Expect Pen Argyl-Brandywine to be played at Patriots Park

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/

FROM KEITH GROLLER

As expected, both Pen Argyl and Brandywine rolled to wins on Monday in the first round of the PIAA 2A softball tournament.

The Green Knights rolled past Christopher Dock 9-0 and Brandywine buried Philadelphia Academy Charter 15-0.

That sets up a Pen Argyl-Brandywine quarterfinal game on Thursday and it's highly likely that it will be played at Patriots Park, perhaps as the second game of a doubleheader.

These two solid programs have formed a good relationship over the years and get together with an annual  nonleague meeting that has been played at Pates Park. It makes perfect sense that this postseason meeting would happen in south Allentown which is about as much of a neutral site as possible for this one.

Brandywine won the earlier meeting between the two, 9-4, on April 13.

That was a 1-0 game for five innings and the Green Knights scored four runs in the top of the seventh, only to have the Bullets respond with eight runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Pen Argyl actually outhit Brandywine 7-5, but was hurt by seven errors.

The winner of the Pen Argyl-Brandywine game will play either District 2 champ Holy Redeemer (a 1-0 winner over Warrior Run on Monday) or District 12 Conwell Egan or District 3 runnerup Pequea Valley. Egan and PV meet today after they were rained out on Monday.

Frankly, because it's an odd-numbered year, it would be foolish to bet against Brandywine in the Eastern half of the bracket.

In 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, the Bullets, coached by Freedom High graduate Don Roach, reached the PIAA 2A state title game, but lost each year.