Bealer lifts Titans to victory

HATFIELD » Ryan Bealer’s line drive eluded the outstretched glove of Souderton first baseman Brett Moyer and skidded into the outfield to push the go-ahead run across in the bottom of the sixth Friday night, and Hatfield-Towamencin held tight to a rainsoaked 2-1 victory over Post 234 in the second round of the Bux-Mont Legion Playoffs.

“I wasn’t sure if Brett was gonna catch it or not,” Bealer said of his third hit of the evening at School Road Park. “It just snuck through. As long as it gets the job done, I’m happy with it.”

Hatfield-Towamencin, with its Region 2 spot already secured, is now 2-0 in the Bux-Mont Playoffs and will play a winner’s bracket game Sunday at Quakertown at 7 p.m. Souderton will also play at Quakertown Sunday, in a loser’s bracket contest at 3 p.m.

“You’re always thinking of the

outcome and how to make it happen,” Bealer said of his key at-bat in the sixth, coming with the game tied 1-1 and two men on and two outs. “I’m just happy that I could help the team out and get that run in.”

That’s all the offense the Titans needed to go ahead, with right hander Zach Moretski locking things down and going the distance.

“You get Zach on the mound and he goes the full seven. And he just doesn’t get rattled,” Titans coach Joe Drelick said. “He just goes out there, throws the ball and does a great job. He’s a complete pitcher out there because (Souderton) has some good hitters.

“Souderton’s a good team. I like them a lot and we played them tough all three times this year.”

Hatfield-Towamencin got on the board in its first at-bat.

Bealer led off with an infield single and then Griffen Juckniewitz’s sacrifice bunt moved him over to second.

Corey Stouffer’s hard-hit ground ball moved Bealer to third and then Billy Collins came through with an RBI single, putting the Titans ahead 1-0.

Souderton answered in the top of the second, with Thylar Summarell setting

“Souderton’s a good team. I like them a lot and we played them tough all three times this year.”

— Hatfield-Towamencin coach Joe Drelick

things up with a leadoff double to left.

Moyer battled back from an 0-2 count to 3-2, then ripped a line-drive single to center, scoring Summarell to even things up.

Moretski and Souderton pitchers Jake Morgan and Mitch Amenta then kept it deadlocked 1-1 until the sixth, when Bealer came through.

“We walked the nine hitter (Robbie Weiss) and pitched to the one hitter (Bealer), and it bites you,” Souderton coach Paul Meara said. “The kid got his bat on the ball, threw it to right field and that’s the story. The pitchers pitched well, and Moretski’s tough.”