Entering the bottom of the fifth inning, the Philly Fightin’ Quakers were running out of time in the Philly Select College League championship. The top-seeded Quakers trailed the Philly Bandits by a run and needed a spark.
And they found one — and then some.
The first five batters reached base in a flurry of ways to flip the score. Two more runs came home later in the frame, and by the time the dust settled, the Quakers had turned a 2-1 deficit into a 6-2 lead. They added two insurance runs in the eighth and pulled away for an 8-2 victory to claim the Philly Select League college crown.
Michael Christian earned MVP honors for the Quakers, finishing with two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored.
“I’m just really proud of them,” said Quakers head coach Pete Hoffman. “They've worked hard. We practice once a week, and a lot of teams in this league don't get together and practice. We practice on Sundays, and these guys have been committed to being there and getting better.”
In the Quakers' semifinal win over the Philly Mummers, they struck early, scoring five runs in the first two innings. The championship game, though, was a different story.
The Quakers were held scoreless through the first three frames before breaking through on an RBI single by outfielder Pete Hoffman in the fourth. But instead of cruising from there, they found themselves needing to claw back.
Quakers starter Nolan Walker worked two clean innings to open the game before losing command in the third. He issued four walks and hit a batter, leading to two Bandits runs and a 2-0 lead.
Walker then loaded the bases in the fourth, prompting Hoffman to make the switch to the bullpen. He handed the ball to Gwynedd Mercy product Dylan Ganey — and Ganey delivered.
He escaped the fourth-inning jam with a pop-up, then tossed a scoreless fifth, retiring the side in order and keeping the game within reach.
“As soon as I got out there for that first full inning, I was able to really relax myself and not press,” Ganey said. “I was able to let myself go through my mechanics and kind of get everything down. It was kind of a cake walk from there, a little bit, just being able to execute and damage control.”
Ganey’s composure on the mound paved the way for the Quakers’ fifth-inning explosion.
The rally began with a leadoff walk to Justus Agosto. Christian followed with a laser triple to left to bring him home and tie the game at 2-2. A hit-by-pitch and an RBI single from Stone Powell followed, and a pair of defensive miscues allowed two more runs to score. The inning was capped by a sacrifice fly from Luke Hardnock.
“It was no panic,” Christian said. “We barreled a lot of balls early, and they just didn't fall. And then we figured it out. They changed guys. We worked at it, got on base, and got the job done.”
“There were some quick at-bats in the first couple innings,” Hoffman added. “We just talked about having a little longer at-bats and you’ll get a pitch to hit — whether it's that first strike or the second strike or even the third strike. I thought they did a really good job of that as we went deeper into the game. So in that fifth inning, they started seeing some more pitches and got adjusted a little bit.”
The Quakers tacked on two more runs in the eighth and rode their bullpen the rest of the way to seal the championship win.
While it may not carry the same weight as a collegiate title, the Quakers entered the game determined to finish their summer strong — and did just that.
“Just for vibes here, we all want to win,” Ganey said. “We all come in here, it's summer ball, not everyone takes it as seriously. But as much fun as we do have, we do want to win at the end of the day, and being able to come out here and do that is an achievement and a testament to all the work that these guys have put in since January.”
Beyond the trophy, the Philly Select League gave players a chance to grow both on and off the field. With rosters featuring players from different programs, it was a summer of development, competition, and connection.
“Not just the Quakers, but the whole league — we're all kind of in the same situation here,” Christian said. “We're all college dudes trying to either keep our spot or earn a spot. So it's just really important for us to get out here and play as much baseball as we can. And obviously, it's easy for us to get along because we're so alike.”
