Whitpain Legion Baseball Eliminates Generals, One Win Away From Title Game

 As the 2011 American legion season got underway back in May, Whitpain manager Mike Basile had set up a scrimmage with Fort Washington manager Gary Bonitatibus, but due to the fact that Upper Dublin qualified for the playoffs they had to scrub the game.

After winning the Greater Norristown league finale, dethroning eight time champion J.P. Mascaro, Basile again contacted Bonitatibus to see if he would be interested in scrimmaging to keep his Whitpian team sharp as they prepared to enter the regional tournament for the first time, Bonitatibus again had to decline as the Golden Generals where fighting for their playoff lives in the Lower Montco league, where Fort Washington rebounded from an opening round loss to beat Rosylyn twice to claim the league title for the third straight year.

On Monday, there were no phone calls or emails, but it was finally time for the two squads loaded with players from Wissahickon and Upper Dublin High Schools to share the field with much more at stake than a “scrimmage."

Every time that Whitpain takes the rock hard turf at Owen J. Roberts High School, they take another stride in team history that has never been made before as manager Mike Basile’s squad, which reached a Regional game for the first time, is now one of four teams left with a dream of playing in the Pennsylvania State tournament, following a 10-6 win over Fort Washington on Monday, eliminating the Golden Generals.

Whtipain fueled by a 12 hit attack, posted at least one run in seven different innings, building a 9-1 lead by chipping away, with the big blow, a bomb of a home run by Alec Linebarger, before Fort Washington scraped out five runs in its last two at bats, making the final much closer than the game was.

Player of the game - Whitpain third basemen Nate Simon went 3-4 with three runs scored, two doubles, 2 RBI and made three outstanding plays in the field as starter Dan Chou allowed only one earned run through seven innings, fanning three while allowing just six hits in that span and not allowing Fort to send more than four batters to the plate in any one inning other than the fifth where they posted a single run.

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Whitpain

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Fort Washington

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Other Key performers - Designated hitter Chase Merrill, ripped a triple, scored a run and drove in a run to compliment Peter Bogdon, who hit a home run on Sunday, as Bogdon went 3-for-5 with two doubles a run scored and three RBI in the game.

Inside the lines - “I love this team,” said first year Legion player Merrill, who graduated for Wissahickon High School this spring. “I have played other club ball, but there is something special about legion baseball, this is so amazing to play in a tournament like this with a chance to go to the state tournament, I would never have imagined that in the beginning of the year.”

Say what? - “This is a special group of kids,” said manager Mike Basile. “We have talked to the kids about steps, the first was the regular season which we finished second, the next was our league playoffs and not having a let down there, then we talked about playing in a regional. I knew we could do good things but never thought we would be in this position. I am very proud of my guys, it’s fun to coach a team that genuinely likes each other and will do anything to help the team succeed.”

Next on the Schedule - Whitpain will face Bristol at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night, if Whitpain wins they will play the winner of the Spring City vs Norchester game at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday for the right to play Bristol again for the Region 3 title and a Pennsylvania state tournament berth.

Extra Innings - Whtipain may be the only team to be able match host Norchester in the starting pitching department as Coach Basile has three legitimate starters he can use on Tuesday at his disposal. 

Pennsylvania Region  3 Tournament bracket at Owen J. Roberts High School

 GAME 1  SATURDAY JULY 16  9:45AM   Spring City 16  Whitpain 5

GAME 2 SATURDAY JULY 16   1PM         Fort Washington 16 Olney  7

GAME 3 SATURDAY JULY 16   4PM        Bristol 382  15  Wayne 5

GAME 4 SATURDAY JULY 16    7PM        Norchester 13  Narberth 0

GAME 5 SUNDAY JULY 17        9:45AM    Whtipain 14  Wayne  9   (Wayne elminated)

GAME 6 SUNDAY JULY 17        1PM          Olney  12  Narberth 6  (Narberth eliminated)

GAME 7 SUNDAY JULY 17        4PM         Bristol 15  Spring City 11

GAME 8 SUNDAY JULY 17        7PM         Norchester 14  Fort Washington 2

GAME 9 MONDAY JULY 18      12:30PM  Spring City 20  Olney 16  (Olney eliminated)

GAME 10 MONDAY JULY 18    4PM         Whitpain 10 Fort Washington 6  (Fort Washington eliminated)

GAME 11 MONDAY JULY 18    7PM         Bristol 18  Norchester 4

GAME 12 TUESDAY JULY 19   4PM         WINNER GAME 9 VS LOSER GAME 11

GAME 13 TUESDAY JULY 19   7PM         WINNER GAME 10 VS WINNER GAME 11

GAME 14 WEDNESDAY JULY 20 12:30PM WINNER GAME 12 VS WINNER GAME 13

GAME 15 (IF NECESSARY) WINNER GAME 11 & LOSER GAME 13 OR WINNER GAME 13 VS LOSER GAME 14 (IF FIRST LOSS)