GNALBL: Colin Brady pitches Whitemarsh past Perk Valley

by ed morlock

WHITEMARSH — In the top of the first inning against Perk Valley, Whitemarsh pitcher Colin Brady allowed a run on three soft singles that found space behind his infielders and in front of his outfielders. It wasn’t anything new for the left-hander, who said similar situations happened during the high school season with Plymouth Whitemarsh.

Brady showed his experience and got out of the first inning with just one run on the scoreboard and two PV runners in scoring position. He continued to leave runners on base – stranding two runners in the second, third and fourth frames – while allowing no additional damage.

Brady got the support from his offense in the middle innings and led the Patriots to a 4-1 win in a Greater Norristown American Legion Baseball League elimination game at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School.

The recent PW grad struck out five batters across seven innings. He allowed one run on eight hits while walking two.

“That’s been the story of how I pitched all year,” Brady said of the run he allowed. “That’s how most of the runs get scored, but after that I knew how to attack them. They were hunting fastball and (catcher) Dan (McNally) called a great game, working off-speed and mixing things up. We got them off timing, it worked out.”

Whitemarsh's Colin Brady pitches against Perk Valley Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group) — Whitemarsh’s Colin Brady pitches against Perk Valley Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Ed Morlock/MediaNews Group)

Whitemarsh’s offense got going in the bottom of the third inning during the second trip through the lineup. After Brady singled and Garrett Kriebel reached on an error, Patrick Buckley tied the game, 1-1, with a two-out double. James Martin followed with an RBI single to put the Patriots ahead, 2-1.

The fourth-seeded Patriots, who host No. 5 JP Mascaro in an elimination game Thursday evening, added two more runs in the fourth. After Andrew Mulligan reached on a fielder’s choice and Brady singled, Kriebel ripped a two-out single to left field. Mulligan and Brady scored to make it 4-1 before Kriebel was thrown out trying to advance to second base.

“He was coming at me with off-speed all day,” Kriebel said, “and I was upset with myself because I was missing the fastballs all day that we was giving me. It got to 3-2 there and I was actually sitting off-speed. I saw the fastball and had to adjust and put it in play. I knew Colin has good speed on second base, so anything would get those two runs home and give us the insurance that we needed.”

Brady only surrendered two baserunners over the final three innings, but a defensive double play helped maintain the three-run lead.

No. 6 Perk Valley took its 1-0 lead in the first inning after Collin Hughes reached on a fielder’s choice, advanced to second on a John Kurtz single and scored on a Dean Hollenbach base hit.

Kyle Tracy took the loss for the Raiders, allowing four runs on six hits in four innings. He struck out two batter to three walks. Trevor Peterman threw a pair of shutout, no-hit innings. He walked two batters.

The winner of Whitemarsh and JP Mascaro Thursday will face Valley Forge on Friday in the loser’s bracket final. Fort Washington awaits the winner of Friday’s game in the championship Saturday.