Chris Pow got a taste of varsity baseball last season. He said that experience has helped him emerge as a key contributor for the current version of Perkiomen School's baseball team.

          "This year I knew exactly what was coming" said POW. a sophomore from Collegeville

          On Monday, the sophomore delivered the game-winning hit. His single in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted the Panthers to a 4-3 non-league victory over Lower Moreland at Baker Field.

          Pow, a left-handed hitter, lined a 3-1 fastball at the letters to the fence in center field. He said has looking for a pitch up in the strike zone.

          "We knew Chris would become a player," head coach Ken Baker said. "I really like the way he swings the bat."

          David Smith scored twice for the Perkiomen School, which finished with only three hits. The team built a 3-1 lead before the visiting Lions scored twice in the top of the sixth on just one hit.

          "We've gotten pretty good at scoring runs without a lot of hits," the coach said.

           Perkiomen School's offense finished with 14 hits in a 14-0 victory over Renaissance Academy in a Tri-County Independent School league game on April 27. A two-run home run by Ian Diaz highlighted a five-run first-inning rally. One inning later, Nick Guadarrama delivered a two-run double, and Jayden Kemp added an RBI double during another five-run flurry. Pow's run-scoring double capped a four-run, fourth inning outburst.

          Against Lower Moreland, the youthful Panthers (4-0 league, 11-1 overall) rallied in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases on a three walks before Pow ended the game with one out. According to Baker, they have made significant strides in recent weeks.

          "This team has developed," he said. "We're doing the little things right, which often leads to positive results. We're playing solid defense, and our hitters are choking up on the bat with two strikes."

          Jayden Kemp, Perkiomen School's third baseman, doubled and scored on a single by Tyson Buchter in the second inning.

          Nick Guadarrama, who earned the mound victory, was not charged with an earned run in 1 2/3 innings of relief. He worked around a walk and an infield error leading off the top of the seventh while posting two strikeouts.

          According to Baker, the team has made the most of learning opportunities during the season. He said one of those presented itself in the top of the sixth inning against Lower Moreland.

          With Perkiomen School clinging to a 3-1ead with the bases loaded, Kemp fielded a slow ground ball and threw the ball to second for a force out. The hitter beat out the relay throw and two runners scored on the play. Kemp, a freshman, probably should have come home for the force play at the plate, according to Baker.

          "We told Jayden about it after the inning," the coach said. "Those sort of things happen with freshmen. It was a good learning experience."

          According to Pow, the Panthers remained upbeat despite allowing the runs on just one hit. He said they were buoyed by the knowledge of having two offensive innings left to hit.

          "We didn't get discouraged," Pow said. "We have confidence in ourselves that we can win late as long as we keep our heads in the game."