TOWAMENCIN – North Penn dominated the Pennridge Rams Friday afternoon, proving why they stand as the top team in their division, and one of the most intimidating in all of Pennsylvania. 

The Knights (10-1) faced the Rams (1-10) riding an eight-game winning streak coming in. With an important stretch of games ahead, this game was a crucial one for the home team. An all-around team effort from North Penn resulted in an impressive 9-1 victory.

Leading the way for the Knights was pitcher Nolan Walker, who tossed five shutout innings, picking up four strikeouts along the way. He was aided by many clutch plays from his defense, including third baseman Justin Egner and second baseman Chase Jones. 

Backing up their pitcher, the Knights offense put on a show, tallying ten hits and nine walks. They jumped out quickly in the first inning, putting three runs on the board, including RBIs from Ben Farley, Chase Jones, and Brady Dolder.  

Continuing to find success, the Knights tacked on another run in the second inning on an RBI from Ben Farley. Farley became the fourth North Penn batter in the inning to reach base on a walk. The patience at the plate shown by the Knights’ hitters played a major role in their win this afternoon. 

Back on the mound, Walker continued to control the mound and got stronger and stronger as the game progressed. After allowing two hits in the first inning, he allowed none for the rest of his outing. 

With the game still in striking distance, the Knights offense went back to work in the bottom of the third inning. Following a leadoff double by Henry Wetzel and walks by James Mangine and Justin Egner, the bases were loaded with two outs. Stepping up to the plate was Jack Picozzi, who shot a ball into left center field to clear the bases, putting the Knights up 7-0.

After a scoreless inning from both sides in the fourth, the bats for North Penn found their rhythm again in the bottom of the fifth. Three consecutive doubles from Chase Jones, Shane Drennan, and Mason Coyne gave the Knights a 9-0 lead as the fifth inning concluded. 

Following three straight walks in the top of the sixth inning, the Knights were able to turn a double-play and then pickup a strikeout to limit the Rams’ damage to only one run. That would be the rest of the runs for the ballgame, as the Knights were unable to score in the bottom of the sixth, and Henry Wetzel shut the door on the Rams in the top of the seventh to secure the victory. 

After the game, Knights’ head coach Kevin Manero shared his thoughts on the team’s performance this afternoon.

“I was really impressed with the guys we were able to get in the game off the bench. They were aggressive and took their chances,” said Manero. “It’s a full team effort from top to bottom.”

With an important stretch of games ahead, Manero discussed how important this win was for the team as they prepare for their final stretch of the regular season. 

“This was one of those games that we couldn’t afford to lay down and give away,” emphasized Manero. “We knew that and stayed with it and played this game like we’ve been playing every other game.”

With only a couple more weeks remaining in the regular season, Knights’ third baseman Justin Egner talked about his feelings about where the team stands. 

“I feel like we’ve been building really well off each other and our chemistry is definitely there this year,” said Egner. “I think we have a lot of potential to go deep into the season, we just have to keep our head on straight.”

The Knights will now hit the road on Monday afternoon to square off against the Truman Tigers, before returning home on Tuesday afternoon in a pivotal game against the Central Bucks West Bucks.