Pa. Boys: Fri. Pa. boys: Franklin Towne wins AAA title

The Franklin Towne Charter baseball team arrived at its field Monday eager to get started on the chase for a Public League title.

There was only one problem. The other team never showed up.

The mishap delayed the contest a day, forcing the Coyotes to play three games in four days the rest of the week.

That turned out to be as little of a problem as overcoming their 1-6 start.

Franklin Towne Charter won its seventh straight game Friday, downing visiting Ben Franklin, 10-3, to claim the Public League Class AAA title for the third time in the last four years.

Tim Hart struck out 10 in four innings and walked three to earn the win. Zackery Beltran went 2 for 3 with a triple with two RBIs. Damian Padilla also tripled.

The Coyotes are 7-1 since Chris Hammerstein moved into the starting catcher's job.

"He's really solidified things for us and did an impressive job," coach Kyle Riley said.

Public AA final. Pete Piccoli threw a gem, and host Prep Charter needed just 1 hour, 23 minutes to erase two years of frustration by beating Esperanza, 5-1. Piccoli threw a complete game, allowing three hits and one unearned run. He also went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored. Joe Suppra went 2 for 3 with an RBI and scored twice. Michael Lyons drove in a run. Esperanza had beaten Prep Charter in the final the last two seasons.

Public A final. Vincent Clark singled in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning, and GAMP won at Masterman, 5-4, for its eighth title in the last nine years. Jacob Kurtz earned the title game win for the second straight season, striking out 11.

Catholic semifinals. La Salle's Joe Picard hit for the cycle in an 11-8 win over visiting Archbishop Wood. Picard, a senior leftfielder, went 4 for 4 with six RBIs.

Colin Cunningham twirled a complete game to lift St. Joseph's Prep to an 11-3 win at Bonner-Prendergast. Shane Williams went 3 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Catholic consolations. Joe Glennon's three-run single highlighted Neumann-Goretti's seven-run sixth inning, and the Saints went on to beat Cardinal O'Hara, 8-7, in nine innings.

Connor Golden went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs to power Archbishop Ryan to a 12-6 win over visiting Father Judge. Gage Galeone had three hits and drove in three runs.

The names have changed, the players have gotten younger, but Shipley keeps winning Friends Schools League titles. The host Gators beat Westtown, 9-5, to clinch their fifth consecutive title and 35th straight league victory during that streak.

Shipley starts four freshman and three sophomores, and the Gators got contributions from everywhere.

Senior Cory Rayfield scored four goals. Freshman Tate Gallagher scored twice and had two assists. Sophomore Chris Vedeur had two goals, and freshman Ian Walsh made 15 saves. Sophomore defender David Wolfson had four takeaways and six ground balls.

"It's an interesting blend of ages," coach Mark Duncan said.