Trojans’ quick response bests Golden Bears
Wissahickon scores 4 in 1st to erase 3-run hole in conference win
LOWER GWYNEDD >> It was a tough first inning for Quinn Rovner Friday afternoon.
Visiting Upper Moreland quickly jumped on the Wissahickon right-hander of the Suburban One League American Conference contest, collecting four hits and scoring three runs in the top of the opening frame.
“Leaving my fastball up, getting in my own head,” Rovner said. “(Alex) Tappen actually told me ‘get out of your own head, everything’s going to be good. You are the one to pitch this game.’”
But as fast at the Golden Bears grabbed a 3-0 lead, the Trojans’ bats rapidly responded to pick up their sophomore pitcher. Wissahickon plated four runs in the bottom of the first and Rovner settled in to allowed just one hit over the final six innings as the Trojans claimed a 5-3 victory on Senior Day.
“This group, we’re getting better and better as the year goes
on,” Wissahickon coach John Bernhard said. “We’re playing really good baseball right now. They brought them in and I’ll tell you what man, they fire within these guys, man, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen and they have really good at-bats, they pick each other up and that was that.”
Matt Shilling was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Trey France drove in two with his double in the first as the Trojans (11-8, 8-5 conference) kept up their late-season momentum, winning their second straight and eight of their past 10.
“It was definitely big to get a win today,” Bernhard said. “Upper Moreland’s high up in our power rankings for 5A and to come out and beat those guys is huge, it’s definitely going to give us a little bit of a burst. And basically the plan was today honestly was not to use Logan (Willans), I didn’t want to use Logan if I didn’t have to. And frickin’ Quinn, man, I can’t say enough about his performance, man he steps up and throws six shutout innings to end the game and that’s that.”
Rovner allowed just two base runners over the final sixth innings. Nick Pagano led off the top of the second by reaching on an error then Rover retired next 16 Golden Bears batters before a Ryan Gibbs one-out single in the seventh. The next batter, Rovner started a 1-6-3 double play to seal the victory and give Wissahickon a regular-season sweep of UM — the Trojans besting the Golden Bears 5-1 on the road April 24.
“After that first inning, kind of I had to keep my composure,” Rovner said. “Had to listen to my teammates, get out of my own head and things turned out the way they should.”
The lack of production after the first denied Upper Moreland (11-5, 8-4) a chance at a 3-0 week after picking up wins over Springfield-Montco Monday and Quakertown Wednesday.
“I just told the guys it was looking good. From the jump, we got out three runs after two outs and we got three out of it. Give credit to them, they came right back and answered all of them,” Upper Moreland coach Dan Heiland said. “And I just thought it was going to be a high-scoring (game) with a lot of hits and unfortunately it wasn’t that but our guys were hitting the ball hard, they just were right to their guys and their guys were making the plays.”
Upper Moreland starter Tommy Jacob took the loss, giving up four runs — three earned — on eight hit in four innings. He walked two and struck out two.
Rovner walked one and struck out a pair in his complete-game effort.
Both teams are looking to secure spots in the District 1-5A tournament heading into the last week before the postseason. Upper Moreland was 10th in the latest power rankings while Wissahickon was 13th. The top 16 teams make the playoff field.
Upper Moreland hosts Cheltenham 7 p.m. Monday at Masons Mill Park. Wissahickon visits Springfield (Montco) 3:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Brandon Kohn kept the Golden Bears’ half of the first inning going with a two-out walk. Kohn went to third on a Kevin Walder single and Trojan error then scored Friday’s first run on Dawson Ruggles’ RBI base hit. Walder scored as Tommy Jacob dropped a single into center field. Ruggles made it 3-0 by stealing home after Royner threw over the first base.
Mike Schoenleber started the bottom of the first with a single with an error on a Tappen fielder’s choice putting two one with no outs. Shilling pulled Wissahickon with 3-1 with his RBI single while France leveled the score 3-3 by belting a two RBI double to center.
“We try to jump on them in the first inning and just like they did to us,” Shilling said. “We were all locked in, just went from there.”
Steven Loden put the Trojans up for good by plating France with his double to right field.
Wissahickon added an insurance run in the fifth. After Loden and Andrew Seitz drew back-to-back one-out walks, Upper Moreland tried to turn a double play on a Mike Steitz grounder. The Golden Bears forced out Seitz’s courtesy runner — Antonio Bova — at second, but the throw the first was offline for an error, allowing Loden to score for a 5-3 lead. Wissahickon 5, Upper Moreland 3 Upper Moreland 3000000—353 Wissahickon 400010x—582 WP: Quinn Rovner 7 IP 5 H 3 R 3 ER 1 BB 2 SO. LP: Tommy Jacob 4 IP 8 H 4 R 3 ER 2 BB 2SO 1HB. 2B: W-Trey France, Steven Loden, Mike Schoenleber, Andrew Seitz. Upper Moreland: Dawson Ruggles RBI, R. Wissahickon: France 2 RBI; Schoenleber 2-4, R; Matt Shilling 3-4, RBI, R.