MURPHY'S SPLITS AGAIN, MOVES TO 12-2

If the Murphy's softball team is going to accomplish the two biggest goals - winning a Lower Bucks Softball League title and making a legitimate run towards a 2012 Trentonian title - it set forth coming into this season there's going to be the proverbial bumps in the road.

And for the second time in as many weeks, the Boys in Black proved there as adept at dealing with adversity as any other team in the program's seven-year history.

After getting dealt a 14-8 setback in Game One to The Sillies, Murphy's rebounded with an energized, all-around effort in avenging that loss with a 13-6 victory at Edgewood Elementary.

Murphy's did rack up 15 hits in the first game but only managed to push eight runs across the plate. Matt "Hollywood" Harker led the way by going 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs and a run.

Kevin "Mon Dog" Maloney, Colin "Quintonious" Tosti, Joe "Ichiro" Faust Sr., Josh Yeager "Bomb" and T.J. "Morpheous" Coles each added two hits. Coles ripped a three-run homer in the sixth inning and was an absolute terror for the opposition on the base paths all day.

T.J. Coles went 5-for-5 with six RBIs, a HR, three doubles and three runs
scored but Murphy's split for the second straight week to move to 12-2

Just like they had done the previous week after getting dealt their initial setback of the season at the hands of The Not So Athletics, Murphy's rebounded in a convincing way in Game Two.

Jimmy "Jimmy Jax" Trochak limited The Sillies to just six runs and one extra-base hit in improving to 12-2 on the season. The right-hander was backed by solid defense, including a tremendous defensive play from Coles at short to end the first inning.

Posey lined a shot back up the box that took a crazy hop back up to the right before it got to Coles. But the standout shortstop somehow snared the wicked hop up over his right ear and fired to first in time for the out. Maloney made a nice running grab to rob Wayne of an extra-base hit in the fifth inning.

Coles' three doubles highlighted a 23-hit, eight extra-base hit onslaught in game two. Coles was 3-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs in Game Two and was 5-for-5 with six RBIs, a homer, three doubles and three runs scored on the day.

Trochak backed his own cause at the plate by going 3-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a triple. Tosti went 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI and reached base in all four plate appearances. Harker, Maloney, Andrew Graham, Yeager and Joe Faust Jr. each had two hits in the convincing victory.

Murphy's, which maintained sole possession of first place in the Lower South standings, will square-off with a Sky Box (10-4) team that's been hot as of late at 9 a.m. at Truman High.

GAME ONE

Murphy’s (11-2)                100         213         1_  8  15 0

Sillies (8-5)                        640         121         X_14 23 0

2B— M: Faust Jr.; S: Mamenski 3, Posey 2, Derrick. HR— M: Harker, Tosti, Coles; S: Buddy. RBI— M: Coles 3, Harker 2, Maloney, Tosti, Yeager.

WP— John (N/A). LP— Trochak (11-2).

GAME TWO

Sillies (8-6)                        030         001         2_  6  13 0

Murphy’s (12-2)                600         601         X_13 23 0

2B— M: Coles 3, Harker, Maloney, Faust Jr. 3B— M: Trochak. HR— S: Derrick. RBI— M: Coles 3, Harker 2, Maloney 2, Yeager 2, Trochak, Graham, Tosti, Faust Jr.

WP— Trochak (12-2). LP— Greg (N/A).