Titans defeat Pennridge
PERKASIE » Billy Collins was ready for his second chance.
In a Bux-Mont Legion game featuring two of the league’s top pitchers, the Hatfield-Towamencin designated hitter knew runs would be at a premium. With two runners on when he dug in to the batter’s box in the fourth inning, the recent North Penn graduate knew one swing could change the game.
Collins’ two-run double sparked all the offense Post 933 would need as it topped Pennridge 3-2 in a weather-shortened five-inning game Monday night at Kulp Park.
“I flew out to right my first atbat and just missed the pitch,” Collins said. “My coaches told me to stay in there a little longer so that’s what I did.”
Hatfield-Towamencin, the league’s back-to-back defending champion had only played five games coming into Monday. The Titans hoped the win on Monday, especially getting some offense across the board against Pennridge’s Ian Kacergis, could ignite something as they start to
make up those games.
Kacergis, who came into the Legion season off a very strong freshman year at DeSales, pitched well but was hurt by fielding errors behind him. The righty got through the first three innings without allowing a hit with the only H-T runner coming via an error.
“As the game went on, I found a grip and hit the release point on my pitches,” Kacergis said. “I couldn’t really find my change-up in the beginning so once I found that, I figured out what I was doing and just went from there.”
Post 255 got a lead in the third inning after catcher Jack Goddess worked a leadoff walk, stole second and took third on a wild pitch, finally scoring on Brock Hewitt’s RBI single against Hatfield-Towamencin starter Danny Kirwin. Kirwin, who left in the fourth inning, was able to pitch out of two big spots and limit the damage Pennridge was able to do.
Despite a number of college players like Kacergis, Hewitt and Luke Nuneviller returning to Post 255 this summer, Pennridge hasn’t been able to plate many runs in its now 10 games played.
“I think we should be better than 5-5 but we’ve had real trouble scoring runs and when we make errors, we’re not going to be in the game,” veteran Pennridge manager Rocky Wright said. “We can’t let that happen.”
One of those errors proved especially costly for Kacergis and Pennridge in Hatfield-Towamencin’s three-run fourth inning. After Kacergis retired the first two batters of the frame, Zack Moretski reached on an error. Joe Picozzi followed by drawing a walk and Moretski was lifted for pinch-runner Griffen Juckniewitz.
Collins set up and after going down 0-1 in the count, sent the second pitch of the at-bat into left field to plate Juckniewitz and Picozzi on a stand-up double.
“He gave me a fastball inside and I just took it down the line and came through for my team,” Collins said. “I wanted to help them out because I’d been struggling lately so it was my chance to pick them up.”
Atlee Hasson followed with an RBI single that put Hatfield-Towamencin up 3-1 on three unearned runs before Kacergis ended the frame.
“Being flat in previous games, tonight we were loud and we were ready to go,” Collins said. “We were ready for each pitch, rather than sitting back and being quiet.
“I think our whole team turned the page and we were energetic and wanted more, we wanted to keep hitting, get the outs in the field and keep going from it.”
Pennridge added a run back in the bottom half of the fourth on an unusual play. Nuneviller walked to start the frame and moved up following an Eddie Kerrigan single. A fly ball to right resulted in a 9-3 double play, but an errant throw from first base trying to get Nuneviller at third allowed him to go home and cut the lead to one.
Kacergis got the first two outs of the fifth inning before he was taken out. After starting 0-3 at De Sales, he went 5-1 to finish the season and posted a 3.14 ERA in 14 appearances
“We’re real close, we’re all friends on the team and even though I think half of us are from college, we’re just looking to play baseball and have fun with it,” Kacergis said.
Collins, who has committed to play at Gwynedd Mercy next year, would have added an RBI single in the sixth had the game not been called. As the frame was not completed however, both his hit and a three-run triple by Jack Sullivan in the inning were wiped out.
“It’s one piece of the puzzle so to continue through this next stretch of games we have, we have to take it one at a time,” Collins said. “We just have to be ready to play every time we step on the field.” Hatfield-Towamencin 3, Pennridge 2 (5)