Methacton nabs 1st district crown

Growing up and playing Little League baseball for Audubon and against rival Methacton, Kyle Lowery sensed that the players from both would form a solid unit once they joined forces at Methacton High School.

"It's pretty neat what's happened," the senior third baseman said. "A lot of us used to be on opposite sides. Now, we're together and playing for each other."

The union also has resulted in a milestone. Buoyed by Lowery's offensive production and John Wiedmayer's pitching, the Warriors topped Pioneer Athletic Conference foe Boyertown, 7-3, Friday, for their first PIAA District 1 Class AAAA title.

After Wiedmayer completed a two-hitter, the players doused coach Paul Spiewak with ice water during the celebration at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth in Plymouth Meeting.

"It's an outstanding feeling," Lowery said. "Winning the PAC-10 championship was nice, but this is definitely sweeter. This was one of our biggest goals at the start of the season."

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Lowery, who was named the team's most valuable player in a Thursday banquet, went 2-for-4 from the cleanup spot. He delivered an RBI double to left field in a three-run fifth inning.

Of his key hit, Lowery, who will play baseball and football at Widener, said Boyertown lefthander Brandon Griesemer "left a curveball up in the zone."

For the season, Lowery is batting .469 (38 for 81) with 28 runs, 24 RBIs, and eight doubles.

"He's been unbelievable," Spiewak said.

With the Bears committing three errors, four of Methacton's runs were unearned.

"Today, a couple of guys made mistakes," Boyertown coach Todd Moyer said. "It happens."

After beating Boyertown for the third time in four tries, the Warriors (21-6) will open the state tournament vs. George Washington, District 12's runner-up, at 4 p.m. Monday at Neumann University.

Also gaining one of the district's four state berths, the Bears (20-5) will begin against District 12 champ La Salle at 4 p.m. Monday at Ashburn Field in South Philadelphia.

Aided by two errors, Methacton scored three runs on two hits in the first two innings.

"It was an awakening for us, and it gave them some momentum," Moyer said.

Boyertown, capitalizing on two errors, cut the gap to 3-2 in the fourth and evened things in the fifth on Tyler Comport's sacrifice fly.

In the bottom half, with Lowery's double and RBI singles from Greg Pellicano and Jim Shomberg, the Warriors chased Griesemer and went comfortably in front, 6-3.

Boyertown 000 210 0 - 3 2 3

Methacton 210 031 x - 7 9 2

WP: John Wiedmayer. LP: Brandon Griesemer. 2B: M-Greg Pellicano, Kyle Lowery.