July 19 may best embody the Quakertown Blazers’ dominance this summer.
What did the Blazers do on the road, on a sweltering night, against the second-place team in their division?
No-hit them while scoring a bunch of runs.
3B Owen Petrich (Delaware) and DH Cole Hertzler (Liberty) both knocked in two as Quakertown topped the Bergen Metros 6-0. But it was Joe Valenti’s mound work – with Hertzler pitching the last 1.1 innings – that stole the headlines. The two fanned 10 while no-hitting a team who entered the game with a 19-12 record.
“I played with the Blazers last year and we had a pretty good season, but the first few games this summer we started off really hot and I could tell what we had talent wise,” said pitcher Jake Reese (Alvernia). “Our coaches put us in positions to succeed. Everything is more fun when you are winning. Once we got that first feeling of winning, we were trying to make it routine by doing the routine things right.”
Quakertown, who had the best regular season record in the 15-team Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL), was a very good 14-5 entering its July 2 doubleheader with the Trenton Generals. Starting with a sweep of Trenton, the Blazers promptly rattled off a 13-game unbeaten streak.
“As a team, we’re enjoying the game. We’re having fun and I think that allows us to play loose,” noted Valenti (Misericordia). “I think that helps to our success.”
“We’re also out here playing for Tom and trying to bring back a title for him,” Reese added, alluding to the late June passing of Blazers co-owner and co-founder Tom Bonekemper. “I think that’s been a big motivation. We’ve been trying to honor the way he built this program up.”
In a scorching double header last Saturday, Quakertown swept the New Brunswick Matrix to clinch the Wolff Division. CB South’s Petrich set a new franchise home run record by clubbing his 12th of the summer.
After Tuesday’s 6-0 road loss to Trenton, Quakertown closed the regular season at 29-8-1. The Blazers, who earned a first-round bye, awaits their playoff opponent. They will host a double header on Saturday in a best of three second round.
“One of the things we talked about when we first met the players is that the Quakertown standard is a high one. The reason you are here is we believe you’re able to uphold the standard,” noted Blazers manager Jeff Evans.
“We have a roster where we’re not grinding guys that hard. There are moves we can make to give guys a day off but honestly, a lot of our guys don’t really want a day off,” Evans continued. “When you have a team who has bought into the standards of Quakertown baseball, and who say ‘I want to keep grinding it out and playing,’ that’s a fun group to coach.”
Quakertown ranks second in the ACBL in runs scored. Blazers pitching has dominated like Pedro Martinez circa 1999. Their 2.80 team ERA is half that of the rest of the ACBL. Blazers starters have been so strong that Evans has been challenged finding spots to put bullpen arms into games.
“It’s one of the best offenses I’ve ever seen,” Reese stated. “They put up a nice, crooked number, then it’s like ‘OK, let me get in a groove’ and it keeps building off of that. One person does their job and then you do your part to keep winning.”
Hertzler is hitting .293 and his five homers and 26 RBIs are among ACBL leaders. Yet he probably wouldn’t even win Team MVP: Petrich (.378) spent the summer making a serious run at the ACBL Triple Crown. He will cruise to the league title in both homers (13) and RBIs (41).
“(GM) Chris (Ray) gets all of the credit because he put the roster together. Our guys have really come together nicely. Our pitchers have been so dominant and anytime you get good pitching, it’s going to keep you in ball games,” Evans assessed. “Our defense has been pretty solid. I’d say our biggest surprise has been offensively. It is an initiation where you have to get used to the wood bat but our guys have done an excellent job with that.”
Reese, with a 1.09 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 33 innings, turned in one of the best performances in the ACBL. But Valenti has posted a microscopic 0.23 ERA and 0.54 WHIP. He didn’t walk a batter until his sixth start.
“I feel like I have very good control of my body, and that really helps with me being able to replicate a wind-up, my motion and pitches,” Valenti credited.
Ben Christian (Lehigh) and Dominic Proietto (Kutztown) both have batting averages against of under .200. Reese and Valenti agreed that a strong pitching staff encourages healthy competition among the arms.
“I think it absolutely does. Trying to one up the guy behind you is something that pushes me a little bit,” Valenti said, “and I’m sure it pushes everybody else too.”
“You always want players who want to compete. Obviously, the biggest way to compete is against the other team, but it is nice to have that competitiveness amongst your own players,” Evans echoed.
“I honestly feel like it takes the tensions off of each other,” Reese said. “You learn from the other guys and you work with the other guys. Joe has a really nice off speed pitch. We talk about that. Ben has a really nice fastball. You talk about that. You’re learning something from everyone.”
Six Blazers stayed in Memorial Park for the July 14 ACBL All-Star Game as the Wolff Division pounded the Kaiser Division 14-3. Valenti, Reese, Proietto and Eddie Olson (Charleston Southern) combined to throw four shutout innings while Petrich hit an RBI double.
“We just want to keep winning, bring back a championship,” Reese concluded, “and honor Tom for everything he did for the program.” Dr. Bonekemper undoubtedly would be thrilled at this season.
All stats through Sunday night.
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