BOYERTOWN — Caleb Everitt doesn’t remember when the “sixth-inning Blue Jays” became a thing, but he knows it’s a source of confidence for Quakertown.

The confidence turned into production in a Region 2 tournament elimination game Monday night at Boyertown Area Senior High School’s Bear Stadium.

Quakertown trailed North Parkland, the last remaining unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament, by one run through five innings. The “sixth-inning Blue Jays” tallied three hits and worked three walks while pushing four runs across the plate during their favorite frame and held off the Buffaloes for a 6-3 win.

“We’ve been doing this thing where in the sixth inning we kind of go crazy on offense,” Everitt said. “Something happens and we just start hitting all over the place. I guess the energy – we all come together, especially if they do something or we have a little bit and go off all that energy and take it to another notch.

“Everyone in the dugout’s been saying, ‘No team can beat the sixth-inning Blue Jays’ because it seems like every sixth inning we do something.”

Gerald Stanziola started the sixth inning with a one-out single to left field. Cole Reich followed with a walk and he was the last batter that North Parkland starter Aiden Henning faced.

Cooper Natisin didn’t see many pitches to hit in his first three trips to the plate. He got hit by two pitches and worked a walk before greeting relief pitcher Peyton Scherff with an RBI double to center field to tie the game, 3-3, in the top of the sixth.

“It was amazing, honestly,” Natisin said. “It was the best feeling ever. I just wanted a strike and the ball to not hit me, honestly. I got my pitch and hit it and did a job.”

Reich scored the go-ahead run on a balk and Natisin scored an insurance run on a Jackson Gilman groundout to shortstop. Nick Depiero made it 6-3 with a two-out RBI double to centerfield.

“We were down one and we just stayed up with the energy,” Natisin said of the sixth inning. “That’s all we really needed. We know we can beat anyone if we play well. We stayed happy, stayed energetic.”

Anthony Pellegrini threw a perfect bottom of the sixth and exited the seventh with runners on second and third with two outs, keeping his pitch count low enough to be available Tuesday. Everitt entered with the tying run at the plate and earned the save, getting a fly ball to center field to end the game.

“Honestly, just throw strikes,” Everitt said of his mindset. “I’m not the best pitcher – I play middle infield. I pitched one time this season. If I just throw strikes and they have the best hitting team and I only have to get one out – if I throw them fastballs all day, which I did, I’m going to get that out. It happened to be the first batter I faced.”

The sixth-inning breakthrough came after Quakertown failed to capitalize on opportunities earlier in the game. The Blue Jays stranded runners on second and third in the first inning, left the bases loaded in the second, stranded runners on first and second in the fourth and runners on second and third in the fifth.

Quakertown, the two-time defending Region 2 champions, took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth. Gilman knocked in the first run when he got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Everitt scored the second run by racing home from third when a throw back to the pitcher got away.

North Parkland responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Andrew Beers, Nathan Unger and Broden Morabito each hit two-out RBI singles to center field to give the Buffaloes a 3-2 lead.

Jarred Housten earned the win for Quakertown. Across five innings, the right-hander struck out five batters to three walks and allowed three runs on four hits.

Henning took the loss for North Parkland. He allowed four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out one batter to three walks and hit three batters.

The result sends three one-loss teams to the final day of the tournament Tuesday. Quakertown faces West Lawn at 1 p.m. The winner remains on the field to face North Parkland in the championship game.

Quakertown 6, North Parkland 3

Quakertown 000 024 0 – 6

North Parkland 000 030 0 – 3

WP: Jarred Housten 5 IP 5 K 3 BB 4 H 3 R

LP: Aiden Henning 5.1 IP 1 K 3 BB 7 H 4 R

S: Caleb Everitt 0.1 IP 0 K 0 BB 0 H 0 R

2B: QT: Logan Niewoehner, Cooper Natisin, Nick DePiero. NP: Gavin Mohry.

Originally Published: July 21, 2025 at 11:23 PM EDT