Germantown opens playoffs with 13-3 rout of King

Germantown fans who showed up hoping to see the Bears post their first baseball playoff win in 30 years barely settled in their seats before getting their wish yesterday.

The Bears needed only five innings to hammer visiting rival Martin Luther King, 13-3, in a first-round Public League playoff game.

They took a 4-0 lead into the fourth inning before putting it away with a nine spot.

The catalysts for the Bears (8-4) were two players who have done it all season. Shane O'Black pitched a four-hitter, striking out eight and walking two, to go 6-2 on the season. Freshman shortstop Khary Redmond went 4 for 4 with five RBIs and two stolen bases. One of Redmond's hits was a tape-measure three-run homer in the fourth that rolled all the way to the adjacent softball field some 380 feet away.

Germantown's last win playoff win came May 15, 1979, when the Bears nipped Northeast, 3-2, in eight innings.

In other league playoff games:

Devon Finney pitched only the fourth inning, but that was the one where Kensington scored 11 runs in support of him to earn a 14-3 win over visiting Southern.

Coming to life for the Tigers of coach Joe Egenolf were the bats of the No. 8 and No. 9 hitters in the order. No. 8 hitter Miguel Velez was 2 for 3 with four RBIs and No. 9 Emanuel Rivera had a 2-for-3 day.

Olney scored 14 runs in the third inning to close out a 16-0 win over University City. Benji Cruz pitched the shutout.

Joe Clement went 3 for 3 with three RBIs and scored the game-winning run on a single by Tyree Rollins in host Overbrook's 6-5 win over Fels.

Friends Schools. In a league semifinal, host Moorestown Friends (N.J.) pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to nip Academy of the New Church, 7-6.

In the other league semifinal, Jesse Biddle pitched a one-hitter for host Germantown Friends in a 10-0 win over Abington Friends. The Tigers host Moorestown Friends for the title Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.)

Pioneer Athletic. At Spring-Ford, Owen J. Roberts scored six in the bottom of the fourth inning to coast past Methacton, 10-1, in the league championship game. Dave Vining went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and four RBIs, including a home run for the Wildcats (19-3).

Bicentennial. Marty Murray hit a pair of homers for host Morrisville in an 18-8 win over Lower Moreland.

Lincoln coach Paul Cammarota coached Southern the past two seasons and by the luck of the Public League playoff draw his team had to face the Rams in the first round.

Cammarota and the Railsplitters coasted, 19-4.

"Five of their starters are girls I coached last year," Cammarota said.

One of his new players, though, Danielle Tracey, had the best day of all, getting two singles and a triple as the Railsplitters jumped on top early. Valerie Lopez pitched a two-hitter for Lincoln.

The Railsplitters will now have to travel to Edison for a second-round game.

Edison earned its spot in the second round with an 11-1 win over visiting Simon Gratz as Yadra Lomeli pitched a three-hitter.

Catholic Academies. Erica Cipolloni blasted a three-run homer in the fourth and added a two-run homer in the fifth as host Nazareth Academy overwhelmed Villa Joseph Marie, 10-0, in a playoff semifinal.

Amanda Fernandez took care of the rest, pitching a one-hitter and striking out five in the five-inning game.

The regular-season champion Pandas (16-1) will be going for the overall title tomorrow at Arcadia University against Villa Maria.

The Hurricanes got a pair of RBIs from Kim Bates in a 4-2 semifinal win over visiting St. Basil.

Pioneer Athletic. Shelby Beaver pitched a three-inning no-hitter for host Boyertown in a 15-0 win over Pottstown.

Suburban One American. Host Norristown clinched the division title with a 10-1 win over Upper Dublin. The Eagles' Gabbie Berry led a 15-hit attack by going 3 for 4 with a double and a triple.