QUAKERTOWN — It didn’t exactly show on the scoreboard, but Quakertown controlled Thursday’s baseball game against visiting Upper Dublin almost from start to finish.

With dominant pitching, timely hitting, and solid defense, the Panthers were very sharp but still led by just two runs in the seventh inning.

And on one play, a rather routine ground ball to third, one umpire’s ruling was the difference between an inning-ending double play or two runs scoring for Upper Dublin that would either force extra innings, or possibly a win for the Flying Cardinals.

The call, a runner’s interference on the UD base runner, who did not slide while trying to break up the double play at second, was the third out of the inning, and it was Quakertown that emerged with a 4-2 victory in Suburban One League American Conference play.

“I think we left a couple opportunities out there,” said Quakertown coach Jon Pallone. “But that’s a well-coached team, with a pitcher on the mound that’s throwing a lot of strikes against you. You’ve got to seize the opportunities when they’re there, and we missed a couple, but we still played pretty well I think.”

The win keeps the Panthers in first with a 7-1 conference record, one game ahead of second-place Wissahickon who they beat earlier in the week.

“I kind of wished we would have blew it open a little bit more,” said pitcher Justin Guidos. “Keeping it 4-2, we’re still in the lead, which helps the pitching because you know you have that lead, but if it’s 10-2, it’s much easier to pitch.”

Guidos worked quickly and efficiently, going six innings and allowing just one earned run on four hits and two walks, while striking out 11. Aside from a bloop double and an error in the third and then a second error-aided run in the fifth, he was in control the whole way.

“When you work quick, you get in a rhythm,” said Guidos, who is now 4-1 on the season. “You just go in and pound the strike zone. Your pitches will be on, and you really won’t have much time to think about what to do.”

After six innings and 88 pitches, Pallone had Guidos switch positions with third baseman/closer Dennis Pierce in the seventh. Pierce hit two batters and walked another, loading the bases. He recorded a big strikeout and then induced the grounder to Guidos, who threw to Brad Bryan at second for the force out, but Bryan’s attempt to first was way off the mark. Both the runner on third and the runner on second crossed the plate with what would have been Upper Dublin’s third and fourth runs.

But the umpire ruled that the base runner interfered with Bryan at second, and called the batter out at first on interference, ending the game.

“It’s the right call,” Pallone said. “It’s unfortunate to win a game that way, but we’ve got to keep the kids safe. I don’t think he was trying to hurt him or anything like that by any means. It wasn’t a dirty play, he just didn’t slide. I think he’s trying to screen the throw, but you’ve got to keep the kids safe there.”

Offensively, Pierce definitely made his mark, with two off-the-fence doubles, which led directly to two runs. In the bottom of the first, Brian Robison singled home Pierce for the game’s first run, and then in the third, after a line drive off the left field fence by Pierce, Guidos and Pierce scored on back-to-back passed balls.

“It’s just staying on the fastball,” Pierce said. “I’m the 3 hitter, so I’m going to seeing a lot of off-speed, so just be aware of the off-speed. The second one was a fastball, but the first one was a curve.”

BASEBALL
Quakertown 4, Upper Dublin 2

Upper Dublin 001 010 0 – 2 4 1

Quakertown 112 000 x – 4 7 3

WP: Justin Guidos; LP: Garret C. Breslin; Save: Dennis Pierce

Doubles: UD-Elijah Peck; Q-Dennis Pierce 2, Brad Bryan

Triples: Q-Sean Brennan

RBIs: UD-Julian Gimbel; Q-Brian Robison, Brad Bryan

Multiple Hits: UD-Elijah Peck 2-for-2; Q-Dennis Pierce 2-for-3

Records: Upper Dublin (3-5, 2-4 SOL), Quakertown (7-2, 7-1 SOL).