By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Montgomery Media
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| Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515 |
Graduation was months ago, vacation has come and gone, and for the next two weeks all the focus for eight hopeful American Legion baseball teams is winning a BuxMont Championship.
In the last month the standings were shaken up and Hatfield won the regular season with a 15-5 record. Now they will go for Post 933's fourth tournament title in five years.
But seven other teams have something to say about that - and all of them believe they can leave Quakertown Memorial Field on Monday with the trophy - and rightfully so.
All eight franchises are well aware of the parody throughout the league and the seeding is irrelevant. All it denotes is where the first round game will be held and who will get last bats.
There are no favorites. Here is a breakdown of the first four games.
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| Hatfield's Joe Forcellini |
Nor-Gwyn Hawks (8) @ Hatfield Post 933 (1) - While Hatfield has pounded its way to a league title they aren't afraid to mix it up in a pitcher's duel. One thing the Hawks have going for them every year is a deep pitching staff and an excellent pitching mind in coach Kevin Manero. The Hawks, who threw three shutouts on the season, will need to cool off Hatfield's Joe Forcellini and Jimmy Smith - the tandem has been nearly impossible outs this summer.
PREDICTION: Hatfield 8, Nor-Gwyn 2
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| Pennridge's Oscar Mikols |
Pennridge Post 255 (7) @ Doylestown Tigers (2) - The defending tournament champs from Perkasie may be the hottest team going. After a slow start they have won seven straight games, though none have come against the Tigers. The experience may favor Pennridge, but the Tigers may have been the most consistent team over the last two months. The Tigers deep lineup will need to bury Pennridge early because Pennridge is known to string 10 hits together if they get going, but also can get shutout by a pitcher that is in the strike zone. Throwing strikes is what Tigers' Kris Davis, Jason Goldberg, and Marty Martens do best.
PREDICTION: Pennridge 9, Doylestown 6
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| Quakertown's Kurt Roberts |
Quakertown Blue Jays (6) @ Perkiomen Post 184 (3) - A few days ago it looked like the Blue Jays were going to win the regular season crown, but untimely funk has them fallen all the way to the six seed. Perkiomen, who is under a first year head coach has play with optimism all season and should be riding high after beating the Blue Jays 11-7 two days ago. If the Blue Jays get out of Upper Perk with a win the experience and home field advantage they will have could make them a threat to win it all, but they need to turn their luck around quickly.
PREDICTION: Quakertown 4, Perkiomen 2
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| Pottstown Steelers |
Pottstown Steelers (5) @ Warrington A's (4) - Two very evenly matched teams makes it very hard to predict who will walk away a winner from this one. You have to like Warrington having home field advantage becuase Pottstown has to make an hour long trek. Warrington has also outscored its last two opponents 25-6, thought they have lost to a struggling Lansdale team 10 days ago. Pottstown has won four of the last six games.
PREDICTION: Warrington 12, Pottstown 11
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