GOAL ONE ACCOMPLISHED: MURPHY'S SPLITS BUT CLINCHES LOWER SOUTH DIVISION TITLE

When the Murphy's softball team began preparation for this season back on mid-March, the team set their sights on four goals: to win the Lower South division, to secure the No. 1 overall seed in the Lower Bucks Softball League, to capture the program's first LBSL title and to make a legitimate run at a Trentonian title.

Goal No. 1 accomplished.

Jim Trochak fired his first-ever shutout and Andrew Graham, Mike Simpson and Sean Walker each supplied a pair of hits as Murphy's blanked Wolfpack, 8-0, in Game One at Edgewood Elementary.

Wolfpack did bounce back and and hand Murphy's a 20-8, five-inning defeat in Game Two - just the first time in nine weeks dating back to last season that Murphy's lost via the mercy rule - but the loss was inconsequential as far as it concerned Murphy's claiming its first division title in the program's eight-year history.

Trochak yielded just eight hits - only one of which went for extra-bases - and didn't walk a batter. He had three 1-2-3 innings and was backed by a pair of double-play balls.

He was backed by a five-run bottom of the third inning. Walker got it started with a single and scored on Evan Christie's sacrifice fly for the game's first run. Colin Tosti followed with a two-run homer and Trochak scored on the first of two triples from Graham.

Walker doubled to lead off the fifth and scored on Marc Rossi's triple. Ed Gurt plated Rossi with a sacrifice fly and Tosti plated Rossi with his sixth double of the season. Josh Yeager laced a one-out double in the sixth and scored on Joe Faust Jr.'s single.

Joe Faust Jr.'s jubilation could be felt team-wide as Murphy's
 dispatched Wolfpack, 8-0, in Game One to earn the program's
first-ever Lower South division title.

Murphy's fell behind, 16-1, in Game Two and just couldn't recover against a Wolfpack team that still had its playoff hopes on life support.

Simpson launched a two-run double and T.J. Coles followed with a two-run homer to highlight a seven-run fourth. Walker doubled and Marc Rossi had an RBI in the frame. Walker, who scored a pair of runs, came across the plate on Christie's single in the third.

Murphy's will look to continue its torrid run and clinch first place for the first time in program history Sunday when they take on Santucci's (2-16) at Bensalem Community Park's Lower Field.

GAME ONE

Wolf Pack (7-10)               000         000         0_ 0  8  0

Murphy’s (15-2)                005         021         X_8 14 0

2B— W: Jim, Josh; M: Simpson 2, Yeager, Walker. 3B— M: Graham 2, M. Rossi, Gurt. HR— M: Tosti. RBI— M: Gurt 2, Tosti, Graham, Faust Jr., M. Rossi, Christie.

WP— Trochak (15-2). LP— Chris (7-10).

GAME TWO

Murphy’s (15-3)                001         70X         X_  8 12  0

Wolf Pack (8-10)               736         04X         X_20 27  0

2B— M: Tosti, Graham, Simpson, Walker; W: Steve, Jimbo. 3B— W: Josh, Dom. HR— M: Coles. RBI— M: Simpson 2, Coles 2, Rosar 2, Christie, M. Rossi.

WP— Chris (8-10). LP— Trochak (15-3).