North Penn falls to Father Judge in PIAA baseball semifinals
ASTON − When you're a perennial state baseball power, you can have goals like this.
"After what happened last year, when we only won six or eight games, we started working for this season about two days after last season ended," North Penn junior first baseman Ben Farley said.
"We weren't going to have the same kind of season again. Our goals for this year were high. We wanted to win the league title (Suburban One League Colonial Division), the district title and states. We didn't reach all of them, but I'm very proud of all these guys for turning things around."
The Knights captured the SOL Colonial crown; nearly won the PIAA District One Class 6A title (they finished third); and came within a step of playing for the PIAA championship before falling to Father Judge 4-1 on Tuesday in the state semifinals at Neumann University's Bruder Field.
"We won 22 games this season and our guys were ready to go today," said North Penn head coach Kevin Manero, who wrapped us his 12th season at the helm.
"They were tenacious, and we had some incredible performances during the whole postseason. But today just wasn't our day and you have to five credit to Father Judge. They were ready to play and they have a really good team.
"It was a good game between two good teams that were both well prepared. That's what you get when you reach this part of the season and it makes for really good baseball."
Playing from behind
The Crusaders struck first by scoring a run in top of the first only to see the Knights answer right back in the bottom of the inning when Farley delivered a two-out single to left that chased home senior Jack Picozzi, who had singled.
"I was just looking for a pitch to hit," Farley said. "I got a strike and was able to drive the ball to left field."
That, though, would account for all of the Knights' scoring as Judge junior starter Tim Gress kept North Penn relatively silent for six innings before giving way to junior ace David Rodriguez, who retired the Knights in order in the bottom of the seventh.
North Penn put two runners on with two outs in the second and had two more on with one out in the third, but couldn't push any runs across.
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"We had opportunities, but we just didn't get the big hit when we needed it," Manero said. "But, that's the way baseball is.
"This team doesn't have any Division One players. They're just a steady group that loves to play the game and they should be proud of the season they had."
Judge scored what would be the winning run in the top of the third and added two more in the sixth to put things out of reach.
"We had four sophomores starting today and that's a good sign going forward," said Manero, whose team last reached the PIAA semifinals in 2021 and last one a PIAA title in 2015.
"And we have good groups coming up that we're excited about."
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That was fast
What happens when you have two good teams, two good starting pitchers, Gress and North Penn sophomore Trevor Lugara, and no television commercials?
You get a game played in a blistering one hour and 42 minutes. That's fast.
Up next
The Crusaders (24-2), whose only losses came in the regular season against La Salle High and Penn Charter, will face Mount Lebanon in Friday's PIAA title game at Penn State University (4:30 p.m.).
Mount Lebanon, the District Seven champion, topped District Three champion Cedar Cliff 7-2 in Tuesday's other Class 6A semifinal.
Take a look: North Penn, Palisades advance to PIAA softball semifinals
Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: North Penn drops PIAA Class 6A baseball semifinal to Father Judge
