RECAP >> Starting pitcher Andrew O’Brien was dominant in Lower Macungie’s opening round game of the Oley Regional on a hot and steamy afternoon Saturday.
O’Brien tossed a one-hitter through six innings and his teammates backed him with 13 hits as Lower Mac blanked Phoenixille, the third-place finisher from the Twin County League, 4-0.
Lower Mac, the three-time defending Lehigh Valley champs, won for the sixth straight time and improved to 19-3 on the season after wining their opening-round game in regionals for the third consecutive season. The victory keeps head coach Shawn Betz’s team in the winners’ bracket where they’ll face Concord, the the champion from Chester County, at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Concord edged Yardley-Morrisville, the runner-up from Bucks County, 6-4 in the earlier game.
O’Brien, the staff ace, struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter as he improved to 6-2 on the season. Connor Shriver came on relief and preserved the shutout by tossing a scoreless seventh.
Nine different Lower Mac players had hits in the win. Catcher Dominick Chiego was 2-for-3 with a two-run single in the third, shortstop Evan Amey also had two hits and scored two runs, while Tyler Seidel and Shriver each added a pair of hits.
Second baseman Anthony Viola (1-for-3) drove in the only run Lower Mac would need in the top of the first inning as he lined a single to right field scoring Evan Amey.
Phoenixville starter Kade Breisblatt suffered the loss and lasted just 2 1/3 innings after giving up nine hits and three runs.
Andy McManhon had Phoenixville’s only hit of the game in the bottom of the first inning.
The winner of Lower Mac vs Concord will advance to the winners’ bracket final at 4 p.m. on Monday. They’ll face the winner of Norchester and Spring Cove who also won their opening-round games. Norchester defeated Ft. Washington 9-4 and Spring Cove pounded host Oley 16-0.
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Lower Mac – 102 100 0 – 4-13-1
Phoenix – 000 000 0 – 0-1-1
Andrew O’Brien (6 IP, 1 H, 8 K), Connor Shriver (1 IP, 1 BB) and Dominick Chiego.
Kade Breisblatt (2 1/3 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K), Connor Roche (4 2/3, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB)