After splitting the first two meetings of the season, the two teams who currently sit atop the standings in the Lower Montco American Legion Baseball league standings squared off the for the rubber game of the head-to-head series.
And while things were even in what was an early pitcher’s duel between Huntingdon Valley and Roslyn, things quickly went south for the Blue Hawks, who just couldn’t keep the Valley bats quiet any longer.
Valley put up three runs in the top of the sixth inning to prompt the team to a 4-1 win over the Blue Hawks at Roslyn Park on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s always a challenge to beat Roslyn,” Valley coach Evan Horn said. “We usually don’t do it every year, but we did it two out of three times this year and I consider it an honor to even be able to say that.
With the two teams tied at 1-1 in the top of the sixth, the Valley bats came alive, as Ryan Killion was hit by a pitch and then scored on a long double to left field by Matt Lawlor to put Valley up 2-1 with the eventual game-winning run. The team wasn’t done there, however, as Lawlor scored on an RBI triple to deep right field by Brick Buckley, who then scored on an RBI single by Lou Palmer.
With the comfortable lead, Valley pitcher Sean Weiss, who was already dealing, cruised to the complete game victory.
“Sean has been a workhorse all year for us,” Horn said. “In my eyes, he’s one of the best pitchers in the league and keeps the ball low and depends on his defense with a lot of groundballs. He isn’t scared to pitch inside on batters and usually racks up strikeouts. He’s well-conditioned and that’s really it.”
Weiss, a righty, tossed seven innings of six-hit ball, allowing just one run and one walk while striking out six batters.
“Sean pitched great, went the distance and we got some big hits for him,” Valley’s Jordan Pocrass said. “Roslyn is a big rival and that was a big win for us and it was a big booster in confidence as we get ready to make a run in the playoffs.”
Roslyn (6-5-2) scored its lone run in the bottom of the third inning when C.J. Brennan crossed home plate on an RBI single by Brendan Gallagher to tie things up at 1-1. Valley had scored earlier, as Lawlor was driven in on an RBI single by Palmer in the top of the second.
The Blue Hawks were led by Trey Guaglionona and Matthew McCormick, who each went 2-for-3. Gallagher finished 1-for-3 with an RBI. Justin Stokes got the start and took the loss after allowing two runs and two hits in five innings of work. Stokes pitched very well, but didn’t get much offensive support and was pulled after hitting the leadoff hitter in the top of the sixth.
“Our starting pitcher pitched incredible and kept us in the ballgame all night, but unfortunately, we weren’t able to hold the game for him and lost the game,” Roslyn coach Jim Brett said of Stokes, who pitched his first game of the season for the Blue Hawks. “He still gave us everything we could’ve asked for and gave us the opportunity to win.
“Huntingdon Valley battled all night with us and came up big in the sixth inning against one of our top relievers (Eric Tidwell) and they capitalized on that for the win. Offensively, we just didn’t get it done last night. We had plenty of guys in scoring position, but just couldn’t get them in when we needed it. Valley is a first-place team and earned the win and they showed why they’re a first-place team.”
Valley was led by Lawlor, who finished 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI, while Palmer finished 2-for-3 with two RBI. Buckley went 1-for-3 with the RBI triple and a run scored.
The win kept Valley in first place in the league standings and improved its record to 9-3-2 overall.
“We’re playing with a lot of confidence and a little bit of swagger, which I love,” Horn said. “Every kid on the team is contributing offensively and defensively and they’re doing everything I ask them to do. This has been a complete team effort without a single superstar on the team. It’s just a great group of guys who enjoy playing with each other.”
Box Score
HUNTINGDON VALLEY (4) AT ROSLYN (1)
HUNTINGDON VALL AB R H BI ROSLYN AB R H BI
Rafael Fernandez3 0 0 0 Eric Tidwell 2 0 0 0
Callan Palmer 4 0 0 0 Brendan Gallagher 3 0 1 1
Ryan Killion 3 1 1 0 Sean Gallagher 3 0 0 0
Jordan Pocrass 4 0 0 0 Lawrence Guaglionona 3 0 2 0
Matt Lawlor 2 2 2 1 Kristofer Carr 3 0 0 0
Brian Buckley 3 1 1 1 Nicholas Bein 3 0 1 0
Lewis Palmer 3 0 2 2 Daniel Landgraf 3 0 0 0
Paul Buckley 3 0 0 0 Matthew McCormick 3 0 2 0
Jack Titus 3 0 0 0 Charles Brennan 3 1 0 0
TOTALS 28 4 6 4 TOTALS 26 1 6 1
HUNTINGDON VALLEY 010 003 0 -- 4
ROSLYN 001 000 0 -- 1
LOB--HUNTINGDON VALLEY 6, ROSLYN 6. ERR--Jordan Pocrass,
Sean Gallagher. 2B--Matt Lawlor, Ryan Killion, Matthew
McCormick. 3B--Brian Buckley. HBP--Ryan Killion, Eric
Tidwell. SB--Lewis Palmer, Rafael Fernandez, Callan Palmer.
HUNTINGDON VALLEY IP H R ER BB SO HR
Sean Weiss 7.00 6 1 1 1 6 0
ROSLYN
Justin Stokes 5.00 2 2 2 2 2 0
Eric Tidwell 1.67 3 2 2 0 0 0
Daniel Landgraf 0.33 1 0 0 0 0 0
PB--Nicholas Bein. SO--Paul Buckley, Brian Buckley,
Kristofer Carr (2), Lawrence Guaglionona, Daniel Landgraf
(2), Sean Gallagher. BB--Matt Lawlor, Rafael Fernandez, Eric
Tidwell.
