LANSDALE- The Knights got off to a shaky start but then the bats got hot while P Ethan Weber was a stud on the mound coming on in relief to give the local fans a perfect end to the week.

The North Penn Knights (8-10) beat the Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (14-6) 9-4 under the lights at Memorial Park’s Weaver Field, the site of North Penn’s community night where the Knights inducted Jason Mills, Justin Klinger, and Eric Ruth into their Hall of Fame along with the 2009 State Championship Team.

Junior Charlie Marger got his first varsity start and did not have much time to settle in on the mound as the Hatters got all four of their runs in the 1^st inning.  Anthony Bruno knocked in the first run of the game on a RBI single and Sean Gledhill followed with an RBI single of his own.  Then Andrew Lastowka drove a run in with a sac fly.  With runners on 1^st and 3^rd, Ryley Robinson stole 2^nd and that led to Gledhill scoring as the Hatters went up 4-0.

C Jake Drelick led off the bottom of the 1^st with a walk and eventually scored after a wild pitch and an error by Hatboro’s catcher, Bruno, as the Knights got a run back.

In the bottom of the 2^nd, the Knights put together a 2-out rally to not only tie the game, but also take the lead as they sent 9 batters up to the plate.  Drelick scored 2 runs with a 2-RBI double off the left field fence as Alex Gilbert and Jeffrey Sabater scored.  CF Kyle Schulze followed with a double down the right field line for an RBI.  Then DH Kolby Barrow hit a single into left field that scored Schulze and gave the Knights a 5-4 lead.

“I was seeing the ball really well.  I like playing under the lights, it really lights up the ball for me.  And I saw the ball out of the pitcher’s hand really well tonight and I was really kinda begging for him to throw it to me cause I really wanted to hit,” Drelick said.

It was a similar bottom of the 3^rd, only this time, the Knights sent up 10 batters to hit instead of 9.  SS Patrick Kirsch broke for home after Gilbert laid down a bunt as Kirsch scored on the safety squeeze.  Drelick got another RBI after an error by Bradan Mallon in the outfield.  Then another error by the Hatters, this time by Bruno, scored Sabater. And it was like déjà vu when Barrow hit another single into left field for an RBI.  By the end of the game, North Penn had their 9 runs on 13 hits.

“Tonight, not only did we have a bunch of guys get hits in the order, we also had a bunch of guys come off the bench and get hits.  We’re starting to find a lot of barrels and square the ball up,” Head Coach Kevin Manero said.

With a solid 9-4 lead, Weber had all the insurance he needed and after coming into the ballgame to begin the 3^rd inning, he put on a clinic.  He did not give up a run and finished with 4 strikeouts with 1 walk and 1 hit in 5 innings of work.

“My fastball was working well.  I just trusted it and pounded the zone and I just did everything I could and left it on the line right there,” Weber said.

The Knights next game will be on Tuesday against the Pennridge Rams for senior day and their last game of the season after not making playoffs.  The last time the two teams met, the Knights won 10-2.

“It’s rare that we actually know that we’re going in to play our last game.  We’re use to being in the playoffs when you never know when your season is gonna end.  So, it’s a weird feeling to know that Tuesday is it, so the whole thing is that it’s a great bunch, a lot of guys love playing with each other so go out and have a heck of a lot of fun and make it the best game you ever played,” Coach Manero said.