North Penn one win from state title game
North Penn readies for the semis, strong future in place for Dock
With a warm, welcoming feeling of euphoria just beginning to set in, North Penn focused on its next task.
“It’s amazing,” Knights senior Jared Melone said moments after his team’s 2-1 state quarterfinal victory over Pennsbury Thursday afternoon. “We know we’re gonna play a really good team but for a couple hours, we’ll celebrate, and then (Friday) we’ll go back to work and practice on a few things.
“We weren’t perfect (Thursday). We have a lot to work on — definitely.”
Melone’s sacrifice fly to center in the sixth drove in the eventual winning run for the Knights, who are making their second state semifinal appearance in the last three seasons.
North Penn, Class AAAA State Champions in 2009 and 2013, brought strong pitching, outstanding defense and some pretty clutch situational hitting to Spring-Ford on Thursday, and as a result the Knights are moving on — to a showdown with Shaler High out at Greene Township Park in Scotland at 4 p.m. Monday.
“It’s a battle this time of year,” Knights coach Kevin Manero said, “and (Thursday) was every bit of a state-championship caliber game.
ship caliber game. We went out and we battled. It was a very good pitching matchup, which you would expect.
“The hitting will always go up and down, depending on who you face, but if your pitcher throws strikes and you make the routine plays, you’re gonna have a chance to win.”
Witner wins it
James Witner was consistently throwing strikes a ll af ternoon for the Knights, and in the seventh inning, he calmly closed things out.
“I just had to go out there, pound the zone,” he said. “It was nice to get a quick out, and then I got myself in a little bit of trouble, but I just had to trust my defense and let them make plays.”
With two men on and one out, Witner forced the Falcons into a fielder’s choice and a groundout, enabling him to put the cap on a four-hit, completegame effort.
“(The key was) really just mixing it up with my spots,” the senior said. “I didn’t throw as many offspeed pitches as usual, but I had to keep the ball down low and in the zone and just try to get some ground balls.”
Sharpening their swords
As Melone alluded to, the K nights would like to have had better ba se r unning early in T hursday ’s contest , a s they were picked off i n stea l situations a couple of times, but the offense was effective when it had to be.
“It’s all about execution and trying to do what you’re best at,” Manero said following the quarterfinal win, which saw the Knights grind out eight singles against SOL National First-Teamer Zach Conley, scoring on a perfectly-placed bunt as well as a sac fly. “If that’s a line drive up the middle, fine. If it’s a fly ball in a sac situation, fine. If it’s a bunt, it’s a bunt.
“But do what you do best, do what you practice and good things will happen.”
Promising future for Dock
Christopher Dock saw its season come to a close on Wednesday with a 5-1 loss to Tri-Valley in the openring round of the Class A Tournament.
But the Pioneers will have quite a group coming back, including five starting field players along with rising junior, ace Daniel Sabath.
“He’s a young kid, only 15 years old, and the sky’s the limit for him,” Dock coach Ed Melendez said. “I think we’re in a really good position to come back next year and compete.”