Titans, who faced Doylestown in the evening game, are in the thick of a hunt for the BuxMont league’s regular season title. Sure, the Titans are also the defending league tournament champions but if they managed to hold off Quakertown for the title after Monday’s games, they’ll clinch a Region 2 tournament berth.
H-T manager Joe Drelick told his team prior to taking on Plumstead it would have to win its final three contests and the Titans got off to a good start thanks to their big second inning. All season, Hatfield-Towamencin has gotten good pitching and sound defense but the offense hadn’t had the real breakthrough inning.
Moretski got the Titans of to a good start, hitting a 1-0 fastball on the inside out to left center with Atlee Hasson following that up with a loud double of his own.
“Most of the time we’re tacking on a run or two every inning but that was our first big inning in a while,” Hasson said. “We’ve started working together better as a team and have had a collective focus. A lot of people are starting to get hot at the same time and with the good pitching, everything’s starting to come together.”
A walk to Nate O’Donnell loaded the bags and Moretski finally came home on a Rob Weiss groundout for the second out of the frame. Briefly, it looked like Post 933 was only going to get minimal production from a hot start to the frame. However, Plumstead starter Steve Bradley couldn’t get the third out, walking leadoff hitter Ryan Bealer to again load the bases.
Joe Picozzi hit a hard grounder that led to a two-run error and the top of the order managed to keep the inning going. Corey Stouffer drew a walk and Billy Collins was hit by a pitch, putting runners on all three bags for the third time in the frame and giving Moretski another crack. He got another 1-0 fastball and sent it ripping through the air to the deepest part of left field and with coaches and teammates urging him on, didn’t settle for two bases.
“Someone was going to get the big hit in that inning,” Moretski said. “I just turned my hips early and got around on it. We were all putting better swings on pitches and I think everyone’s getting hot at the right time.”
Hasson walked in his second appearance of the inning with O’Donnell following by drawing his second
walk of the frame. Matt Marino, who had struck out in his first time up, dropped in a seeing eye single off reliever Aidan Johnson that brought in Moretski and a hustling Stouffer before Johnson retired Weiss to finally end the frame.
“After playing two games (Saturday) and another today, being able to keep hitting the ball and create runs is a huge confidence booster,” Hasson, who scored twice in the second, said. “We’ve just been putting together good at-bats.”
“A nine-run inning means there’s less for us to worry about coaching, I call it ‘breathing room,’ and it was really nice to get so much breathing room early in this game,” Drelick said. “That middle of the lineup has been hitting the heck out of the ball and that helps spur everyone else on when they see balls flying into the gaps.”
Plumstead didn’t fold and came back to plate three runs in the top half of the third off HatfieldTowamencin starter Jon Udzinski. Kyler Newtown hit a two-out single to score Bobby McClintock then catcher Kyle Oechscle brought in the next two runs.
Oechscle hit a ball way down the right field line that hit off the pursing outfielder’s glove right at the line. The plate umpire ruled it fair, David Gulibon and Newton scored as Oechsle rounded second. He got there, but not before the ball did and Picozzi tagged him out on the relay to end the inning.
“The pitching’s a big part of it, but we owe a lot to our fielders,” Moretski said. “They’ve been great all year so it’s a relief to have them behind us and also Matt Marino behind the plate.”
It was enough offense to keep Hatfield from ending the game early and although the Titans added runs in the third and fifth, they loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth and did not score. Plumstead also tacked on a run late when Aaron Worthington walked in a sixth-inning tally. Hatfield-Towamencin 11, Plumstead 4
PLUMSTEAD 003 001 0 - 4 7 3
HATFIELD-TOWAMENCIN 090 101 x - 11 112
2B: Zach Moretski (HT), Atlee Hasson (HT), Billy Collins (HT) Kyle Oechsle (P). 3B: Moretski (HT). Multiple hits: P Oechsle 2-3; HT - Hasson 2-3, Moretski 2-3