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Delaware North advances in Carpenter Cup baseball with help from St. Elizabeth, Salesianum players: Photo gallery

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Delaware North scored two runs in the fifth inning of an 8-4 victory over Delaware County (Pa.). The North team will play again on Friday. Dialog photo/Mike Lang

PHILADELPHIA — Delaware North scored five times in the second inning, and that proved to be enough offense in an 8-4 victory over Delaware County in the opening round of the 35th annual Carpenter Cup on June 14. The game was played at Showcase Field in FDR Park in South Philadelphia across Broad Street from Citizens Bank Park.

The Carpenter Cup, back this year after being canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, brings high school baseball players from across the tri-state area together for a single-elimination tournament. The semifinals and final will be played next week at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Delco took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of some wildness from Delaware North’s starting pitcher, Luke Gabrysh of Concord. But he settled down, and the First State team got a run back in the bottom of the frame, with two Catholic school products playing key roles.

After a one-out single by Drew Simpson of Delaware Military Academy, Salesianum rising senior John Dunion doubled to deep right-center field. The next batter, Matt Trout, a rising senior at St. Elizabeth, singled to right, scoring Simpson. Dunion was called out on a close play at the plate, and Trout was thrown out trying to advance to second.

Delaware North took the lead for good in the second. Tyler August of DMA opened with a double to left. Salesianum rising senior Conor Campbell walked, and both advanced on a wild pitch. William Penn’s Brandon Grygo knocked August in with an infield single. Campbell advanced to third base on a foul popup, and he scored on a fielder’s choice from Jack Zungailia, with Grygo safe at second.

That brought Saint Mark’s rising sophomore Garrett Quinn to the plate, and he walked to load the bases. Simpson drove in one run with a sacrifice fly. Dunion then flared a single to right to knock in the fourth run of the inning, and Trout picked up his second hit and second run batted in of the game with another single. The inning staked Delaware North to a 6-2 lead.

Delco got one back in the third, but Delaware North got excellent pitching out of Conrad’s Brandon Scherer and DMA’s Kevin Williams over the final six innings. Scherer allowed just two hits and struck out six in his three innings, the maximum any one pitcher can throw in a game. Williams followed with three innings of one-hit ball. He struck out four, including all three batters he faced in the seventh.

The other two Catholic school players on the team are Brian Lang of Salesianum and Jaden Dickerson of St. Elizabeth, both of whom graduated this month. Tom Beddow, the coach of the Vikings, is the team’s general manager.

Delaware North advances to play on Friday at 9 a.m. on Showcase Field against Inter-AC/Independents, who defeated Delaware South on Monday. Admission is $5.

All photos by Mike Lang.