Bristol Plays For First State Title In Team History

The 411: It was long day for the black and blue crew known as Bristol Post 382 and their fans, which started with the resumption of the game suspended by rain and ended just before the stroke of midnight.

This Cinderella team now needs a dress for the ball as Bristol, by defeating Boyertown 5-2, not only punched their ticket to the state championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday, but also guaranteed them selves a spot in next week’s National Mid Atlantic Regional tournament for the first time in team history.

As the game picked up in the sweltering morning sun, Boyertown drew first blood and took a 2-0 lead in fifth inning on a two out, two run single by shortstop Chris Werner, and quickly Bristol found themselves trailing for just the third inning in the tournament, until they came to bat in the top of the sixth.

As they have all post season when pushed, Bristol Post 382 shoved back as Ryan Hires and Matt Petrizzi rapped RBI singles to tie the game, and after a walk to Ryan Field the base were juiced for center fielder Tommy Harman.

Harman delivered with the biggest blow of the game and in team history by drilling a 2-2 pitch to the fence in left center clearing the bases, posting Bristol to a 5-2 lead, which was all the run support that the pitching combination of Zach Philippi, who went seven and one third innings allowing two earned runs, and Mike McLeod who got the save by striking out three of the five Bears he faced, would need to slam the door on 23-time state champ Boyertown.

Following a lead off single in the eighth, manager Tim Monoghan wasted no time getting Mcleod, who was slated to start the late game had Bristol lost, in to try to close out Boyertown. McLeod fanned Bears slugger Andrew Gehringer and speedster Ryan Schwager in the process of notching his fourth save of the post season.

Players of the game: Zach Philippi, who started Thursday night and battled through a rain delay after warming up, then came back Friday morning, picked up right where he left off as he had great command of all of his pitches and "cowboyed up" in the biggest game in Bristol Post 382 team history. Where a lot of players would not be able to come back after pitching the night before, Philippi struck out four, walked four allowed five hits and only two runs as he kept the ball low allowing his defense to make the plays behind him.

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Other Key performers: First basemen Ryan Hires went 2-for-4 at the plate, scoring a run and driving another along with Dave Blount, who got the big inning going with a double as he went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Shortstop Matt Petrizzi and second basemen Ryan Field continue to dazzle in the middle of the infield, the duo have combined for seven double play in the tournament and have committed one error in the last seven games in the pots season.

Inside the lines: "I was totally surprised to go in the game," said McLeod. "I knew I was scheduled to go tonight if we needed it, but when we got a lead there, coach asked me if I was ready and I got loose and finished it out for Zach, who pitched great. This last three weeks has been the best time of my life. We all love to play baseball together and to get to do it on a stage like this is awesome."

Say what?  "I wanted to go for the win right now," said manager Tim Monoghan. "This was the biggest game we have ever played in and the most important game of this tournament. Mike only threw about 85 pitches the other day and I knew he could get it done. I am so proud of these guys and what they have accomplished. This is something that I don't think anyone thought was possible. It is what they call one of those dream seasons. We didn't come here to qualify for something else, we came to win a state title and we still have to focus on that and will take tonight's game as a chance to eliminate a team that is trying to prevent us from reaching our goal."

Extra Innings: In the night cap, Bristol scored in five of the first six innings to race out to a 10-1 lead, before a grand slam in the eighth inning cut into the lead as Post 382 eliminated Region Six champion Blackhawk 10-5.

Post 382 heads into Saturday's championship round undefeated in the tournament, having win 13 consecutive games, against Boyertown, who will have to defeat Bristol twice to prevent them from raising the state championship banner and hosting the trophy for the first time in team history.  

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Pennsylvania State Tournament bracket at Owls Field at Ted Palka Park

Schedule for Saturday July 30 at Owls Field at Ted Palka Park

 Mid Atlantic play in game

 10 a.m.: West Lawn vs Blackhawk winner advances as the Pennsylvania state runner up slot.

1 p.m.: Boyertown (3-1) vs Bristol (4-0)  if Boyertown wins a second game will start roughly 45 minutes after game one.