CR NORTH:Seven in the seventh gets Rock to states

By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor

Seven is a lucky number.
Was for Council Rock North this year in the District One--AAAA baseball tournament.
Trailing Owen J. Roberts, 8-4, May 22 in the district quarters, that's the number of runs the Indians plated in the top of the seventh to help stage an improbable comeback win.
An 11-8 victory over the Wildcats was the final tally, a win that not only propelled the Rock back to states, it also advanced North to the D-I semifinals May 26 where the Indians edged Garnet Valley 3-2 to get to the title tilt.
North outfielder Ryan Venner got the Rock rally going with an infield RBI single hit deep to the hole that scored infielder Scott Runzer, cutting the OJR lead to 8-5.
With two outs, CRN outfielder Jesse Goldberg singled in first baseman Tom Filer to draw the Indians within a pair of runs and also keeping the bases loaded.
Two more runs scored on a soft tapper to third by shortstop Matt Hone. Two more runs came across on the play when the throw to first base by Wildcats infielder Jesse Dahms was off the mark.
All of a sudden, this game was tied with Goldberg ending up at third and Hone at second. That set up catcher Tyler Farrell, who rode a pitch into the gap in right center scoring both runners and giving the Rock the lead for good.
Farrell was 2-for-4 for the game while also pushing 4 runs across.
Also for North (11-5 overall, 8-2 SOL), Hone was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Adams was 2-for-5 with an RBI, Venner 3-for-4 with an RBI. Goldberg pushed 2 runs across the plate.
Rock’s 3-2 win over Garnet Valley in the district semis came via the strikeout and the error--the strikeout on the side of North, miscues on the side of the Jaguars.
The Rock righthander used the strikeout--he had a dozen of them--to keep the GV batters at bay. Trailing 1-0 after two, the Indians tied it up when a popup by Ryan Hartley dropped behind second base, scoring Kelly Adams.
In the fifth inning, Goldberg scored the go-ahead run on a tough chopper to second base by Farrell that was misplayed by GV infielder Joe DeCarlo. Farrell came across with the winning tally when Runzer reached base on an error by Jags first baseman Matt Hendrixson.
GV got a run back in the visitors’ seventh but Kyle Davis grounded out to short to end it, sending the Rock to the D-I title game.
While North fell short of its quest to win the district championship with West Chester East notching a 6-2 win over the Indians last Thursday in Boyertown, the Rock proved once again that, come time for the postseason, it is a force to be reckoned with.
North opens state tournament play this Monday, June 1 against the runnerup from District 12 (Phila. Public League).
After falling behind Methacton several times May 20 in their district opener, the Indians mounted a 5-run rally in the home fifth to emerge with an 8-5 triumph over the Warriors. The outburst was aided by three consecutive bases-loaded walks and was highlighted by a 2-run single by Hone.
“We were hitting the ball hard early on so I felt confident that we would have some chances to score some runs,” stated North head coach Dan Kusters. “We were able to capitalize on a few walks and errors with some timely hitting.”
After surrendering 3 runs on 4 hits in the top of the first, Runzer settled down and scattered just 7 hits over the last six innings to notch a complete-game victory. He struck out six and walked four.
“Scott is a competitor,” stated Kusters, flatly. “He did not have his best stuff, but he battled and got big outs when we needed them. He was very effective from the 4th inning on.”
At the plate, Runzer hit 2-for-3. On the season, he is hitting over .500 with 26 RBIs, 19 runs, 13 doubles, 4 home runs, and 1 triple.
Hone also had a big day, going 2-for-3 with 3 RBI. Farrell and Filer were 2-for-4 on the afternoon.
Unsung heroes for the Indians included Ryan Hartley with his defense at second base, Jesse Goldberg with great defense in right field and Ryan Venner who drew a pair of walks.