HEADING TO THE 'SHIP: MURPHY'S SWEEPS PASQUALES, FACES HARRINGTON PUB IN CHAMPIONSHIP

Two. More. Dubs.

By sweeping Pasquales - 10-9 in Game One and 18-10 in Game Two - Murphy's captured the 2012 Lower Bucks Softball League Lower South division title and advanced to the LBSL championship this Sunday against Harrington's Pub (19-5) at Bensalem's Community Park.

It was the first division title for Murphy's (21-3) in the team's eight-year history and just the second time they've advanced to the championship game. 

Marc Rossi led a day in which everyone contributed to the victories by going 4-for-5 with nine RBIs and two homers. His grand slam in the third inning of Game Two put the stamp on a decisive seven-run frame.

Murphy's fell behind 9-6 in Game One but gradually chipped away at the deficit. Colin Tosti ripped a two-run homer - his fourth of the season - to help The Boys in Black get on the board quickly. Kevin Maloney followed a double and Mike Simpson laced a two-out, two-run homer, his team-leading sixth round-tripper of the season.

T.J. Coles homered with one out in the second, Sean Walker followed with a double and scored on Rossi's single. Tosti singled and scored on Simpson's two-out single in the third as Murphy's pulled within two runs, 9-7.

Rossi plated Joe Faust Jr. with a single in the fourth and Tosti came around to score on Jim Trochak's single in the fifth as Murphy's pulled even, 9-9. Faust Jr. led off the sixth with a walk and pinch runner Evan Christie came around to score on a wild dash on Marc Rossi's sacrifice fly to the plate for the decisive run.

While the offense was gradually pecking away at the deficit, Trochak was busy spinning zeroes on the mound. The veteran right-hander retired 15 of the final 17 batters he faced. Tosti made a nice sliding grab in right-center and Coles and Matt Harker combined on inning-ending double play to thwart a sixth-inning rally.

Tosti and Simpson each led the 15-hit attack with three hits apiece and Maloney and Rossi each had a pair of hits. Rossi and Simpson each drove in three runs and Tosti finished with a pair of RBIs.

Marc Rossi went 4-for-5 with nine RBIs and two homers - including a
back-breaking grand slam in Game Two - as Murphy's swept Pasquales
to capture the 2012 LBSL Lower South Division title and to set up a
showdown with Harrington's Pub Sunday morning for the 2012 LBSL title. 

Game Two followed a much different blueprint as Murphy's raced out to a 13-1 lead and never let Pasquales get back into the game.

Harker set the tone immediately with a double and scored on Tosti's single. Maloney followed with an RBI double and both Maloney and Simpson came around to score on Andrew Graham's two-run double.

Rossi launched a monster two-run homer to deep left-center field to give Murphy's a 6-0 lead through two innings. Maloney, Simpson and Graham all singled to lead off the third and Trochak reached on an RBI fielder's choice. Josh Yaeger singled and Coles worked a big two-out walk allowing Walker to bounce an RBI single through the hole between short and third.

Rossi stepped to the dish an launched a missile to straightaway center field, hitting the trees on the fly some 375-plus feet away and raced around the bases for what proved to be the coup de gras. Faust Jr. added an RBI single and Coles ripped an RBI double in the fifth.

Maloney had a sacrifice fly and Graham capped a five-RBI day with a two-run double that he came around to score on following a pair of errors.

Rossi finished Game Two by going 2-for-3 with six RBIs, two homers and two runs. Graham went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and Simpson was 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBIs. Harker, Tosti, Maloney, and Dave Rossi each had multiple hits.

This double play to end fourth inning of Game One proved to be pivotal
in Murphy's squeezing out a 10-9 victory and riding that momentum towards
a walk-away win in Game Two.

Evan Christie's graceful slide into home stood up for the game-winning run
in Murphy's 10-9 Game One victory.

The 2012 Lower Bucks Softball League Lower South Division Champs

Murphy's celebrates its first LBSL Lower South division title in the program's
eight-year history.

GAME ONE

Pasquales (14-9)               540         000         0_9 15 0

Murphy’s (20-3)                421         111         X_10 15 0

2B— P: Craig, Josh, Nolan, Ace; M: Maloney, Faust Jr., Coles, Walker. HR— M: Tosti, Simpson, Coles. RBI— M: Simpson 3, M. Rossi 3, Tosti 2, Trochak, Coles.

WP— Trochak (20-3). LP— Brian (14-9).

GAME TWO

Murphy’s (21-3)                427         020         3_18 21 0

Pasquales (14-10)            102         130         3_10 19 0

2B— M: Harker 2, Tosti, Maloney, Coles. 3B— P: Ace. HR— M: M. Rossi 2; RBI— M:  M. Rossi 6, Graham 5, Maloney 2, Simpson, Trochak, Faust Jr., Coles, Walker.

WP— Trochak (21-3). LP— Brian (14-10).