SOUDERTON STILL UNBEATEN
Post 234 rallies past Pennridge
HILLTOWN >> In the midst of a grueling slate of games, Souderton found a way to win one Monday night.
Playing the third game of a six games in four day stretch, Post 234 started off well, had a shaky inning in the middle and rebounded to find a way past Pennridge and stay undefeated.
Souderton plated six runs in the sixth inning, rallying past Post 255 for an 11-6 win at Romanoski Field.
“We had to bounce back a little,” Souderton outfielder Joe Santone said. “We faced a little adversity but we knew we had an
“We had to bounce back a little. We faced a little adversity but we knew we had an inning like that in us. We have a good offense and we just put some hits together.”
inning like that in us. We have a good offense and we just put some hits together.”
– Souderton outfielder Joe Santone
Due to Souderton’s high school team winning the PIAA 6A state title, the Legion squad had a lot of ground to make up before the regular season ends next week. That, plus a spell of bad weather, led to a congested slate of games heading into the Fourth of July.
Souderton’s hectic week started with a doubleheader sweep of HatfieldTowamencin on Sunday, followed by Monday’s battle with Pennridge. Tuesday brings up a massive doubleheader at Quakertown as the top two teams in the Bux-Mont standings tangle and the stretch ends Wednesday at home against Doylestown.
“We’re missing some players, so everyone has to chip in a little bit,” Santone said. “I’m usually on the bench, so tonight I had my shot and I was able to help the team out a little bit.”
Santone had the big hit of the night, a two-run triple to deep right-center to put Post 234 back in the lead during the sixth inning.
It was a tough loss for Pennridge, which shook off a slow start to take a fourth inning lead over Souderton. Post 255 fell behind 5-0 after three innings, but the relief pitching of Paul Croyle and a mistake-filled fourth from Souderton opened the door to a rally.
“I’m proud of my guys overall, Souderton is a good team, state champs and our goal was to show them we’re a team to be respected,” Pennridge manager Cory Landes said. “I think we proved that tonight. It’s tough when you lose one like that. We were right in it, but one bad inning can change a game.”
Pennridge dropped to 9-6 on the season and sits in fifth place in the BuxMont table but has a game in hand on fourth seeded Nor-Gwyn.
Croyle started at shortstop but stepped in to pitch in the bottom of the third inning. While Souderton starting pitcher Dylan Kummery tagged him for a two-run triple to make it 5-0, Croyle battled and pitch two scoreless frames to follow, both with his team in front.
“He gave us all he had, he’s a warrior,” Landes said. “I came out to him and said ‘you’re probably going to have to go,’ and ‘he said that’s fine by me, I got this.’ I’m real proud of him.”
Landes wants to end the season strong adding it starts with finding that one big hit to get things going. Pennridge left the bases loaded in the fifth and runners in scoring position in the first and second inning but Landes is confident once the first guy gets that hit, the rest of the team will follow suit.
Souderton’s defensive half of the fourth inning was mistake after mistake, something Pennridge was happy to capitalize on by scoring six runs. Post 234 had four errors in the frame and the additional outs not only ended Kummery’s outing but gave more Post 255 batters a chance to do damage.
“I think we were pushing a little too hard to make a play sometimes, we weren’t talking as much and it kind of piled on,” Souderton shortstop Nolan Bolton said. “We have to make of it what we can. All of us can hit, all of us can field and it seems like all of us can pitch too. We have a lot of depth this year, we just came together and won.”
Jacob Horton led off the sixth by drawing a walk against Croyle. Pitcher Andrew Curran went for a sacrifice, but his bunt was good enough to move the runner and allow him to reach first safely. Up came Santone, who was setting up to bunt as well, until a wild pitch moved the runners for him.
Instead of bunting, he could swing and Santone made the most of it.
“It felt good, I thought it was going to just be a sac fly but it kept carrying,” Santone said. “I saw the fielders going back and they just kept running, so our first base coach told me to keep going and it worked out.”
Santone drove in two, then scored on a squeeze bunt by Aaron Groller. An error scored another run, then Bolton tripled and Moses Clemens hit an RBI groundout to put Souderton up 11-6.
With Quakertown’s 3-1 loss to Hatfield-Towamencin on Monday, Souderton became the final unbeaten team in the Bux-Mont heading into Tuesday’s twinbill with the Blue Jays at Memorial Field.
“Coming off our high school season and going right into Legion, we’re keeping it rolling,” Santone said. “It’s a fun group. I know my role, I want to help the team however I can. If I come into the game, that’s my role and if not, I’ll cheer the other guys on.”