By Patrick Foy,
Sportswriter
04/24/2008
The last time Hatboro-Horsham and William
Tennent met on the diamond, on April 1, the Panthers pounded the Hatters, 10-2.
Things were a little different Tuesday, when the
Hatters hosted a Suburban One League Continental Conference rematch.
Hatboro-Horsham, which committed seven errors in its first meeting with the
Panthers, played mistake-free defense on Tuesday and cruised to a 13-1 win in
five innings.
"When you step out there and you make the
plays, you can relax and just let everything else happen," Hatboro-Horsham
coach Pete Moore said. "That, and the fact we scored some runs early, that
always helps. You can relax a little bit then."
Hatters shortstop Matt Siegfried set the
standard on defense with several deft plays, including a diving stop to his
left to snare a Dan Doyle grounder to end the second inning.
Meanwhile, Hatters starter Nick Hinkson was strong in three shutout innings,
allowing just one hit and walking none. Keeping the ball down in the strike
zone, eight of his nine outs came from Tennent groundouts.
"I just really wanted to come out, throw
strikes and beat these guys," Hinkson said. "I just tried to throw
them low where they can't hit them. The defense played excellent today. I mean,
[Siegfried] had four or five nice plays in three innings, so that was
nice."
"We're very confident when [Hinkson] steps
on the mound," Moore said. "He throws on a good downward plane where
he gets a lot of ground balls and he's got that sharp breaking ball, so any
time Nick's on the mound, I feel like we have a good chance to win."
While Hinkson received assistance from his
defense, the Hatters' bats also provided the hurler with ample support.
Hatboro-Horsham (6-5, 5-3 Suburban One
Continental) totaled 12 hits against three different Tennent pitchers, five of
which went for extra bases. Third baseman Nick Vitelli was 2 for 3 with a
double, an RBI and two runs scored. Siegfried and second baseman Kyle Neumann
each contributed run-scoring triples, while leadoff hitter Mark McCouch hit a
pair of singles, scored once, and knocked in a run.
The Hatters took a 5-0 lead in the first inning
and never looked back.
"It's wonderful, because then you don't
have to get every guy out," Hinkson said. "If they score a run, it's
no big deal. You're still up by four, you can keep pounding the zone and
getting guys out."
"At any level of baseball, if you can score
first and play with a lead, you enable yourself to do a lot more," Moore
said. "You can use your running game, you can hit-and-run, you can bunt,
you can do all those things. It lets us relax and play the game the right
way."
Very little has been going the right way for
Tennent (1-8, 1-7 Suburban One Continental) recently. The loss marked the
Panthers' eighth consecutive setback; they have not won since they defeated the
Hatters to start the season 1-0.
"I truly still do believe in this
group," Tennent coach Kevin Rosini said. "The results may not show
it, but we're not a bad team. In a losing streak, it's like, 'What's going to
happen next?'"
Misfortune found the Panthers early Tuesday,
when starting pitcher Max Weintraub was hit in the head by a Hinkson pitch
while batting in the top of the first. Weintraub took his base, but he lasted
just 2/3 of an inning on the mound as he struggled with his control. He was
diagnosed with a concussion after the game.
"Losing our starting pitcher in the first
inning, that didn't help," Rosini said. "He can't help that. It's not
his fault. You could tell he wasn't right."
It was the beginning of a long day for the
Panthers. Second baseman Scott Keeble stroked the only hit Hinkson allowed, a
third-inning single to left-center field. Reserve catcher Billy Brancato
registered Tennent's other hit, a base hit to right field off of Hatters reliever
Brian Carney in the fifth.
Through Tuesday, the Panthers' team batting
average stands at just .201 for the season.
"I thought if we stayed tight, we could win
the game," Rosini said. "They're good kids. You gotta keep fighting.
As long as you keep fighting, I won't be disappointed. The luck has gotta turn
our way."
While the Panthers search for a way to break out
of their slump, the Hatters look forward to the second half of the season and
hope to make a drive for the postseason.
"I'm really encouraged," Moore said.
"We play in what I consider to be the strongest league in our area.
There's a lot of very good baseball, and I think we're in a good position now to
make a run at the playoffs."
"I really want to make the playoffs this
year and do some damage there," Hinkson said.
Hatboro-Horsham soldiers on in the Suburban One Continental Thursday, traveling
to Council Rock North for a 3:30 p.m. start. Meanwhile, Tennent hosts Council
Rock South in league play Thursday at 3:30 before entertaining Neshaminy
Saturday at 11 a.m.
©Montgomery Newspapers 2008
