TOWAMENCIN – North Penn (8-5) controlled their out-of-conference matchup against Harry S. Truman (2-7) Friday afternoon on the diamond, looking to improve their record as they head into the second half of their regular season. 

Nolan Walker started on the mound, tossing five hitless innings. 

“The pitching has been good,” Head Coach Kevin Manero stated. “[Our] starting pitching has been giving us a chance and now we just need to get the bats caught up.”

The Knights did just that, getting on the board early with a triple from Chase Jones, who was driven home by Ben Farley. 

After a scoreless inning from both teams in the second, the Knights found their rhythm in the bottom of the third. Two consecutive doubles from Chase Jones and Ben Farley drove in two more runs, increasing their lead to 3-0. Although they faced two flyouts, the Knights didn’t stop there. They regained their flow as Farley stole home, and Luke Chartrand added an RBI on the day, putting the Knights up 5-0. 

The fourth was quiet, but the Knights entered the fifth with immense energy. The bats were hot with 3/3 of the lead-off batters getting on base. An RBI from Josh Martinell, followed by Kyle Bonnor and AJ Briggs capitalizing on Truman’s defensive errors, gave the Knights a more comfortable 8-0 lead. 

Henry Wetzel entered the game at the top of the sixth, closing the door on the Tigers, tossing two scoreless innings, and tallying four strikeouts for the Knights. 

Jackson Schurman added an RBI, driving Farley home for his second run of the game, completing the scoreline at 9-0. 

A victory like this is exactly what the Knights needed to improve their record and gain momentum as they venture into the remainder of their season. 

“We know that we have a lot of experienced guys on the team, so it was really about emphasizing trust and preparation and trying to keep the line moving forward,” Manero explained. 

As they return from a rough patch, the Knights see nothing but blue skies ahead, including a high chance for a spot in the postseason. 

“Our chances [for the postseason] are through the roof,” junior catcher Chase Jones stated. “[Despite hitting] a rough patch, we have been playing well these last two games, hopefully, it carries through the rest of the season.”