LEGION BASEBALL: Whitemarsh tops Fort Washington to claim 1st GNALBL championship since 2021

UPPER DUBLIN - Whitemarsh's Brandon Saccone was going to savor this victory – and the trophy that came with it.

"I was on a lot of losing teams," Saccone said. "My school team were skimped out of championships, we didn't have a good record and my old travel team, I don't think we won one game. It feels really good to feel on top for once."

Saccone started Sunday afternoon's matchup against Fort Washington with a RBI single, driving in the first of the Patriots' three runs in the top of the first inning. He finished it by collecting his seventh strikeout, the right-hander going the distance on the mound as Whitemarsh completed its underdog run to the Greater Norristown American League Baseball League title with a 6-2 victory at Upper Dublin High School.

"Something definitely clicked in the teamwork and everything," said Saccone, a recent Roman Catholic grad. "Pitching has been amazing past couple days and, I don't know, hits – just started getting more. Hits started coming more, pitching getting better, fielding started doing awesome. I can't even put into words how happy I am that we just won this."

The Patriots went 5-8 in the league's regular season and needed to get a win over Roslyn last Wednesday in the play-in game just to participate in the double-elimination portion of the GNALBL playoffs.

But the next day, the Patriots shut out top-seeded Fort 7-0 then bested No. 2 Mount Carmel 4-3 to earn a spot in the championship round. Knocking off the Golden Generals again Sunday gave Whitemarsh its first league crown since 2021 and qualified it for the Region 3 Tournament July 17-21 at Marple Newtown High School.

"It wasn't looking good for a while but we got hot at the right time," Patriots second baseman Brandon Wooldridge said. "Everyone started hitting, our defense was great, pitching was great, hitting was great, everybody played well in the playoffs."

The Generals advanced to Sunday's matchup with Whitemarsh with a 10-8 victory over Mount Carmel earlier in the day. Fort trailed 5-0 before scoring three in the bottom of the third then two in the fourth to pull even. Mount Carmel regained the lead with a three-run top of the fifth but the Generals rallied again, plating four runs in its half of the frame – Matt Sokel putting Fort in front 9-8 with an RBI triple.

Fort Washington, which needed to beat Whitemarsh twice to capture its second GNALBL title in three seasons, can reach regionals through a play-in game against Main Line Legion's third-place side.

Wooldridge went 4-for-5 with a quartet of singles, his last in the top of the seventh providing the Patriots some insurance after the Generals cut the margin to 4-2 in the fifth. With runners on second and third and two out, Wooldridge knocked a ball back up the middle, the base hit bringing in one run with an errant throw on the play allowing another home to put Whitemarsh up four.

In the bottom of the seventh, an error put Fort's leadoff runner on but Wooldridge fielded the next batter's grounder, tagged the runner heading to second then threw to first for the double play. Saccone struck out the next hitter to secure the win.

"I was seeing it great today, all playoffs honestly," said Wooldridge, a rising senior at Plymouth Whitemarsh. "Had a little bit of a rough regular season but I told coach I was saving all my hits for the playoffs and was very happy to come through with a big one and kind of put the game away a little bit."

Saccone went 2-for-4 with an RBI at the plate and held Fort Washington two runs – both unearned – on three hits, two walks and one hit batter.

"Curveball was definitely working," Saccone said. "Four seam was up in velo a lot. And then cutter – cutter's just always there."

Ryan Heincer was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Aidan Jones went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored while Andrew Fisher finished 2-for-4 for Whitemarsh, which totaled 14 hits – five coming in the opening inning.

With one out in the top of the first and Brody Stump on first after a fielder's choice, Jones sent a pitch into right center field for a double. Stump attempted to score on the hit but was thrown out at home plate.

Kevin Ambs, however, kept the Patriots at bat in the inning with a two-out single to put runners on the corners. Saccone then lined a ball that just evaded the leaping shortstop and went into left for an RBI single.

"Whenever I looked over quickly I saw it about to go in his glove, I was ‘Please, please drop it,'" Saccone said. "And that was it."

Heincer made it 3-0 Patriots as he followed with a two-RBI single into the right-center gap.

Whitemarsh extended its lead to 4-0 in the second on Stump's RBI sacrifice to deep left.

Fort Washington cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth.

Thomas Puerzer led off with a single, went to third base after an errant throw to second after a Ryan McGuckin grounder to third, then came home after a throw to third went past the base and out of play. McGuckin was given third as a result then scored to make it 4-2 on an Anthony Hammill RBI groundout to third.

Whitemarsh loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth but Fort starter Gus May got out of the jam with consecutive strikeouts.

May took the loss for Fort Washington, allowing four runs – all earned –on 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out two.

The Patriots eventually pushed their lead back up to four in the seventh. Heincer led off reaching on an error with Dominic Criscuolo drawing a walk the next at-bat. With two outs and Wooldridge at the plate, a wild pitch put runners on second and third. Wooldridge's single and an error brought both in for a 6-2 Whitemarsh advantage.

Whitemarsh 6, Fort Washington 2

Whitemarsh 310 000 2 – 6 14 4

Fort Washington 000 020 0 – 2 3 3

WP: Brandon Saccone 7 IP 3 H 2 R 0 ER 2 BB 7 SO 1 HB.

LP: Gus May 5.1 IP 12 H 4 R 4 ER 1 BB 2 SO.

2B: W-Aidan Jones; FW-Matt Sokel.

Whitemarsh: Jones 2-4, R; Saccone 2-4, RBI; Andrew Fisher 2-4; Ryan Heincer 2-4, 2 RBI; Brandon Wooldridge 4-5, RBI.

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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 5:55 AM.