Yardley-mo’ville gave everything it had at regionals
BucksLocalSports Editor
Bucks County gunior iegion made history this summer when it sent three teams on to states. Never before had more than two squads from a single league advanced that far.
lne of those teams was Yardley-MorrisvilleI which needed to pull off a pair of wins over Horsham just to get into the Boyertown oegional Tournament. Yardley-Morrisville did just thatI outpacing HorshamI 8-2I in enemy territory and S-3 at mhilly Biblical University to advance. Andrew dilbert threw a complete game in the second playoff win over Horsham.
““ft was pretty neat to send three teams xto states]; it’s a big dealI” said YardleyMorrisville Coach Mike Decembrino. “ft’s impressive.”
At regionalsI Yardley went right to workI besting BoyertownI T-5I and BerwickI 3-2.
thile the team stuttered in the next round when it was outpaced by iower MacungieI 5-3I it wasn’t going to let a single loss keep it from completing its mission.
Needing to win both ends of a twin billing with iower MacungieI Yardley did just thatI besting its opponent S-5 and 11-4 to reach states.
By nowI some folks might forget that Morrisville had to win six of their last seven just to get into the iower Bucks gr. iegion playoffs. fn leaguesI Yardley lost to its nemesis when it was outpaced by NorthamptonI 3-0 and 4-1. thile Y-M defeated Newtown twice this seasonI the boys in blue had trouble with the Bomb- ers. Northampton won twice in leagues and eliminated Yardley in states.
“te had trouble with Northampton this year and then they swept us in the xleague] playoffsI” said Decembrino. “te just didn’t hit the ball in the playoffs.”
thile Yardley won its opener in regionalsI it needed a comeback to do so. Trailing BoyertownI 5-3I Morrisville came back at the 11th hourI scoring four runs in the seventh inning to walk off with a win. Yardley starter Sean Maniatis threw 3.2 innings and gack Seibert tossed 3.1 innings to get the win. Morrisville won the game when dilbert came through with an oBf hit to put the boys in powder blue up for good.
iocked in a 1-1 game in round two vs. BerwickI Yardley took the lead in the bottom of the sixth and wonI 3-2. dilbert tossed a complete game for the win.
Against Central YorkI Yardley tied the game in the seventh at S-all and won the game with a run in the ninth. Tossing 4.2 scoreless innings in relief of starter Cameron gones (4.1 innings)I Sam maglione recorded the win on the hill for Y-M. lffensivelyI dilbert won the game when he drew a bases-loaded walk on a full count in the bottom of the ninth for the walk-off win.
thile he didn’t get a single start for Y-M this seasonI maglione threw almost 10 scoreless innings in relief appearances at regionals. maglione kept the opponent scoreless in four innings of UHOLHI Ln WhH fiUVW wLn RYHU iower Macungie. He also
kept Lower-Mac off the board in the last inning in WKe finDl.
,n WKe firsW wLn RYer LRwer Mac, the opponent got out to a 5-0 lead but Y-M chiseled DwDy DW WKe GeficLW, SRsWLng two runs in the third, one in the fourth, two to tie the gDPe DW 5-Dll Ln WKe fiIWK before posting the game-winnLng run Ln WKe sLxWK LnnLng.
Seibert registered the winning hit, an oBI double that scRreG SWeYe SDbDWLnR, Rn bRDrG wLWK D leDGRII sLngle. Maniatis registered the win on the hill, going the disWDnce IRr Y-0.
,n WKe regLRnDl finDl Ys. Lower Mac, Decembrino had to resort to pitchingby-committee as most of his hurlers were reaching the maximum number of innings they were allowed to SLWcK Ln WKe WRurnDPenW.
Kyle Marshall, who hadn’t pitched since he was 12 years old, started the gDPe. TKe 15-yeDr-RlG YDrsity catcher at Pennsbury, Marshall split time with Seibert behind the plate this seDsRn Ln -r. LegLRn DcWLRn. Marshall tossed four innings before getting into some WrRuble Ln WKe fiIWK.
With a pair of Lower Mac runners on board, Gilbert came on in relief of Marshall, shutting the opponent down on a strikeout, a popup and a ground ball for the finDl RuW. AnGrew WKrew WwR more scoreless innings to gLYe KLs WeDP D cKDnce.
:KLle YDrGley wRn WKe finDl by seYen runs, LW DcWuDlly trailed, 4-0, before coming back with two runs in the fourth and two more in the seYenWK WR senG WKe gDPe LnWR exWrD LnnLngs. TKe Ney hit that deadlocked the score at 4-all was a two-run double by 5yDn SKeDIIer.
It wasn’t until the eighth inning that Yardley’s of- Iense exSlRGeG. TKe bRys Ln blue resSRnGeG wLWK seYen unanswered runs to win goLng DwDy. :KLle PDglLRne tossed a scoreless inning in the bottom of the frame, GilberW gRW WKe wLn.
In states, Yardley ran into a wall when it faced Spring CLWy. TKe eYenWuDl sWDWe champion clobbered Yardley by D 21-7 scRre. 0RrrLsYLlle GLGn’W PDNe WKLngs easy on itself when it comPLWWeG IRur errRrs Ln WKe firsW inning, a frame in which the RSSRnenW SlDWeG 10 runs.
“TKey KLW WKe bDll well buW we GLGn’W KelS RurselYes,” sDLG DecePbrLnR. “:e PDGe four errors, we got some bad bounces and we got behind, 10-0.
“We came back in the third but in the end, we got crusKeG.”
Yardley came back with six runs in the third inning but Spring City sent a message when it came back with nLne RI LWs Rwn Ln WKe IRurWK.
Like they did so often throughout the postseason, Yardley put its faith in Ma- niatis and the righthander responded with a complete game in round two and the boys in blue came back with D 5-3 wLn RYer :Drren. SeDn came through with the bat too, executing a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score D runner IrRP WKLrG bDse. Shortstop Nick oomano pushed a pair of runs across IRr YDrGley.
TKe enG RI WKe rRDG cDPe Aug. 7 Ys. 1RrWKDPSWRn with the Bombers winning a 5-1 game that eliminated Yardley from the postseasRn. :KLle CurWLs SWDrRSRlL did a nice job by turning in a complete game on the KLll IRr 0RrrLsYLlle, WKe eIfort by the boys in blue was KurW DgDLn by errRrs. YDrGley committed three gaffes in the third inning, a frame in which Northampton lDuncKeG D 3-0 leDG.
oyan Malloy registered the win on the hill for the BRPbers.
NOTES: Spring City won states by going undefeated in the tournament, outpacLng 1ewWRwn Ln WKe finDl.