The American League squad — made up of players from Philly Mummers Baseball, Philly Bandits, and All-Star Futures Baseball Academy — defeated the National League roster, which featured standouts from Bucks County Ghost, Rake, and the Philly Fightin’ Quakers, by a 6-1 score.
National League starter Justus Agosto (University of North Alabama) opened the game with two scoreless innings. In the bottom of the second, Ryan Madden (Widener University) singled through the left side to score Robert Del Buono (Eastern University), giving the NL a 1-0 lead.
After a quiet third, the American League offense broke through in the fourth. With the bases loaded and one out, Braedyn Clinton (Widener) drew a walk to tie the game, followed by an infield RBI single from Jeph Hadson-Taylor (Holy Family) to put the AL ahead, 2-1.
“The competition in the league has been up to par and honestly, today it showed,” said Dylan Pope, a Philly Mummers product who singled in the fourth. “It was a close game, guys were swinging it, and guys were making pitches.”
The American League tacked on two more runs in the fifth, with Pope driving in one and Patrick White (Rochester Institute of Technology) adding another. White finished with a game-high three RBIs.
In the seventh, White provided insurance with a two-run double down the left field line, scoring Leor Kedar and Pope to make it 6-1.
On the mound, the AL bullpen was stellar. Isaac Galarza (Bucks CC), Dan Mateffy (Holy Cross), Connor McCloskey (Washington College), and Quinn Erlandson (Elizabethtown College) combined for five shutout innings to close things out.
Beyond the scoreboard, the All-Star Game offered local players a chance to reconnect and celebrate summer baseball in Philly.
“It’s fun playing with all the people I know and just having a good time playing baseball,” said Stone Powell, a Neshaminy product and rising sophomore at Division II Slippery Rock who returned home to play in the PSCBL.
Future La Salle Explorer and Council Rock North standout Will Seiler echoed the sentiment.
“It’s good competition. Good pitching, good hitting. You have to battle.”
Even in defeat, Drew Brown — a freshman at Shippensburg — appreciated the experience.
“It was a great experience just to be here with guys that can compete at this level,” Brown said. “It’s so fun. It’s my first year in the league and I think it’s awesome. It’s a great idea to have this league for players who are either in college or going into college to see what college competition is going to be like.”
Now in his second PSCBL season, Pope believes the league is on the rise.
“I played in this league last year. It’s a great league. It’s newer, but I definitely think it’s heading in the right direction and has a lot of good players that come through here.”
