CB West topples North Penn to reach district baseball championship game
Class 6A (6 teams advance to PIAA playoffs)
Semifinals, May 30
No. 14 CB West 14, No. 2 North Penn 1 (5 innings)
The Bucks jumped on the host Knights with five runs in the top of the second inning and added six more in the fifth to reach the district championship game. CB West will face top-seeded Spring-Ford, a 6-1 winner over Plymouth Whitemarsh, on Thursday afternoon (4 at Plymouth Township).
Jack Picozzi of @NPKnights lines out to @CBWestBaseball CF Alex Valdes to end the @athletics_cb 14-1 district semifinal win in bottom of fifth inning. @CBWestHS plays for district title Thursday. @HSGameOn pic.twitter.com/8gVhwcvJCN
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) May 30, 2023
A three-run homer by senior Kevin Bukowski (four RBIs) was the big blow in the second inning for the Bucks and a two-run single from senior Bill Zentmayer (two hits) keyed the fifth frame. Sophomore Alex Valdes had three hits and three RBIs, while freshman Jack Hogenauer added two hits and two RBIs as West banged out 15 hits. North Penn used four pitchers in the 5-inning game.
Senior Julio Ermigiotti was in control on the mound for CB West, only allowing an unearned fourth-inning run on senior James Mangine's RBI single. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out five.
Suburban One League Colonial Division champion North Penn had defeated CB West 12-3 and 5-3 during the regular season.
"I felt super-confident coming in here just because of the way we've been playing recently," Bukowski said. "We've just been shutting guys out (or) giving up one run, so I just had a lot of confidence in our guys."
No. 1 Spring-Ford 6, No. 5 Plymouth Whitemarsh 1
Senior @KevinBukowski16 on @CBWestBaseball defeating @NPKnights 14-1 in district 6A semifinals after losing to @NPAthletics1234 twice during regular season and @athletics_cb’s aggressive offensive approach. @Buck_Nation @HSGameOn pic.twitter.com/730R0uTMov
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) May 30, 2023
First-round consolations, May 30
No. 4 Abington 8, No. 23 Quakertown 4
The Ghosts scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to turn a one-run deficit into a four-run victory and secure the first state baseball berth in school history. Senior Matt Worek's two-run single put Abington ahead for good. Senior Logan Moss contributed three hits for the Ghosts, while senior Alex Dardaris (two RBIs) and Worek had two apiece.
Sophomore Cole Reich singled in junior Danny Qualteria to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Junior Matt Marsten added a two-run single for Quakertown, which was hoping to qualify for states for the first time.
Abington took both SOL Liberty regular-season matchups with the Panthers (6-4, 2-1 in eight innings).
No. 8 Avon Grove 4, No. 6 Coatesville 1
Final, Thursday, June 1
No. 14 CB West vs. Spring-Ford, 4 p.m. at Plymouth Township
Third-place game, June 1
No. 5 Plymouth Whitemarsh at No. 2 North Penn
Fifth-place game, June 1
No. 8 Avon Grove at No. 4 Abington
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: CB West topples North Penn to reach district baseball title game
